There is a wealth of decisions you are going to have to make during the recruiting process.
Choosing the college you are going to call home for the next 4-years isn’t an easy decision, and you need to consider all of the important elements that are going to make your experience as enjoyable as possible.
This process has many exciting and groundbreaking moments along the way that will ultimately be the beginning of your student-athlete journey.
However, there are several aspects that can be overlooked throughout this recruiting process that can dictate your experience in a negative way if they aren’t heavily considered in your decision.
The Secret to Success, Courtesy of KAA Alumni
This blog will give you 10 different aspects that you need to think about when narrowing down the best college for you if you want to thrive, succeed, and grow throughout your 4-year experience.
1. Academic Requirements
As a student-athlete, you not only have to get accepted into the university, but you also have to get through the eligibility centre for the corresponding governing body which your college is associated with. It is important to ensure that you academics are good enough to be accepted into your chosen university so there aren’t any negative surprises when it comes time to apply!
2. Athletic Ability
As well as being self-aware of your academic ability, it is also important to reflect on your current athletic ability. It is important to consider schools where you will be challenged as an athlete and given room to grow, but more importantly where you will be able to make a difference on the team rather than be a bench player. We go into this concept more in this blog here, which is worth the read as well!
3. Culture/ Size of Campus
Universities can range anywhere from just over 1,000 students, to more than 68,000 students.
It is ok to not know what you want at the beginning of this process; however, these are the types of questions you need to continue to ask yourself as you progress further into this process.
4. Academic Opportunities
When taking on the endeavor of becoming a student-athlete, it is quite easy to forget about the student aspect of that when going through the recruiting process.
If you are set on studying something in particular, there isn’t much sense in speaking to coaches or looking into universities that don’t offer this as an option.
Don’t let the excitement of coaching interest, amazing facilities, and beautiful campuses at schools that don’t offer your desired degree, as there is plenty more of those things all throughout the U.S.!!
5. Coach is King!!
Your coaching staff will become so much more than that by the end of your 4-years of being a part of their team. They are your support system, your motivators, your inspiration, and your mentors in so many different ways than just your chosen sport. If you form a connection or bond with a coach throughout the recruiting process, this isn’t something you should ignore.
6. Culture of the Team
Another important aspect to gain information about in the culture of the team that the coaches and players cultivate. It is imperative to ensure that you will fit in with the way that the team not only plays and trains, but how they spend their time off of the field, what their core values are, and what the coaches expect from you as one of their athletes.
7. Scholarship Offers
While many of these aspects will directly impact your experience throughout your 4-years, we understand that scholarship offers will undoubtably influence the choice you make.
One misconception that many kiwis have about studying in the U.S. is that everyone who goes over on a ‘scholarship’ is having everything paid for, which is far from the truth. Gaining a ‘full-ride’ isn’t common, and therefore you should never rule out a school that is perfect for you, but that may not have the budget to cover a 100% scholarship.
8. Location and Weather
The state in which your university is in will change a lot about the experience you have whilst over there. This is an aspect that you need to consider in terms of if you want to be in a small town or close to a big city, how cold or hot you are willing to endure throughout the year, and the type of demographic your college may be surrounded by etc…
9. Opportunity of Growth
This is one of the most important, yet more difficult elements to consider when searching for the right college for you. Asking yourself the question ‘where do I want to be in 4-years’ time, as an athlete and student’, and then seeing if the college that you’re considering allows for that growth and personal development.
10. Personal Preferences!
After all of this that has been mentioned, this is ultimately your experience and there will be a few elements that will be important to you and not necessarily important to the next recruit.
Whether this is being close to the ocean, being in a particular conference, having the opportunity to make day trips on off-days, specific skill, conditioning or strength coaching, or whatever it may be. E
nsure that if you have desires or preferences that will make a positive difference to your 4-year experience, they are heard by the people who are helping you through this process to make sure that this are considered when choosing the perfect college for YOU!
Put this Plan into Action!
Now it’s time to begin thinking about these 10 aspects in a personalised way, as this is going to give you direction when starting the recruiting process. Throughout all of the excitement and suspense that being a recruit brings, at the end of this will be 4 life changing years. This process can’t be something that is done without thought or consideration.
