Collegiate Track & Field/Cross Country

Athletic life beyond high school

Disclaimer The NCAA, NJCAA, NAIA, and NCCAA rulebooks

change frequently. Some of the details of this presentation may change. This presentation is designed to give you an overview of what it takes to become a collegiate track & field/cross country athlete and to familiarize yourself with this process.

Preview Divisions (NCAA I,II,III; NAIA, NJCAA, NCCAA) Athletic Scholarship Information Recruiting Services (BeRecruited, NCSA,

Forms) NCAA Eligibility Center Official/Unofficial Visit How to Choose How to Commit Life of a college student-athlete Benefits

Athletic Scholarship Info “I’m being recruited by X school, so I must be

getting scholarship” NCAA Division I 18 (Female) 12.6

(Male) NCAA Division II 12.6 (Female)

12.6(Male) NCAA Division III 0 (Female) 0 (Male) NAIA 12 (Female) 12 (Male) NJCCAA 30 (Combined M&F)

Fully Funded?

Divisional BreakdownNCAA Division

IAlabama State University

Alabama A&M University

Auburn University

Jacksonville State University

Samford University

Troy University

University of Alabama

UAB

University of South Alabama

NCAA Division IIMiles College

Stillman College

Tuskegee University

University of Montevallo

University of Alabama at Huntsville

University of North Alabama

University of West Alabama

NCAA Division III

Birmingham Southern College

Huntingdon College

NAIAAUM

Faulkner University

Spring Hill College

Talladega College

University of Mobile

Financial Aid Academic Scholarship

ACT > 25 SAT > 1200 GPA > 3.0 Amounts vary

Foundational Scholarships Based on school Interview based Leadership positions Amounts vary

Government Grants FAFSA (Pell Grant)

Outside sources FastWeb.org

Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans

How to get Recruited BeRecruited.com NCSA.com Prospective Student-Athlete forms Contact coaches directly

Be prepared to be bombarded with contact

Links http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/

NCAA.jsp http://www.ncsasports.org/ http://new.berecruited.com/ http://TroyTrojans.com/ http://TFRRS.com/

Official Visit vs. Unofficial Visit Official Visits – SR’s Only

Paid for by the institution $ Room $ Meals $Transportation $ Entertainment

Limited to one per institution Allowed five total NCAA Division I OV’s

Unofficial Visits – All ages Paid for by the PSA Entertainment provided by institution Unlimited

Recruiting Terminology Dead Period Quiet Period Contact Evaluation In-Home Visit Red Shirting Camp/Clinic Incidental Contact National Letter of Intent (NLI) National Signing Day

Moving Forward… Apply for admission (SR) Transcripts & Test Scores (SR) NCAA Eligibility Center (JR/SR) Tour Campus (FR/SO/JR/SR) Apply for Housing***(SR) Attend Camp (FR/SO/JR)

Pros & Cons – NCAA Division I Practice outfits and athletic equipment Team strength and conditioning coach State-of-the art training and game

facilities Top-notch competition

Larger class sizes Athletic time commitment Strong pressure to perform athletically Traveling cross-country

Pros & Cons – NCAA Division II Student-to-teacher ratio Less pressure to perform athletically

Less cross-country travel Less support for program Athletic time commitment Lack of facilities

Stack Magazine “Divisional Breakdown” – Jan/Feb 2009

Pros & Cons – NCAA Division III

Student-to-teacher ratio Games played in immediate region Easier to play two sports Minimal summer commitment

Lack of fan support for program No athletic aid available Lack of facilities

Stack Magazine “Divisional Breakdown” – Jan/Feb 2009

Pros & Cons - NAIA Student-to-teacher ratio // Coaches have fewer recruiting restrictions // Less pressure to perform athletically // Transferring between schools is easy Lack of facilities // Coaches may be faculty members as well // Athletic time commitment

Stack Magazine “Divisional Breakdown” – Jan/Feb 2009

Pros & Cons – NJCAA I,II,III Better opportunity to play right away Chance to improve GPA to get admitted to a four-

year college NJCAA Division I programs can offer full athletic

scholarships NJCAA Division II programs can only offer tuition,

fees and books NJCAA Division III programs cannot offer

athletic aid Lack of facilities

Where do I belong? “If I woke up tomorrow and couldn’t run

anymore, would I be happy here?” ACADEMICS!!

Do they have your major? Or a major that will prepare me for professional school?

Honors programs? Will I get admitted?

Athletics Travel opportunities Top 10 in XC Can I score at their championship meets

Committing and Signing Verbal Commitment Notify other schools National Letter of Intent (NLI) Housing Deposit Signing Day!!! Final Amateurism FAFSA Contact Team/Other Signees MOST Recruiting restrictions lifted Physicals/Shots/Orientation/Summer Training

Am I Good Enough? Target school conference results Current roster WALK ON!! Prove yourself Top 10% = more failure 11-20% have the most success

Examples…

Life of a Collegiate Track&Field/XC Student-Athlete

Advantage of having a team. Traveling Mentors Academic Resources

The bigger the school, the less you stand out. New definition of “good”. Time management New coaching style (good or bad) Training is more demanding.

Personal Advice Enjoy every minute. Be patient in your training. Buy in with what your coach is doing. Be a leader. Be a team player. Be humble. Learn to fail. Learn to succeed. Push your limits. Know your limits.

…Since I have a Captive Audience… http://www.troytrojans.com/documents/

2013/3/18/Distance_Running_Camp.pdf