Post by CEZAR on Jan 9, 2014 11:57:51 GMT -6
RECRUITING FEATURE: CONSIDER THE JUNIOR COLLEGE ROUTE
In an exclusive to StudentSportsSoftball, a successful college coach has submitted the following article to help young players and their families consider various recruiting options when looking to play past high school including the junior college (JUCO) possibility. To keep the focus on the issue and not him/herself, the coach has asked to remain anonymous.
***
Question: What do you do when all the Division I scholarship money is gone for your class?
With the increase in early verbals, more and more talented student-athletes and parents are hearing, “Sorry, we are out of scholarship money in your class.”
That’s no reason, however, that you have to give up on the dream of playing for a BCS, Top 25 or mid-major Division I program. There are a few options to still achieve the dream as long as the talent is there and you do your homework.
Option 1: Invited Walk-On
Just because a school is out of money doesn’t necessarily mean that they are truly finished with recruiting for that class. Every year, most schools have several players on their roster who are Invited Walk-Ons. IWO’s are just like any other player, but not receiving any athletic scholarship dollars—their college expenses are being paid by academic scholarships, grants, family, loans, etc. But you are still treated just like other players.
Option 2: Redshirt
Many Division I programs who are finished with your recruiting class or maybe don’t need your particular position specialty in your class, would love to have you if you were a year younger. Sometimes this is a good opportunity for a player to redshirt their freshman year and still have four years eligibility and athletic scholarship.
Maggie Ham, now at Oklahoma, went to Butler JC and saw her softball career take off.
Maggie Ham, now at Oklahoma, went to Butler JC and saw her softball career take off.
Option 3: Junior College Route
A lot of people have the misconception that JUCO is only for those student athletes with bad grades. This is probably the fastest growing Division in softball based on the early verbals. Baseball has used the JUCO system for years and now more and more softball athletes are figuring out that it can be a great option.
Let’s look more at the JUCO Route. The Top JUCO programs in the nation can defeat many four-year programs, even at the mid-major Division I levels. They are made up more like a “Minor League” or “Development” team full of several future Division I players.
By going JUCO first and then transferring to a Division I, the degree you receive will say “University of Oklahoma,” “Alabama,” “Arizona,” etc. and says nothing about the junior college. Yes, even the top programs in the Nation recruit JUCO players.
In the 2013 signing class, WCWS Champion Oklahoma Sooners signed Maggie Ham, a right-handed pitcher from Butler Community College, which is a powerhouse Division I JUCO in Kansas that’s known for producing many Division I players in all sports.
You can get bigger, stronger, and quicker, all of which may impress a DI coach who may not have recruited you initially. A player also has a much better chance of improving if they are continually playing and working hard. Going to a four-year university and sitting your first couple of years will not help your development as a player, it is the game-type scenarios that define a player and help the player to truly mature.
Here are four situations where the JUCO route might be the better choice for you:
You dream of playing for a BCS, Top 25 or mid-major Division I program, but are in your Junior year in high school and realizing all the scholarship money is gone for those schools at the top of your list. By going to the right JUCO and proving yourself you may still get the opportunity to play at the big Division I college or university you really wanted to play at since they will probably have scholarship money available for the next year or year after.
You have smaller athletic offers to Division I programs, but even with the amount you would receive from athletic and academic funding, you would have to take out student loans. Going JUCO route could save you a lot of money. Two years on scholarship at JUCO and then two years at 50% at a Division I is the equivalent of four years at 75%. That 25% per year can easily save you $20,000 or more during your college career.
You have offers to Division I programs, but realize you would probably not play much the first year or two or may even have to redshirt a year due to the talent that is ahead of you at your positions. Attending the right JUCO would allow you to continue to work on improving your skills.
You are not a great student in high school. Even if you are a qualifier for four-year admissions, many students find the transition by going JUCO first is much easier.
Finally, here are questions to ponder when choosing a Junior College:
What division does the school play in? Yes, there are Division I, II and III JUCO programs.
What is the history of program?
What is the percentage of players that move on to four-year schools?
How are the academics?
What about scholarships? It’s different based on Division I, II or III and also based on conference rules and the institution’s own athletic budget.
So if you don’t find the door open as you’d like to head to the four-year university of your choice, consider all your options, especially the possibility of playing junior college ball if the scenario is the best fit for you.
- See more at: www.studentsports.com/softball/2014/01/08/daily-update-01-08-14/#sthash.NqykAWeN.dpuf
In an exclusive to StudentSportsSoftball, a successful college coach has submitted the following article to help young players and their families consider various recruiting options when looking to play past high school including the junior college (JUCO) possibility. To keep the focus on the issue and not him/herself, the coach has asked to remain anonymous.
***
Question: What do you do when all the Division I scholarship money is gone for your class?
With the increase in early verbals, more and more talented student-athletes and parents are hearing, “Sorry, we are out of scholarship money in your class.”
That’s no reason, however, that you have to give up on the dream of playing for a BCS, Top 25 or mid-major Division I program. There are a few options to still achieve the dream as long as the talent is there and you do your homework.
Option 1: Invited Walk-On
Just because a school is out of money doesn’t necessarily mean that they are truly finished with recruiting for that class. Every year, most schools have several players on their roster who are Invited Walk-Ons. IWO’s are just like any other player, but not receiving any athletic scholarship dollars—their college expenses are being paid by academic scholarships, grants, family, loans, etc. But you are still treated just like other players.
Option 2: Redshirt
Many Division I programs who are finished with your recruiting class or maybe don’t need your particular position specialty in your class, would love to have you if you were a year younger. Sometimes this is a good opportunity for a player to redshirt their freshman year and still have four years eligibility and athletic scholarship.
Maggie Ham, now at Oklahoma, went to Butler JC and saw her softball career take off.
Maggie Ham, now at Oklahoma, went to Butler JC and saw her softball career take off.
Option 3: Junior College Route
A lot of people have the misconception that JUCO is only for those student athletes with bad grades. This is probably the fastest growing Division in softball based on the early verbals. Baseball has used the JUCO system for years and now more and more softball athletes are figuring out that it can be a great option.
Let’s look more at the JUCO Route. The Top JUCO programs in the nation can defeat many four-year programs, even at the mid-major Division I levels. They are made up more like a “Minor League” or “Development” team full of several future Division I players.
By going JUCO first and then transferring to a Division I, the degree you receive will say “University of Oklahoma,” “Alabama,” “Arizona,” etc. and says nothing about the junior college. Yes, even the top programs in the Nation recruit JUCO players.
In the 2013 signing class, WCWS Champion Oklahoma Sooners signed Maggie Ham, a right-handed pitcher from Butler Community College, which is a powerhouse Division I JUCO in Kansas that’s known for producing many Division I players in all sports.
You can get bigger, stronger, and quicker, all of which may impress a DI coach who may not have recruited you initially. A player also has a much better chance of improving if they are continually playing and working hard. Going to a four-year university and sitting your first couple of years will not help your development as a player, it is the game-type scenarios that define a player and help the player to truly mature.
Here are four situations where the JUCO route might be the better choice for you:
You dream of playing for a BCS, Top 25 or mid-major Division I program, but are in your Junior year in high school and realizing all the scholarship money is gone for those schools at the top of your list. By going to the right JUCO and proving yourself you may still get the opportunity to play at the big Division I college or university you really wanted to play at since they will probably have scholarship money available for the next year or year after.
You have smaller athletic offers to Division I programs, but even with the amount you would receive from athletic and academic funding, you would have to take out student loans. Going JUCO route could save you a lot of money. Two years on scholarship at JUCO and then two years at 50% at a Division I is the equivalent of four years at 75%. That 25% per year can easily save you $20,000 or more during your college career.
You have offers to Division I programs, but realize you would probably not play much the first year or two or may even have to redshirt a year due to the talent that is ahead of you at your positions. Attending the right JUCO would allow you to continue to work on improving your skills.
You are not a great student in high school. Even if you are a qualifier for four-year admissions, many students find the transition by going JUCO first is much easier.
Finally, here are questions to ponder when choosing a Junior College:
What division does the school play in? Yes, there are Division I, II and III JUCO programs.
What is the history of program?
What is the percentage of players that move on to four-year schools?
How are the academics?
What about scholarships? It’s different based on Division I, II or III and also based on conference rules and the institution’s own athletic budget.
So if you don’t find the door open as you’d like to head to the four-year university of your choice, consider all your options, especially the possibility of playing junior college ball if the scenario is the best fit for you.
- See more at: www.studentsports.com/softball/2014/01/08/daily-update-01-08-14/#sthash.NqykAWeN.dpuf