Many young club and high school players across the nation have the dream of playing competitive at the next level. The search and preparation to play at that next level can be a confusing one as there are many choices that suit the needs of all. Here at Fort Worth we wish to make that transition as easy as possible for you. In the college corner you will find a guide to help you with your search and to narrow down your choices to get the best out of your experience as a college athlete. Remember this is an exciting process, so have some fun with it. Please be sure to read through ALL the information provided to ensure you do not miss anything important.

Note that different options have different requirements and rules.
Research what your options are in more depth and detail by using the links below…
NCAA: www.ncaa.org
NAIA: naia.cstv.com
Community College: www.njcaa.org

There maybe some fees in this process that you will have to pay regardless of what offer you receive. So be prepared.

Below are guidelines for someone looking to compete at the NCAA level:

You need to be extremely active in this process if you want to be successful. Do not sit and wait to be discovered, help yourself get discovered, make yourself known, be very proactive in this next step. Below is a guideline to help you stay on task to becoming a college athlete…

High school freshman: Your attention should be solely on playing and enjoying the game and focusing on your academics. From middle school to high school is a big transition in itself, you do not want to overload…so relax and enjoy this year! The only thing you should be doing in the college process is creating an athletic profile of yourself. Provided here is the FWFC format Player Profile, that you can use to create your own personal profile. Once completed, hand it in to your Team Manager, and they will build your profile page on the website (view current player profiles here...) you will need to update it by adding or deleting as information changes.

Sophomore: You should be focusing on your academics and playing the game. Remember to update your profile. During this year you can start your research into universities. Select 20+ universities based on what you are looking for, research and take an unofficial visit. Contact coaches via e-mail or phone and give them your schedule and updated profile. You can receive brochures for camps and questionnaires only. This would be a good year to start attending summer camps of some of the schools you are interested in as another way to showcase yourself. Remember: coaches cannot contact you, so do not see that as a brush off. You can also begin take the PSAT to practice testing during your sophomore year, registration for this is done at your high school…please see your guidance councilor.

Junior: This will be your most important and active year in the recruiting process, however DO NOT PANIC! Take your time and take everything in…
By this year you should have narrowed down your choices to a top 5 realistically. Keep focusing on playing and your studies and maintain at least a 2.5+ GPA. You will need to register with the NCAA eligibility center and make sure that you are on track with your core courses to be eligible to compete.

You will receive an NCAA ID number. This site is full of information about all the different levels you can play at and the process within the NCAA. It provides you and your guardian(s) with extremely useful in depth guidelines for college bound student athletes. There is a handbook that you can obtain to refer back to at anytime.

You will also need to register to take either the SAT/ACT.

Online sign-up’s:
SAT Registration: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/reg.html
Select Register Now and then sign-up

ACT Registration: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/index.html
And select sign-up on line

There are college codes listed so you can add the college codes of schools you are interested in attending on the registration form, if you do not know them or can not find it, you can also send your test scores to the NCAA write 9999 in place of an institution code on the SAT/ACT test forms. The more you take it the better chance you have of getting a higher score.

The NCAA will require your transcripts, GPA and test scores frequently updated as they change. Staring September 1st of your junior year a coach may now e-mail you back and forth as many times as needed. Send your top 5 your playing schedule for the year, updated profile, and a DVD. A coach may or may not inform you of their plans to attend a certain event. It does not hurt to follow-up on an event that you know the coach was present at, but realize that if they do not make contact after this that you may want to move on with your search, but give them time as they may be doing multiple events (especially during summer) before they return to their office. Try to make an unofficial visit to the universities you are interested in and meet the coach, always ask questions and try to see the facilities. When you return write down all the positive and negative things about the school and area. July 1st going into your senior year a coach may now call you once a week only, you can call them as many times as you’d like. Be courteous if coaches contact you, acknowledge them whether you are interested or not, let them know. Again attend summer camps as another way to showcase yourself to coaches. When you are ready to make a decision compare the notes you have written. Note: some verbal commitments are made during this year along with scholarship offers.

Senior:
During this year you must focus on your academics…try to aim for a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and double check that you have the correct core courses to compete at the level you wish to. The higher your GPA and test scores the better. You need to submit to the NCAA and the university your wishing to attend, your updated transcripts, GPA and test scores before making any official visit. You still have time to take the SAT/ACT to get a better score. You can now receive regular mail, e-mails, call a coach and a coach may call you once a week. No texts are allowed from a coach. You can make an unlimited amount of unofficial visits (visit you pay for) & 5 official visits to DI and DII schools only. You should start applying through admissions to universities that you have accepted an offer from or universities that you wish to attend. During the application process ask questions and find out what funds (academic or other) you may qualify for. The first Wednesday in February of your senior year is the nationwide day that the National Letters of Intent (NLI) are sent out. This is the written binding contract that commits you to the university you have accepted an athletic scholarship offer from and them to you. You will need to fill out the amateurism form on the NCAA website as well as update your official transcripts upon graduation. Do not panic if you have not found a suitable choice by Feb, you still have time…some coaches still have roster spots open late into June so still be active and send out your information.

Unofficial Visit: You can visit as many universities as many times as you like as long as you pay for it. This is called an unofficial visit. On an unofficial visit you may get tickets to attend a home sporting event, the number of tickets depends on the division and type of ruling you and your family may fall under.

Official Visit: During your senior year you are allowed to take 5 official visits to any D1 or D2 program which is paid for by the university. The university may provide transportation, meals and entertainment. Before you are able to take an official visit you must submit your official transcripts, GPA and SAT/ACT scores to the NCCA Eligibility center and the college you are wishing to visit.

Once you are on a visit whether official or unofficial you can meet with ANY staff member at that institution, so therefore you can meet the coach. You can also set-up a tour of all the facilities (academic & athletic) normally through admissions.

Please Note: Different divisions have different requirements.

Example:
On a Division 1 visit you cannot practice with the current team, you may watch but not practice. Academic requirements at this level are: 16 core courses and a sliding scale for GPA & ACT/SAT.

However, at a Division 2 university you may participate in a practice session. Academic requirements at this level are: 14 core courses and a GPA Minimum 2.0 SAT 820+ ACT sum 68+.

So you may want to look into this and get the most out of your visit and be aware of the different requirements.

How can I meet a college coach of a school I am interested in attending on a visit?
Before you are due to take a visit make sure that the coach or one of their staff members are available during the time you are planning to attend. You can call them or e-mail them but remember depending on your high school status (a sophomore, junior, senior) will depend on if they can return the type of communication. For example: If you are a sophomore and cannot reach a coach you may leave a message and call them back again at a later time, as they are unable to return your call or e-mails.

Some useful questions to ask a coach:

Remember that not everyone is entitled to any type of a scholarship. Scholarships are earned and worked for over a period of time. You can earn yourself academic scholarships immediately if you do well with your grades and on your test scores entering as a freshman. Some schools allow a combination of awards for example: ½ an academic scholarship and ½ an athletic scholarship = a full scholarship. Some schools only allow one or the other, so check and ask. An athletic scholarship is based on a coaches own personal standard, so these may vary as coaches may look for different attributes when awarding an athletic scholarship at different schools.

Please be advised that if you are late in the recruiting phrase that athletic scholarships may have already been exhausted for your freshman year. However, it is not uncommon for someone to enter their freshman year on no athletic scholarship money and earn it each year ending as a senior on some scholarship money, maybe even a full scholarship. So please bare this in mind, this sliding scale can also go the other way; you can enter on a full scholarship as a freshman and not do what is required of you as a student athlete and have scholarship funds reduced. So it is always up to you to earn your way and work hard day in and day out to show your worth and value as an athlete on and off the field.

The recruiting process can be a fun and enjoyable one. Follow what you want and not other’s, and remember you are the one that will be living through it on a daily basis. Do not get disheartened or disappointed by what does and does not come your way. This is a new and exciting chapter in your life so take the best option that suits your needs and make the most of it for yourself.

The information above is general; the websites below have more in-depth explanations into the process and how each option works. Please feel free to look at them and gain more knowledge to be fully aware about the process.