Next level thinking: college prep 2 -- Owning your game

You’ve set a goal to pursue collegiate athletics. You’re working your butt-off every day. But that is not all that it entails. There is more. To pursue a collegiate athletic career there is some behind the scenes work that needs to take place. To help you with this process, we set out to find the most recent information on the collegiate sports pursuit from some of the top athletes around, and here is what we found:

Get yourself out there:

·      Showcases

·      Youtube

·      Instagram/facebook

Explore and understand the different athletic divisions:

Get to know the programs, and the different levels of the programs; for example, this quick read here https://www.bestcollegereviews.org/students-guide-to-playing-sports-in-college/  on the differences between D 1-2-3 or visit the NCAA website. 

Research programs with these ideas in mind/in this order:

·      Academics

·      Majors or interests

·      Available academic and athletic resources

·      Campus location

·      School demographics

·      Coaching style and personality

·      Team comradery/vision/goals

·      Competition schedule 

Line up resources that allow you to discuss your situation:

This process, though very exciting, may be exhausting and overwhelming. Though your gut instinct in life decisions is valuable, it is also important to communicate and discuss any questions that you may have with your support system (coaches, parents, teachers etc.).  Aspire works with athletes to remain resilient during the recruiting stages. Your number one focus is to perform well in real-time so you can pursue a collegiate career at the level of your true talent. If you are distracted and worried about the college scouts watching, it will zap you of your true talent and defeat the purpose. We work with many athletes to balance practice, performance, and pursuit.

When you do develop lines of communication with coaches and programs, maintain consistent communication. Here’s how:

·      Post your development; ie. results from games, news skills, PRs, race results, stats and so forth

·      Be consistent with the days, even times, to make this easier for the coach to identify when you are going to contact them. For example, post results from games every Sunday evening and practice updates every two weeks or at the end of the month

·      Let them learn as much about who you are as a student/athlete/person and learn as much as you can about them as a coach/mentor/person

Other things to consider on your journey:

There are several ways to coach a successful team, and personalities have to mesh in a very distinct manner to work well over a 4-year period. Just because you hear program is “the best,” or they have a winning record, does not mean that it is a fit for you. Some athletes thrive off of hard rules, and are motivated by a gun-mouth, while other athletes are hard enough on themselves and need direction to put things in perspective. It may be helpful, if possible, to have a mock practice with the coach on the campus, or at least visit the campus to see the flow of a training day. These are all things that you can ask the various programs, as you narrow down your choices.

Take the time to do your research, do not hesitate to ask questions. Remember, coaches and university staff are pursuing their own careers, just as much as you are pursuing your collegiate career. You should get the sense that you are all working together. Always be trainable and respectful, and at the same time confident, determined, and focused to find a good fit. The best program is a combination of academic, athletic, and lifestyle pursuits that you can clearly see yourself LIVING, for four or more years. Lastly, be mindful that sport is only one part of the puzzle — when you enter college, you are there to grow academically, socially, and spiritually — which in turn will make you the best athlete you can be.