Preparing for College Athletics

  • Every year, several Shorewood students go on to be college athletes. Our students participate in NCAA Divisions 1, 2, and 3, and in a wide variety of varsity sports. Many student athletes also choose to pursue club or intramural sports in college either because those teams are more appropriate for their level, or because they do not want the time commitment required by college varsity sports. 

    For an overview of the eligibility process view the presentation from an October 2020 NCAA Presentation:  Navigating Initial Eligibility During Covid-19  

     

    A Few Tips for Students Aspiring to College Athletics

    • Be both ambitious and realistic. See the chart below from the NCAA. Very few high school athletes go on to play college varsity sports, both because of the athletic competition and the academic requirements. 
    • Treat this like a job search. Develop a cover letter and resume focused on your sport, including statistics of performance and contact info for current coach.
    • Contact college coaches by name, not a general "To whom it may concern" approach.
    • Research the colleges athletic and academic requirements to make sure you can meet them. Communicate both academic and athletic standing to coaches.
    • Put together a short highlights video of performances and a statistics.
    • Start sophomore or junior year.
    • Visit the college and request a visit with the coach. See if you can talk to current athletes at the college. Write a note afterwards thanking the coach for his or her time.
    • Find out about summer programs that might be available at different colleges.
    • Follow through periodically with phone calls or emails or updates on performance to coaches.
    • Most of all:  the student should handle the search and communications. The parent needs to stay in the background when contacting or interviewing with coaches.

Percent of High School Athletes Going on to College and Pro Athletics

Chart of statistics showing the percentages, by sport, of high school athletes that go on to college and pro sports.

scroll down for college athletics resources

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Resources