November 12, 2008 - Today marks the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period, where student-athletes in basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, tennis and wrestling can sign national letters of intent to formally decide their college plans.

Know the rules before YOU sign.

Some early signings include:
Missoula Big Sky center Joslyn Tinkle has committed to play basketball at Stanford as has Beavercreek’s Mikaela Ruef.

Faith Dupree, Taber Spani and Kamiko Williams are heading to Tennessee to play hoops for Pat Summitt.

The Baylor Lady Bears have added #1 ranked high school basketball player Brittney Griner along with Mariah Chandler, Jordan Madden, Shanay Washington and Kimetria Hayden.

Guard Erica Wheeler and post player Christine Huber also signed letters of intent today. They will be at Rutgers for the 2009-10 school year.

OSU women sign six -  Cowgirls coach Kurt Budke says Keuna Flax, Heather Howard, Desiree Jeffries, Lindsey Keller, LaSharra Riley and Toni Young signed with the program.

For more on women’s basketball signings, the Girls Basketball Recuit blog has compiled all the latest info.

Filed under: College Athletics, College Basketball, High School Athletics, Recruiting, Student-Athlete by jane
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September 16, 2008 - If you want to participate in collegiate athletics, getting into top physical condition is important. But if you’re not in good shape academically, your physical condition doesn’t really matter.

When it comes to being academically eligible to participate in college sports, there are three things to consider:

Just like adults have to be truthful about themselves when applying for a job or a loan, student-athletes have to be honest about their academic standing.

Thankfully, the NCAA Clearinghouse does a good job of helping athletes negotiate this path. The NCAA Clearinghouse basically verifies you meet the requirements in the three variables mentioned above: core courses, GPA and test scores.

The process matches your GPA from the core courses with your best scores from the SAT (math and critical reading) or ACT tests. It’s called gaining “initial eligibility”.

For Division I there is a sliding scale which matches your test score and GPA. For example, with a core GPA of 2.85 you are qualified if you make a minimum total score of 56 on the ACT. If your GPA is lower, you have to make a better score on the test. If your GPA is high, then the test score can be lower.

For Division II eligibility, a minimum score of 820 on the SAT or 68 on the ACT is required.

It is important to know where an athlete stands in terms of the clearinghouse. Athletes obviously want to know if they meet initial eligibility requirements, but it is just as important to know in which facets a high school student needs to improve.

Some of the best high school athletes fall short of these eligibility standards not because they are bad students, but because they did not take their education seriously enough early in their high school careers. Don’t let this happen to you.

The NCAA Clearinghouse also provides a lot of other helpful information for college-bound athletes including timelines and advice for homeschoolers.

And now you know!

Filed under: College Athletics, High School Athletics, Recruiting, Student-Athlete by jane
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Feb. 5, 2008 - Where are you going to College? February 6th marks the National Letter of Intent signing day for many NCAA sports and it’s the time of year when high school seniors across the country make their commitment to a college.  

By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year. Students are not required to sign the NLI on the first day of the signing period (commonly called “Signing Day” in the sport of football) but many do so to bring to an end the recruiting process.

Started in 1964 with seven conferences and eight independent institutions, the National Letter of Intent program now includes 55 leagues with more than 500 participating institutions. The program has many advantages to both prospective student-athletes and participating educational institutions:

For some athletes, the day is immortalized. When every girl on an Idaho club team committed to play soccer at the college of their choice, the players went to the Boise Capitals soccer complex to sign their letters of intent together. Three different news stations attended along with several broadcasting members from the respective high schools.

Others commemorate the event by signing in their school gym or library surrounded by friends and classmates. If you’re one of the lucky ones signing a LOI this month (or in the coming months) congratulations - your hard work and dedication has paid off!!

Filed under: College Athletics, High School Athletics, Parent/Coach, Recruiting, Student-Athlete by jane
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While most college students worry about test scores and GPAs, some stress over buoy counts and maximum speeds. If you’ve got the chops, you may be able to use your water skiing skills to pay your way through college.  Many students at colleges across the United States do just that.

Opportunities for scholarship and financial aid exist with the American Water Ski Educational Foundation. Check their site for equirements, selection criteria, deadline, and an online application.

For everything you wanted to know about collegiate skiing but were afraid to ask see National Collegiate Water Ski Association. It includes team lists, by conference, with addresses and contacts, tournament schedules, results, rules, technical information, ranking lists, and more.

Here are some tips for making your water skiing passion pay off:

Hit the Books: Remember to make your mark in the classroom as well as the water.

Stand Out: It’s important to separate yourself from the pack. Try to write a unique essay or include ways in which you might try to popularize your sport.

Join the Team: Being a member of USA Water Ski and part of your college ski team shows you’re committed to your sport.

Filed under: College Athletics, Recruiting, Student-Athlete, Water Ski by jane
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If you plan on getting a summer job, then be sure you know the NCAA Regulations regarding prospective student-athlete employment.

Listed below is some important information that all current and prospective student-athletes, alumni, athletics representatives, and fans should know.

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Filed under: College Athletics, Recruiting, Student-Athlete by admin
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If you’re a student-athlete then you’ve probably heard of the NCAA. But do you know what it is? Do you know the differences between Divisions 1, 2 and 3 schools? How about what sports are covered by the NCAA?

To start, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a voluntary organization through which the nation’s colleges and universities govern their athletics programs. The NCAA administers 88 championships in 23 sports for its member institutions and more than 40,000 student-athletes participate in championship competition each year. (more…)

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Why would an athlete sign with a D1 school, a D1AA school, a D2 school, a NAIA school or a D3 school?  What’s the difference and what kind of school is right for you?

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Whether you’re a high school freshman or senior, here’s what you need to know about the recruiting process.

Freshmen: The first two years of high school are an athlete’s time to grow and to develop skills. It is also a time to get a start on academic eligibility. No matter how good your skills, you will not be eligible to play as a college freshman if you do not have the right high school courses on your transcript. Therefore, your very first job, even as you develop your athletic skills, is to read the NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete and to plan your high school schedule with eligibility in mind. Enlist the help of your counselor early. Remember, it is not enough to have good grades and get a good score on the college entrance exam. You must also have the right mix of courses to meet NCAA standards.

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Are you a student-athlete waiting for a call from a college coach? Have you had big sports dreams since you first played T-Ball or AYSO? If your phone’s not ringing, there are a number of things you can do to raise your visibility and improve your chances.

Rule Number One: Do Not Wait. As soon as you read this, it’s time to begin working on your strategies.

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Filed under: College Athletics, High School Athletics, Recruiting, Student-Athlete by admin
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