The following questions were developed by the NCAA Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee. The committee urges prospective student-athletes
to ask these types of questions during their recruitment.
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Question: What positions will I play on your team? |
Answer: It's not always obvious. Most coaches want to be flexible so that you
are not disappointed.
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Question: Describe the other players competing at the same position |
Answer: If there is a former high-school all-American at that position, you
may want to take that into consideration. This will give you clues
as to what year you might be a starter.
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Question: Can I "redshirt" my first year? |
Answer: Find out how common it is to redshirt and how that will affect
graduation. Does the school redshirt you if you are injured?
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Question: What are the physical requirements each year? |
Answer: Philosophies of strength and conditioning vary by institution.
You may be required to maintain a certain weight
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Question: How would you best describe your coaching style? |
Answer: Every coach has a particular style that involves different
motivational techniques and discipline. You need to know if a
coach's teaching style does not match your learning style
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Question: What is the game plan? |
Answer: For team sports, find out what kind of offense and defense is
employed. For individual sports, find out how you are seeded and
how to qualify for conference and national championships
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Question: When does the head coach's contract end? |
Answer: Don't make any assumptions about how long a coach will be at a
school. If the coach is losing and the contract ends in two years,
you may have a new coach
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Question: Describe the preferred, invited and uninvited walk-on situation |
Answer: How many make it, compete and earn a scholarship?
Different teams treat walk-ons differently
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Question: How good is the department in my major? |
Answer: Smaller colleges can have very highly rated departments. A team's
reputation is only one variable to consider
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Question: What percentage of players on scholarship graduate in four years? |
Answer: This will tell you about the quality of their commitment to academics.
The team's grade-point average also is a good indicator of the coach's
commitment to academics
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Question: Describe the typical class size |
Answer: At larger schools, classes are likely to be larger and taught by
teaching assistants. Average class size is important to the amount
of attention you receive
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Question: Describe in detail your academic support program. For example:
Study-hall requirements, tutor availability, staff, class load,
faculty cooperation |
Answer: This is imperative for marginal students. Find a college that will
take the 3.000 students and help them get a 3.500 GPA
|
Question: Describe the typical day for a student-athlete |
Answer: This will give you a good indication of how much time is spent in
class, practice, studying and traveling. It also will give you a
good indication of what coaches expect
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Question: What are the residence halls like? |
Answer: Make sure you would feel comfortable in study areas, community
bathrooms and laundry facilities. Number of students in a room
and coed dorms are other variables to consider
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Question: Will I be required to live on campus throughout my athletics
participation? |
Answer: If the answer is yes, ask whether there are exceptions. Apartment
living may be better than dorm living
Financial Aid
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Question: How much financial aid is available for summer school?
|
Answer: There is no guarantee. Get a firm commitment. You may need to
lighten your normal load and go to summer school in order to
graduate in four years. You can take graduate courses and maintain
your eligibility
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Question: What are the details of financial aid at your institution? |
Answer: What does my scholarship cover? What can I receive in addition to
the scholarship and how do I get more aid?
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Question: How long does my scholarship last? |
Answer: Most people think a "full ride" is good for four years. Financial
aid is available on a one-year renewable basis.
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Question: If I'm injured, what happens to my financial aid? |
Answer: A grant-in-aid is not guaranteed past a one-year period even for
injuries. It is important to know if a school has a commitment to
assist
student-athletes for more than a year after they have been injured
|
Question: What are my opportunities for employment while I'm a student? |
Answer: Find out if you can be employed in-season, out-of-season or
during vacation periods. NCAA rules prohibit you from earning
more than the cost of
attendance during the academic year
