Being a dedicated member of my high school's track and field team, I'm considering competing in college. I'm curious about scholarships specifically for track and field athletes. How do college coaches typically recruit, and what can I do to boost my chances of getting a scholarship offer? If you have gone through this process, I'd love to hear your experiences and tips!
Since track and field is an NCAA sport, the recruitment process is quite structured. Generally, the recruitment process starts with the athlete reaching out to schools they're interested in. That includes sending an email to the track and field coach, expressing interest and describing your achievements, Personal Bests, academic scores, upcoming meets, and why you’re interested in their program and school.
If a coach is interested based on your initial email, they will typically ask for more information or video footage to evaluate your performance. With track and field, your times, distances and heights are quite important.
In your junior or senior year, they might invite you for an official visit to the school. Official visits are a significant step in the recruiting process because the school funds the trip, indicating they're seriously considering you for their team.
As for scholarships, many track and field programs, especially at the Div I and II levels, offer athletic scholarships. However, keep in mind that these are often partial scholarships, as track and field is an equivalency sport, which means the coach can divide the total number of scholarships between more athletes.
To increase your chances, keep improving your performance in your events. Staying in regular communication with coaches can be beneficial as well, as it keeps you on their radar. You might want to consider attending track and field camps in the summer to improve your skills and meet coaches.
Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center is another pivotal step. It ensures you meet all academic eligibility requirements and allows coaches to reach out to you when the NCAA's contact period begins.
Remember to make lots of videos of your achievements, as these will likely be requested by the coaches. And finally, remember to also focus on your academics, as many student-athletes also qualify for academic scholarships, which can supplement any athletic scholarship you might receive.
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