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Student-athletes are students first and
athletes second. Even in nationally
competitive programs where there is a lot of
pressure to win championships, this is the
case. With NCAA initial-eligibility
requirements becoming increasingly difficult
and new bylaws based on college graduation
rates now in place, coaches have to identify
junior golfers who can not only help their
teams win golf tournaments but can also handle
their academic responsibilities. Academics do
matter to coaches in the recruiting
process.
NCAA initial-eligibility requirements
stipulate that a 2007 graduate must pass 14
academic core courses in high school and
have an SAT or ACT score that meets the
clearinghouse’s sliding scale before they
can compete as a freshman in college. The
higher the grade point average is, the lower
the test score can be to meet these
requirements. Beginning with the class of
2008, student-athletes will be required to
pass 16 academic core courses in high
school to meet these same requirements.
Student-athletes who aspire to participate in
athletics at the collegiate level need to
register with the NCAA Clearinghouse by the end
of their junior year in high school.
College golfers miss a tremendous amount of
class time due to participation in
tournaments. Most tournaments require student-
athletes to miss two days of class time. In an
average semester, teams will compete in at
least 4 to 5 events resulting in nearly 10
days of class absences for each player that
makes the trip. These absences can be
extremely stressful for students who are not
prepared to excel academically or to manage
their limited time. Coaches take this
reality into consideration when recruiting
junior golfers. They are well aware of
what it takes to be successful at the
collegiate level and try to identify excellent
players who are capable students as well. As a
junior golfer it is very important to stay
focused in school by maintaining a high grade
point average and by achieving a high test
score on either the SAT or ACT. Academic
success, combined with a quality golf resume,
will help you in the recruiting process.
Recently, the NCAA passed new bylaws related
to college graduation rates. Coaches and their
teams are now penalized if their graduation
rates fall below the acceptable NCAA
standards. This shortcoming can lead to
coaches losing their jobs. As a result,
coaches are even more focused on recruiting
top students to their institutions than ever
before. While it has always been important to
identify and recruit student-athletes who are
committed to earning four-year degrees in
college, coaches will work even harder now to
make sure they are recruiting players who are
focused on graduating before they leave
school.
In the final analysis, coaches really do care
about academics when recruiting junior
golfers. As a result, student-athletes need to
understand that they have to balance their
time and energy between the sport they love to
play and their academic responsibilities.
This balance will help their overall
marketability when it comes time to being
recruited.
And remember, school should always come
first!
Coach Brooks
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