What does it mean to Redshirt?
Redshirting can be a very positive and productive experience
Some of you may have heard of college student-
athletes "redshirting" during their respective
college careers. Redshirting describes a
student-athlete who does not represent his/her
school in intercollegiate competition in
his/her respective sport for an entire academic
year of college. The NCAA defines "competition"
as participation against outside competition
(another team(s) from another college(s)). The
redshirt designation indicates that a student-
athlete has not exhausted a season of
eligibility as defined by NCAA rules. It is
important to note that during a redshirt year a
student-athlete IS allowed to
participate in all practices, intrasquad
qualifiers/matches, workouts, team meetings,
and training sessions.
Per NCAA rules, each student-athlete has five
years, from the time of his or her initial full-
time enrollment in college, to compete in four
years of athletic competition. The NCAA rules
also state that any intercollegiate
competition, regardless of the duration, shall
count as one season of competition in that
sport. For example, if a college golfer played
one 18-hole round of intercollegiate
competition, he/she would be charged with one
of his/her four years of eligibility.
Occasionally a student-athlete will elect to
redshirt during his/her initial year of college
to adjust to the demands of being a student-
athlete. In these instances, coaches will
support the student-athlete realizing he/she
would benefit from an additional year of
development prior to participating in
intercollegiate competition. Additionally, a
redshirt year provides student-athletes the
opportunity to spread their academic workload
over a five-year period and establish a strong
academic foundation from the beginning. The
decision to redshirt is a collaborative
decision made by the student-athlete, his/her
parents, and the college coach.
Compared to other college sports, golfers miss
a significant amount of class time, upwards of
8 to 10 days per semester. Freshman student-
athletes therefore must learn how to balance
their time between practice, academics,
competition, and their social lives as quickly
as possible. Redshirting eliminates the
competition component and allows student-
athletes an opportunity to assimilate to their
new environment and culture. Redshirting may
take place at anytime throughout a student-
athlete's college career and is not limited to
freshman only. A redshirt year is a very
important time in a player's development and
should be viewed as an opportunity to get ahead
in school, improve your fitness level, advance
your golf game, and create an efficient time
management system that balances the demands a
college student-athlete faces.
Redshirting can also be utilized when a student-
athlete gets injured prior to the season and
the prospects of competing for the majority of
the season are limited. A player who suffers a
mid-season injury can apply for a medical
redshirt season. Injured players who opt to
redshirt can then rehabilitate their injuries
while preserving their NCAA maximum seasons of
eligibility.
Redshirting can be a beneficial and positive
experience if used effectively and will be a
decision that is determined once you get to
college. The student-athlete, his/her parents,
and the college coach will assess the best path
to make his/her college career the most
successful.
Ted Gleason