by Ellen Sawin, NCSA College Relations
Across the nation there are hundreds of thousands of high school athletes who say they want to be a college athlete. From a 6-sport sample, it was revealed that on an average only 5.98% of high school athletes will go on to play their respective sport in college. While some athletes are sought by every top program for their sport, other athletes will go undetected by all levels (even if they are capable of playing at the collegiate level). The undetected athletes will miss out on the chance to realize their dream of playing in college, not because they were not good enough, simply because they were not seen.
NCSA student-athletes refuse to go unseen. 90% of NCSA’s high school athletes go on to play in college. This is because the athletes working with NCSA are committed to reaching their goal. They are committed to learning about the recruiting process and getting everything out of it that they can. These athletes work continuously with NCSA’s employees, a staff of 300+ former college athletes and coaches, to learn the ins and outs of college athletics and how to be successfully recruited.
Student-athletes working with NCSA start with recruiting education. They interact on webinars with Recruiting Coaches to learn how to get started, what they need to do and when to do it. These same athletes then talk with a recruiting coach one on one. During these conversations the athletes have the opportunity to ask questions, seek guidance, and learn from someone who has gone through the process thousands of times.
The athletes are also constantly working on their own to keep their NCSA online profiles up to date. Next, the players take the time to complete different tasks set forth by NCSA. This includes everything from registering with the NCAA clearing house to uploading their transcripts and sending in video to be edited and posted on their pages. The athletes also complete educational tasks that help them determine what type of schools they are interested in and how to succeed on standardized tests.
The bottom line is that NCSA student-athletes are not stereotypical high school athletes. After all, 90% of these athletes will play in college. For average high school athletes, only 3.2% of men’s basketball players and 5.7% of men’s soccer players will go on to play at the next level. NCSA recruits are the athletes who will do whatever they can to play in college, and the previous numbers are the evidence. NCSA athletes want it more and work harder to play in college, than other players of equal ability . These athletes are committed to success, something that will always be part of their character.
Ellen Sawin is a recent graduate from the University of Evansville, where she was a 4 year starter and 2 year team captain of the University’s D-1 volleyball team. As a volleyball player she was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team, and was named to multiple All-Tournament teams. She was UE’s 2012 Female Student-Athlete of the year. During her time at UE she was also the President of the University’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.), and was UE’s female representative on the Missouri Valley Conference SAAC. Ellen now works for NCSA Athletic Recruiting in the College Relations Department. To learn more about NCSA Athletic Recruiting and the free database of verified prospects that coaches can access 24/7, click here.