When and How Do I Get Started?
The following is a suggested timeline for potential athletes to help you plan:
Note: Please note this is only a timeline, certain sports and the players skill and own individual determination will dictate his/her success
- Registration with Sporting Organizations
- Attending showcases and camps
- Registering and Writing SAT's/ACT's/PSAT
- Marketing yourself
- Applying to University and College
- Sending in Final transcripts
Note: Please note this is only a timeline, certain sports and the players skill and own individual determination will dictate his/her success
Grade 9: Freshman
- Work on your game, enjoy it and enjoy other sports also, coaches like to see a well rounded athlete
- Grades are very important, the NCAA uses all grade 9 course work as part of the core course requirements
- Learn the language
- Begin research on the sporting organizations and the academic requirements needed
- Visit the NCAA, NAIA, NJCCA, CIS, CCAA websites. These websites have links to all the schools, the sports they offer and to what conference they belong. Begin making a list of potential schools
- Begin making a portfolio of photos, awards, stats, newspaper clippings
Grade 10: Sophomore
- Build on your physical strength, speed and agility, you are a serious athlete and strength and conditioning will aid in keeping you healthy and provide endurance
- Compete in tournaments/ID Camps outside of your home area
- Participate in summer camps that universities and colleges may be offering in your sport, this is a chance to begin making connections.
- Talk with the senior students in you academy, find out where they are going and what they are doing to find opportunity for exposure in the sport
- Very Important: Keep up grades
- Meet with your school Counsellor to ensure you are taking the right courses to meet any eligibility requirements, meeting academic requirements, and meeting graduation requirements
- Continue your research
- Begin to put together your profile
- Consider taping excerpts from games and work on an individual video to highlight your skills (coaches can help you with this)
- Continue putting a portfolio together, keeping all your records
- Become familiar with the recruiting guidelines for each sporting organization: NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, CIS
Grade 11: Junior
- Continue working on fitness, get help with weaknesses in your game
- Attend showcases, outside tournaments, summer camps, ID camps
- Continue to work hard on academics
- Meet with your school Counsellor to ensure you are taking the right courses to meet any eligibility requirements, meeting academic requirements, and meeting graduation requirements
- Continue your research
- Consider writing the PSAT (Practice SAT), it is only written once a year in October. This will help to prepare you for what you will face when writing an SAT
- Write you first SAT/ACT in the Spring of your Grade 11
- Register for the Eligibility Centres: NCAA, NAIA, at the beginning of your Grade 11 year
- Update your Eligibility Centre file, with required transcript information, at hte end
- Finalize your profile packages and video to send out to coaches/schools
- Note: 10/16 core courses must be complete before the start of the senior year (7/10 must be in English, Science and Math)
Grade 12: Senior
- Play other sports that are low risk for injury for conditioning
- Write/re-write SATS if necessary, to help boost the score you need for eligibility and for potential academic scholarships
- Ensure that all core course requirements are met
- Ensure your portfolio is updated and complete
- Attend showcases, outside tournaments, summer camps, ID camps
- Talk with local college coaches and out about walk-on tryouts as an alternative plan in your scholarship quest
- Talk with your academy and community coaches, about local college contacts and assisting you with your search
- Continue sending out packages to schools
- Keep up academics
- Update your NCAA/NAIA profile often until your final transcripts are required
- Arrange for any final transcripts to be sent from your high school and that the school has the correct contact and address