Preparing Your Student Athlete For College Life & Competition.
8 ways to ensure our young student athlete is prepared for the college experience.
Labour Day weekend signifies back to school in Canada, including colleges and universities. A few weeks later than our American brothers and sisters. Thankfully, most campuses have re-instated college sports and most of the fall sports are well underway prior to classes starting.
Over my 30+ years of coaching, there are always new experiences and one new one in 2021 is my own son starting his time on campus. He is 3 weeks into his college athletic experience (baseball), and so far so good. This is something he has envisioned for some time, and with the postponement of last year, could not have come fast enough for him.
The adjustment to college brings with it many variables. There is the moving from home, there is increased demand academically, there is also the balancing of more required athletically. There is often very little ramp up time, the student athletes are thrust into all very quickly. In many ways this is challenging but also can be a good thing.
Going into the experience well prepared increases the chances of the experience being positive. Here are 8 ways we can ensure our young student athlete is prepared for the college experience.
1. Mental preparation part 1. Leading up to college time
Varsity sport at the collegiate level is not a hobby. In many cases, varsity sports are treated more like a business than anything else. The value of the athlete on the playing field ties into his/her contribution to the competitiveness of the program. This is where expectations come into play. College sports as a hobby are called clubs. Varsity sports are competitive most often with paid coaches, and athletic departments having budgets around their operation. The success on the playing field increases the visibility of the college and helps with student recruitment and community endeavors. This is a business, the business of education. Our young athlete, in the athletic departments’ and coaches’ eyes is an asset to the program. The athletic program is a marketing tool for the college.
This perspective is a different view from me-centric agenda of athlete, parent and coach to one that considers the bigger picture from an organizational perspective. A viewpoint of contribution as opposed to entitlement is strong start to the right mental preparation for college athletics.
2. Finding the right situation. This cannot be understated. As simon Sinek would say, start with Why. Why collegiate sports? why this school and academic/athletic program? let the athlete define the why as a guide to the right fit. (see point 3 below)
The opportunity to evaluate the academics, meet the coach, evaluate history of the program, what it stands for, and visit the location and meet the leaders should be a part of the evaluation criteria. Not every baseball program is suitable for the young baseball athlete for example. Connect to point 6 below around on field skill development.
Having evaluation criteria is an important step in the right direction. Too often, a college recruiting an athlete is the main criteria. I have observed firsthand college development and feeder programs providing very little guidance provided to young athletes and families on picking a college, one that suits the athlete.
Many families jump at the first opportunity where some subsidization is provided. However, this is only one variable in the equation. I have seen subsidized student living accommodations for example for young athletes at an American junior college that seem more prison like than student housing. If that fits the experience desired, so be it but needs to be factored into the decision.
The experiences at the collegiate level are intended to provide skills for our young athlete as a transition to adulthood. Regardless of the level of athlete, the competition stops one day. The skills developed in college are the ones that endure. Finding the right fit is a process that should not be underestimated.
3. Targeting the benefits of college athletics. Relationships developed as part of the freshman class in college often last for years. Easing the transition to a new situation by connecting with others of similar backgrounds on the field of play is a massive benefit to increasing the college experience. While many college programs are very competitive within the team, there is also a sense of camaraderie not found anywhere else. As parents and coaches, we want our young people to find their tribe. Bottom line. Finding and connecting to tribe is a goal that is not often discussed. Sports is simply one area to accomplish that goal. Part of the why defined above should be connected to the benefits of athletic participation.
4. Mental preparation part 2: competing for playing time.
The concept of having to compete via tryout is foreign to many college athletes, as they are often the better athletes in the community. However, this is a critical process in preparation for college.
My son’s college had 65 young athletes competing for 25 positions on the baseball team over the last 3 weeks. Not all were prepared for this level of course, but it highlights the reality of aspiring to be a part of the school team.
When Jamie visited a bunch of US junior college and division 1 programs, they often carried 40 players on their roster.
The higher the level of college competition, the more the athletes will have similar physical abilities. Reality sets in when you show up and see 4 others of similar ability fighting for their playing time at your position.
Now what? Without previous experience in these situations, it becomes very challenging. Coach Doug McKeen would tell us that mindfulness training is a big part of this, being able to clear the mind and focus when it matters most.
Every college situation has a few athletes who are on the team because they compete better than anyone else. Their effort level is off the chart. They are not as talented as many but find a way to contribute. Coaches trust those players.
How do they come to be? They have competed and developed a process to be consistent over years of experience. Refer to #6 below, as this is part of the leading up process in skill development.
5. Physical preparation
This, by far is the secret ingredient that many ignore on their way to college. The Physical Movement covered how to find a good strength and conditioning coach here.
One of the benefits in the American school system is
a. A wider selection of school-run sports than we have in Canada.
b. The increased focus on physical preparation within school environment.
Canadian athletes are at a disadvantage when it comes to physical preparation. It is not a focus across all sports in the Canadian high school system. It certainly is not a focus in community-based sports either. Although this seems to be changing, thankfully.
That leaves Canadian athletes and families finding their own path for the off field physical preparation, or, show up at college behind the eight ball.
Getting guidance from a good physical preparation coach and investing effort is essential to a young athlete building their body to the demands of high-level competition.
While many see this as an added expense, and it is, it can be considered an investment. Regardless of whether the athlete competes beyond a certain point, physical preparation training teaches so many lessons:
· Better health overall for short and long term.
· Self-care and body awareness improvement.
· Learning the lesson of hours and hours, years and years of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.
· Being proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.
· Creating purpose to offseason, reducing downtime and time in front of screen
· Create more friendships and connections around the game. Expose to new environments.
· Physical prep training creates moments to persist through challenging unmotivated times, resisting the temptation to quit when the going gets hard.
· Connecting the value of training to performance on field of play. Cause/effect.
· Enhances opportunities to learn to be disciplined, focused and dedicated.
· Opportunities to learn to make and accomplish goals.
6. On field physical skill development.
This is where the playing field can be uneven. Not being clear on criteria for development is a major reason for this.
Example: playing on a high-level team with limited playing opportunities is not as beneficial to development as a lower ranked team with lots of playing time and experiences. Yet, many get caught up in the AAA or highest-ranking team situation.
Developmental programs in the chosen sport have varying levels of success in preparing young athletes for the next level. Many will talk about it, not as many have the track record to support their claims.
This is where the program and coach’s philosophy matter.
It is real easy to talk about development in the recruiting or sign up process but very hard to keep that in perspective when pressure comes to win.
Some programs, are fantastic in the area of delivering what they promise. Many are totally missing the mark.
This holds true in the community sector, or private or school run programs.
The track record of the organization means everything.
· How many of the athletes in their history have gone on to play in college?
· How many have stayed their first year of college?
· How much playing time do these athletes get?
These, in large measure come from the onfield skill development opportunities from the feeder program.
Personal experience: I have witnessed private programs (called “elite” by many) have approximately 75% of their young athletes not last a full year in college due to lack of preparedness for the experience. I tracked time on roster once in college for many athletes from this program over a 3 year period. This particular program is great about marketing the commitments to college, but not as good in doing same for their athletes’ length of time at the chosen program.
7. Time management
The first real measure of success in college is the ability to thrive within a structure where there is very, very little free time.
· Has your young athlete been prepared for that?
· Very little social life? Is that going to be ok?
· Is that what they want?
Morning weight room, classes, afternoon practices, evening study hall, road trips, tutoring sessions, physical therapy then some.
If your athlete has had a busy schedule leading up to college, they will have a better transition to this lifestyle.
8. Careful what you wish for….
· Is the desire for the college experience driven by the athlete or the parent?
· Does the athlete realize what will be required of them once in college?
· Are these demands part of a process that the athlete enjoys?
· Does the athlete see the benefits of the journey?
Competing in college sports is not an easy transition when you factor in academic and lifestyle adjustment.
I remember back in 1984 being overwhelmed in the first few months of being exposed to the academic demands and athletic demands of being on campus and balancing both. I was not prepared and my performance suffered because of it. Yes, this becomes a guiding principle for my own son, and those whom I coach.
