Palmer Trinity School

P A L M E R T R I N I T Y S C H O O L C O L L E G E H A N D B O O K / 2 0 2 3 - 2 0 2 4 26 DO I WANT TO PURSUE ATHLETICS AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL? If you are considering participating in college- level athletics, the college application process may be very different from that of your peers. In some ways, the process can become much simpler. However, if you are not a recruited athlete, your sport may not play a significant role in admission. If a college coach expresses interest in seeing you play and decides that you are a strong candidate for his or her team, this is a sign that athletic talent may be a significant factor in getting into college. If you are not recruited, athletic ability will play no more nor less important a role in the admission decision than any other seriously pursued extracurricular activity. Either way, the admissions office will make the final decision, not the athletic department or the coach. Colleges have clear academic standards for athletes; there are limits to how far they will "bend." No college will accept a student on athletic ability alone if it does not think the applicant can do the work. No college coach can guarantee a student's acceptance to college or playing time once enrolled. A coach's influence varies at each college for each sport. RECRUITMENT If you are interested in pursuing athletics at the collegiate level, we recommend speaking with your PTS varsity coach and any club coaches. ese individuals will be able to help determine what level you may be recruitable at and can utilize their relationships to assist you in communicating with college coaches. Athletes are recruited at all levels of college athletics. However, the NCAA and the colleges put restrictions on each level of sports (Division I, II, III). e NCAA guidelines for recruiting, as well as the NCAA Eligibility Center form required of all Division I and II student-athletes, are available at www.ncaa. org. It is your responsibility to know the recruiting rules. Student-athletes can contact a coach during the junior year, but college coaches cannot call students until the summer (July 1) before the junior year. Here are the several stages of recruitment: » Form letters (sent to thousands of athletes) » Personal letters (handwritten) » Many phone calls from coaches/personal emails » Scouting (the coach attends a game) » Home visits from coaches » Official or unofficial visits (DIII do not have official visits) A student-athlete can get a good idea of the coach's level of interest from the intensity of recruiting efforts. It is important to remember that athletic ability determines how much support the college coach will give the student in the admission office. Sometimes, if better players come along, the coach may rescind earlier promises of support in the admission process. Our coaches can usually find out a student's standing on a coach's recruiting list by asking how serious the college is and what the athlete's chances of playing are, but there are no guarantees. However, if you work closely with the College Advising Office and seek the advice of your coaches, you can find the college that is right both academically and athletically. SECTION 10 ATHLETIC RECRUITMENT AND THE ATHLETIC SUPPLEMENT

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