How Do You Know If You’re Good Enough?
Before embarking upon the quest for athletic scholarship dollars, you need to determine your potential for participating in collegiate athletics. How do you know if you are talented enough for college sports? At which level of competition could you expect to play? Where would you feel most comfortable?
Following these three steps will help you gain a realistic picture of your chances:
Take a good, hard look at yourself
Compile and compare your statistics
Seek the advice of others
Sitting down with a sharp pencil and answering the questions of the Athletic Self-Assessment Quiz will give you many useful answers. If you can answer 'yes' to most of the above questions, you may have what it takes to compete at the collegiate level.
ATHLETIC SELF-ASSESSMENT QUIZ
Am I recognized as an above-average athlete in my sport at the high school level? Club level? Regional level? National level?
When I compete against other college-bound athletes in my sport, do I feel I am at the same skill level? If not, do I see myself as having the potential for achieving that level?
If I have had a chance to compete against current college athletes in my sport, do I feel I am at the same skill level? If not, do I see myself as having the capability to achieve that level?
Do I work hard to correct those areas in which I feel I am below average?
Am I a competitive person?
Am I able to function better than most others in a competitive environment?
Does my body respond positively to physical exertion without suffering repeated injuries?
Am I able to function at a high athletic level on a day-to-day basis?
Do I set goals and strive to meet them even if it takes longer than I originally expected?
Am I able to manage my time effectively so that I usually can meet nonathletic demands in a timely manner?
Am I willing to forgo social or other extracurricular activities, if necessary, in order to meet athletic and academic deadlines and requirements?
Do I consider myself to be “coachable”?
If my sport is an individual sport, am I able to spend long hours, possibly alone, practicing?
If my sport is a team sport, am I able to spend long hours with the same people during practice, travel and other events?
Most of the time, do I look forward to practicing my sport?
Have I received recognition in my sport in the form of awards, honors and newspaper articles or other media coverage?
Have my own coaches or opposing coaches acknowledged my athletic ability and suggested that I may have the ability to compete at the collegiate level?
Am I able to focus upon the task at hand even though I may be involved in numerous other activities or projects at the same time?
Can I accept the possibility that I may not be the best athlete on my team in college and that I may have to wait my turn before getting a chance to play?
Do I understand that I will be enrolled in college for an education and that athletics, while important, is not the only reason I will be attending?
Janelle Whary, Dillsburg, PA 08/14/08
My son, a senior in high school has done what the article says for the last year. It works! He has received many contacts from Division I, II and III schools. He has narrowed down his colleges to four and he receives emails and calls from these coaches on a regular basis. Please make sure that what ever college your child wants to attend so that they can play a particular sport that they put together a dvd of them playing. Not just highlights but an entire game. Coaches don't want to see just highlights. My son put together a "resume" of himself (along with a cover letter introducing himself) describing all his awards and which camps and tournaments he would be attended.The coaches showed up to watch. The grade issue is just as important and their athletic abilities. What college wouldn't want a great athelete with great grades? If your child is interested in furthering his/her athletic career, just do what the article says. Again, it worked for my son!
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