The Case For Playing Multiple Sports

Freshmen sometimes have difficulty looking down the road and planning their high school years academically and athletically to achieve the best advantage in their recruiting process later on.

As strange as it may sound, playing multiple sports in high school can really help you to be recruited to play college football.  Here’s why:

  Athletes who play and do well in more than one sport typically have that competitive spirit that is needed to play at the collegiate level.

   Student athletes who play multiple sports are generally more well rounded and as a rule they possess the competitive heart that is required to play on college football teams.

  Playing more that one sport shows that you enjoy competing year-round and not just during the football season.  This is a good way to get yourself noticed by the college scouts and coaches.

   Competing in more than one sport teaches you early on how to compete.  Obviously, the more you compete, the better you get at competing.  This is a skill that carries over from sport to sport.

  Competing in multiple sports gives you many more opportunities to succeed in difficult high pressure situations.  This will give the coaches more opportunities to see who you are and what you can do.

  Playing in more than one sport helps you tremendously in developing mental toughness.  Things you learn in competition can’t be taught on the practice field or by hitting the weights.

  Playing multiple sports lets you keep your competitive edge all year long.  When you play only one sport, there is a tendency to get complacent during the off season.

  College football coaches are attracted to multiple sport athletes that constantly challenge themselves to improve their competitive edge.

You may have heard that the smart thing to do is focus your attention on one high school sport, but as you can see there are many advantages to playing more than one.

Something else to keep in your mind is that many, many athletes have actually been recruited to play one of their alternate sports instead of football.

Things College Football Coaches Wish You Knew

It would make the coaches job a lot easier if you would educate yourself about how things really work as the recruiting process unfolds for you. Here are some things you should remember as you engage yourself in the process.

   Stop thinking right now that your grades are not important.  Coaches no longer recruit risky athletes and with the recent changes in the NCAA GPA requirements, this trend will only continue.

  Don’t assume that just because you are a good player, the coaches will recruit you.  The coaches must know about you before you can be on their radar.  YOU must let them know that you are interested in their school and football program.  This can be done by sending a letter or email of introduction to the coach, or by filling out a questionnaire that he may have sent.  They EXPECT you to make the initial contact with them.

Do not think that a camp invite means you are being recruited.  These invites are sent out by the hundreds and sometimes thousands.  The camps raise revenue for the athletic programs and sometimes for the football coaches too.  The same invite is sent to everyone, but their only a few players that are actually being recruited.  However, since the camps are run by college coaches and their assistants, this could be a great opportunity for you to show them what you can do and turn yourself into a recruiting prospect.

  Today, almost everyone has a Facebook or some other social network account.  Be aware that college coaches can find out a lot about your background from visiting these pages.  Don’t allow anything on them that you wouldn’t want a coach to see.

December Is A Great Month To Work On Fitness

This month, start to earnestly work off the field on you physical fitness.  As you become more fit, notice how your athletic performance naturally improves.

Add this tip to your Financial Aid Tips file.  There’s plenty of money out there that has to go to someone.  It may as well be you.

Financial Aid Tips:

 Are you or your parents involved with any community organizations or civic groups such as 4H, YMCA, American Legion, Elks, or the Chamber of Commerce.  When the time comes for college, one of these organizations may be able to provide a scholarship.

 Choose a tuition free school.

Overwhelmed by tuition prices and the prospect of repaying massive student loans after you graduate?  Why not attend a tuition free school?  You get the college education you want without the hefty price tag.  The catch?  You may have to work.  Some schools require students to work 10 to 15 hours a week on campus and in jobs related to their majors.

Tuition free colleges include: The Cooper Union in New York, NY; Webb Institute in Glen Cove, NY; Berea College in Berea, KY; College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO; and Alice Lloyd College in Pippa Passes, KY.  Leave no rock unturned, a tuition free school could be the answer down the road.

This is your fourth month in high school.  How are you doing grade wise?  As always, KEEP THEM UP!

When you visit your counselor this month, ask where other kids from your school attend college and ask them if they can put you in touch with recent grads from your school who have gone to colleges on your wish list?

The idea is to get your face known around the counselor’s office.  You want your counselor to know who you are and what your academic interests and extracurricular activities are.

Things To Do This Month:

 Learn to Take Control of your Homework Before It Takes Control of You.

Create a study area with all the stuff you need.

Doing homework really is not punishment invented by your teachers.  It has a purpose.  It helps you practice what you’ve learned, establish life-long study habits, prepare for class and get a sense of progress.

“Here Are Some Great Tips To Help Get The Most Out Of Your Homework…”

Dealing With Negative Emotions

   It is natural to feel negative emotions like anger, disappointment and frustration when you come head to head with persistent problems and challenges during competition.

  If you can realize that it is literally impossible to “feel” positive” when faced with these situations, then you can begin to quit putting pressure on yourself to “feel good” when you aren’t playing up to your potential.

  When your game is totally falling apart and there is nothing positive or good about the situation, reach for optimism instead.  Optimism is not the same as feeling good about the present situation.  Optimism is hope that the challenges are short term and you’ll soon be back on your game.

  The ability to be optimistic while playing poorly will release you from the need to immediately feel good about the situation.  Optimism will lead you to find reasons to believe that your setback is only temporary.

NCAA Passes Sweeping Reforms

The NCAA is attempting to show the world that it really cares about academics and the futures of college athletes.  It has recently passed several meaningful measures to that end.

 To be eligible for college play, high school football players must have a 2.3 GPA in their 16 core courses.  This is up from 2.0.  JUCO athletes must have a GPA of 2.5.

 New rules allow schools to offer multi-year athletic scholarships.  This will be a big chip in the recruiting process.  Previously, schools were only allowed to handout scholarships one year at a time.  This left many athletes without a means of finishing their education if they were injured during the season.

 The different NCAA conferences may elect to allow adding $2,000 awards to the athletic scholarships.

 Previously the cutline for the academic progress rate was 900.  It has been raised to 930.  This means that now approximately 50% of the athletes playing on college athletic teams must graduate.  As this trickles down, it means that college football coaches will be even more careful about recruiting risky or questionable academic recruits.