Could sports help easy study abroad?
Some of the world’s leading sportsperson have emerged from the US college sports admission route. Indian sportsperson such as Mahesh Bhupathi, JeevMilkha Singh, Shiv Kapur, SomdevDevvarman are the immediately notableIndianathletes who went to US colleges to pursue academics and excel in sports. Sporting celebrities such as John McEnroe, John Isner, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Anderson have brought accolades to their alma maters for years. Playing college sports in the USA provides a great option to pursue sports and academics simultaneously. Proficiency in sports can be a methodical path to admission in a USAUniversity along with a lucrative scholarship! University sports in countries other than the USA are not as competitive and structured and hence don’t attract such talent.
College sports in the USA is highly regulated, competitive and a rewarding opportunity for students to play sports while pursuing a valuable degree. More than a thousand Universities and Colleges offer athletes the opportunity to play varsity sports such Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, Golf, Squash, Swimming, Track & Field, Shooting, for both Women and Men, to name a few. “Student-Athletes” as they are denoted, are eligible for sports scholarships ranging from a few thousand dollars to a “full-ride”, which means a 100% scholarship including tuition fees, room & board charges, books, etc.
Athletic Admissions process is a highly selective and regulated process for admission and follows a route much different than an academic admission process. The coach and athletics department play a major role in deciding the prospects of any student-athlete applicant. It is wise to start working towards this process early, which includes registration with the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and preparing oneself for developing into an athlete who will find a suitable spot on a college team. Development and excellence in sports is a key to getting selected. Sports such as soccer, golf, tennis, squash may have more subjective and holistic measures to gaining athletic admissions, whereas swimming, track & field would be more objective as timings and results are direct indicators of the sportspersons abilities. It is important to build your sports resume or credentials according to ability which matches the university’s requirements. Vikram Anand of the Crayons Academy for Skills Excellence, a sports recruitment consulting firm (CASE) says that “College sports can be a springboard to a student’s goals, whether as an athlete or a working professional, College sports provides the correct environment, infrastructure and facilities and competitive area for these student athletes to realize their full potential”
Getting an Athletic admission requires NCAA eligibility, preparation of sports resumes, sports recruitment videos, playing showcase events and finally contacting the coaches. The process is lengthy and hence requires meticulous planning and implementation. NCAA comprises of three Divisions, namely Division I, II, and III. Division I universities are larger with more number of students, large budgets, and more support for their athletic programs. Division II emphasise a balance in which athletically and academically gifted students can compete at a high level while maintaining a balanced college experience. Whereas Division III universities/colleges lay a greater emphasis on academics with shorter sports seasons so as to provide more exposure to academics and other campus activities. Most Division III universities are private and do not offer an athletic scholarship, whereas merit-based scholarships are awarded.
Once selected, the studentathlete plays for the university or college and pursues his/her degree simultaneously. The infrastructure and support available to these student-athletes is unmatched and encourages excellence and success in both academics and athletics. It is never to early to start the process for development as a prospective student-athlete. This is process is too important to not be handled by a profession counsellor who is proficient in this type of admission only. All in all, a sports route to college admission in the USA is a highly enriching and rewarding experience.