Speaker Series

For the LOVE of SPORTS

See below for recordings of previous Speaker Series conversations

Sports medicine and health

Interested in a career in a sports medicine-related field?

Learn more about this growing field in this recording of a virtual information session.

Sports Journalism and Photojournalism

Is sports journalism or photojournalism for you? How do you get started? What careers are available in journalism?
These questions and more are answered in this recording of a virtual information session on Sports Journalism and Photojournalism.

College Athletic Recruiting

Want to play your sport in college? How do you increase your odds of playing? How do you get noticed? Are you eligible? These questions and more are answered in this recording of a virtual information session on College Athletic Recruiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

NCAA Division I teams get the most publicity, but what other options are there for playing college sports, and what are the advantages and disadvantages to those? 

Playing Division 1 definitely has it’s Pro’s and Con’s and this decision should ultimately be based on your personal preferences. Compared to D2 and D3, playing a Division 1 sport is like having a full-time job with the time commitment being far more significant than the other divisions. Although the NCAA regulates weekly practice hours, the 20-hour limit does not take into account other team responsibilities (meeting with athletic trainers before and after practice, physical therapy sessions, film, and meetings with coaches),  all of which extend beyond the 20-hour cap.


Because of this, athletes sometimes find it more challenging to balance being both a student and an athlete. Also, since each sport is so demanding, D1 athletes are less likely to play multiple varsity sports, opposed to other divisions where they can often compete in more than one sport.


That being said, there are definite benefits to being a Division 1 athlete. D1 schools have more financial backing, better facilities, higher-paid coaches, and more scholarship money, D1 schools also commonly have state-of-the-art athletic facilities, including well-kept fields, high-tech equipment, and the most advanced sports medicine tools, nutritionists, physical therapists, doctors, surgeons, etc. Additionally, D1 coaches typically have more enticing salaries, which suggests that D1 coaches can be of a higher caliber than say D2 or D3 coaches. It is not uncommon for D3 coaches to hold other jobs on campus, although this is not always the case, and also depends upon the sport and school.


If you want to play there is somewhere for you - but be honest / realistic about your skills and best fit

Yes- there is almost always a place for you to play. You may need to consider being a part of a team versus academics and playing time,as well as scholarship opportunities, but there is almost always a place to play.

Many consider starting at a JUCO school and then moving up. Most D2 schools only offer partial scholarships, and D3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships. Unlike these others, D1 schools can offer full or partial scholarships. Division 1 scholarships are determined by sport and allocated by the coaching staff, yet they must abide by Title IX regulations that aim to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex. Title IX therefore requires that female and male student-athletes receive proportional athletic scholarships based on their participation. Some key elements to keep in mind when deciding are:


Summary of Scholarships (athletic / academic), time commitment, skill development

DIVISION 1 SPORTS:


DIVISION 2 SPORTS:


DIVISION 3 SPORTS:


NAIA SPORTS:


JUCO SPORTS:


Besides signing up for the NCAA Eligibility Center, what should a student-athlete be doing? Should they start contacting coaches, and is there a best way to do this?

 Consider contacting coaches as soon as you have identified their school and program as a place that you are interested in. You can reach out, email, call or visit programs as soon as you like. It is recommended for various sports that this can start anywhere from 8th grade through Freshman year. Do not expect to be getting scholarship offers when you first contact a coach; rather think of this as an opportunity to introduce yourself and the first step in a long recruiting process.

 

It is a common misconception that athletes cannot contact a college coach first or that it is a violation of NCAA rules. As an athlete you can contact a coach anytime you want, but coaches are restricted in when they can contact you. 

 

A side note from Harvard (although applicable to all coaches):

 “Who should contact Harvard?

We expect the prospective student-athlete to lead the communication process.  Any prospect who is interested in the possibility of attending Harvard and playing golf should contact us.  Keep in mind that golf is a division one sport at Harvard and requires significant desire and commitment.

 

Occasionally, parents, coaches, and scouting services will contact us on a prospect’s behalf.  While it is great to have people who are supporting, encouraging, and mentoring prospects throughout this process, we prefer to work directly with prospects for a number of reasons:

 

●     We want to get to know the prospect personally and we want the prospect to get to know us.

 ●     Outreach is a good opportunity for prospects to demonstrate initiative and self-advocacy.  These are two skills that show the level of maturity we like to see our prospective team members

 ●     Outreach by the student indicates that they are interested and deeply engaged.  Gaining admission to a selective school such as Harvard is far more likely to happen if the student demonstrates these qualities. 

 

We prefer to see student-athletes take initiative and contact us directly.  Self-advocacy is an important learned skill and shows the level of maturity we like to see our prospective team members.  Additionally, such outreach by the student indicates that they are interested.  Gaining admission to a selective school such as Harvard is far more likely to happen if the student is deeply engaged. “

 

Each sport is different, some have structured showcases, others are direct contact with coaches, etc. How do I research schools and learn about the schools and their programs? What next steps do those schools want you to take, Eg attend showcase / camps, send video, fill out recruiting form? Do I need to contact coaches, or will they find me? Can you reach out to schools/coaches directly?


Rules of contact - when can you contact coaches, when can coaches contact you

The proposal for most sports would allow communication — either from or to a coach — June 15 after the sophomore year of high school and would allow visits beginning Aug. 1 before the junior year of high school.


Can you send unsolicited video/stat reels to coaches?

Yes, and you should! Ask your coach about Hudl videos, and any other videos which they may have recorded.


Remember, this is about making it as easy as possible for the coach to evaluate the player.  For example, you’re wasting the coach’s time if you don’t cut out all of the time a batter is waiting at the plate for the pitch. All of a player’s at bats in a single game should come in under two minutes. With a video editing program, it should be easy to add the player’s information as text at the beginning and end. This helps the coach since it’s easier to copy text, if he needs to, rather than listen to the information and then write it down.



Online recruiting sites

Many out there! You need to decide if you want to pay, how much you can pay. Good to have profiles at the places that allow you to make free profiles as almost all of them are searched. Consider being able to use these sites and your own tools before paying for larger ones (NCSA). Most just submit your profile to the recruit form.