Playing a sport in college can be a great way to earn a scholarship, make friends, stay competitive, and stay in great physical shape. While playing a sport while you are in school can be a great idea, getting a position on a collegiate sports team can be very competitive. For those people that are looking to transfer from a community college, it can be even more challenging as they only have two or three years of eligibility left to play. While it can be challenging to get a spot on a college sports team, there are several tips that could be followed to ensure that you are able to get a chance to play sports on the collegiate level.
Good Grades and Academics
One of the most important factors that colleges considered when determining whether they want to provide you with the opportunity to play for them is what your academic history is. Colleges take pride in the grades that their student athletes receive. The last thing that they will want to see is for an incoming athlete that doesn't take their education seriously. To attract more schools, you will need to have a good grade point average and take courses that put you on track to graduate. If you slack in the classroom or do not take any challenging courses, a four-year college will be far less likely to eventually offer you a scholarship or position on an athletic team.
Train and Practice Frequently
Another tip to help you get a position on a college sports team is to train and practice frequently. Next to your academics, your sports team and athletic performance should be you second highest priority. During the season, you will likely have practices or games every day of the week. On days that you are off, you should be preparing for your next opponent to ensure that you perform your best. During the offseason, you will need to spend a lot of your time training and getting ready to perform on the collegiate level. Being successful on your junior college team and being in great shape will help you to attract scouts.
Network and Market Yourself
The third tip that should be followed, which will greatly increase your chances of getting a scholarship or position on a collegiate roster is to network and market yourself. It is a common misconception that most student athletes are recruited by coaches. In reality, only the top athletes in high school are heavily recruited. Instead, you will have to take your recruiting into your own hands. To greatly enhance your chances of getting noticed by local schools, you will need to send out information about yourself and request meetings with coaches and other people at the university.
Show Interest
The fourth tip that should be followed to enhance you chance of playing sports collegiately is to show interest in the school and program that you want to play for. Colleges and universities will always be more interested in bringing in a player that has a strong interest in playing for the school. Some of the best ways to show that you are interested is to attend any recruiting events that the school is having, regardless of whether they are for athletes or general students, try to get involved with the athletic program before you get into school, and do your best to get to know some of the other players and coaches on the team that you would like to play for. Having this level of enthusiasm will be very attractive to the school and will give you an advantage compared to other athletes.
Author Bio
Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to education. In this article, he offers tips to students wishing to participate in college athletics and aims to encourage further study with an Ohio University Online Athletic Administration Masters Degree.