News & Features

Nadim Naser, 2 January 2015

Special from WAM Sports

Each year student athletes make the transition from high school to college. Some student athletes and their families have a good idea of when and how to start, while others have little or no idea at all. Regardless of the category you fall in, every athlete can make use of these five helpful tips:

(1) Know who you are before you can know what college fits you

Believe it or not, there is more to college life than studying and playing your sport. Life's learning opportunities are as likely to come off the court and outside the classroom as in, so think about the social aspect of what college will be about. Ask yourself, "where do I fit in best?" What environment do I need to be happy? Consider things like the location, the setting, and the size of the universities you are interested in and find out about the campus atmosphere and camaraderie among your potential team mates. Listen to what students, student athletes and professors have to say about life at college outside of the classroom and the sports arena. Visiting the campus when class is in session is a good way to gauge the feel of a university, helping you determine if you will feel good there.

(2) Know your competitive level & match it up with what college coaches are looking for

Many student athletes have only a vague idea of how they match up with the competition or what prospective coaches will perceive them bringing to the team. Find someone--a coach, a mentor, a trusted tennis contact--who knows your game and who also knows the college recruiting landscape. Let them help you on ascertaining your competitive level and clarifying your worth to a college coach. Without this step, you may soon find yourself overwhelmed trying to figure out where you fit in athletically. There is a college for every student athlete; unfortunately, not every athlete knows enough--or is open-minded enough--to make the right decision for themselves on their own.

(3) Know the intercollegiate eligibility rules and regulations

The different intercollegiate sports leagues (NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA) have set rules and regulations in place for all divisions and sports. They do change regularly and student athletes need to stay informed of the latest updates in order to maintain their eligibility status. For example, just recently the SAT rules and test-taking methods have changed, which will affect everyone taking the SAT starting Spring 2016. Read up on the regulations and educate yourself, or find someone who can help.

(4) Know how to get on college coaches' radar

The best way to be seen by college coaches, and to learn about different coaches, their training methods and character, and their recruiting criteria, is by participating in college tennis prep camps. As with visiting campuses, having university coaches work with you on court at these prep camps will increase your knowledge about college life and your athletic chances, significantly. In addition, send coaches highlight videos of yourself, call them, email them, visit them on campus. Whether they respond right away or not, make them aware of your past results and upcoming plans to compete. Inform them of where you will be next. Be proactive and show interest regularly. Let them know how serious you are about their college. Know this, you can always contact a college coach!

(5) Know your academic preferences, learning style and qualifications

As important as it is to fit into college socially and athletically, you need to look at how you fit in academically, as well. Families tend to ask only two questions when finding an academic fit: what's the college's reputation and does it have the major we want? While these questions are valid, be aware that your interests may change while you study, and that there are many more fine universities than people are aware of. Be open-minded to a few different majors and choose a university that offers all or a majority of them, then ask if you could see yourself studying there for 4+ years, even if you couldn't play your sport (due to injury for example). That will usually give you a good indication of how you fit.

Be sure to know what you need in regards to class sizes and professors. Do you respond and learn better in smaller class sizes where the focus in more on the individual student or do you prefer a large learning environment and enjoy more anonymity? Nearly all college websites mention their professor to student ratio and also tell you the qualifications of their professors. Know what the academic requirements are for each university. Find out what SAT/ACT, GPA and other admission requirements there are, such as references needed, essays you may need to write and any other admission documents you may need to show.

I hope that these tips will aid you in your college search. They have helped hundreds of athletes that I have worked with. Share your thoughts with me on this or any other subject matter. Let me know what topics you would like me to cover next.

To learn more about evaluations and a Free Consultation, go to www.wamsports.com, contact me at @nadream81 on Twitter and friend me on Facebook.

About Ethos School

We are excited to have Ethos School as the title sponsor of the Recruiting 101 series of articles at TennisRecruiting.net.

Ethos School - Transforming Education for Athletes

Ethos School is an online school committed to preparing next-level athletes with next-level learning opportunities through flexible, high-quality courses in a faith-based environment. Our online platform offers over 100+ a la carte courses for 4th-12th grade students, allowing families the freedom to pick and choose what course(s) they would like their child to take through either a fully homeschool or hybrid model. To date, Ethos boasts an AP pass rate of over 80%, with student-athletes going to universities such as the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Dartmouth, Auburn University, and more.

One of the unique aspects of Ethos School is our commitment to providing a holistic educational experience. Our students participate in a live 1-hour video session with their teacher and peers each week. These sessions offer enriching activities, opportunities to ask questions, discuss coursework, and present projects.

We are thrilled to extend an exclusive offer to TRN recruits like you. If you decide to enroll your child at Ethos School, we will waive the $95 enrollment fee. Additionally, we will provide a complimentary Academic Counseling session with one of Ethos' Academic Deans to plan out your child's educational journey to ensure they are on the right path for college and beyond.

To learn more about Ethos School, please visit EthosSchool.org - or connect with them on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Ethos can meet your child's educational needs, please schedule a call here.

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