Junior March. Navigating the Path to College Sports: A Junior Athlete’s Guide
March of your junior year is a crucial part of the year that entails numerous responsibilities, including maintaining grades, participating in sports training, and starting the college selection process. It can be daunting; however, taking the initiative to plan and organize your tasks can ease the pressure and set you up for success. In this blog post, we’ll provide the ultimate checklist for student-athletes to follow during March.
Compare Colleges:
Continue to compare colleges on your target list while considering costs, scholarships, rankings, and more. Furthermore, compare the list of coaches who are showing sincere interest in your abilities versus those who have minimally shown interest despite your continued efforts to contact them. As a student-athlete, the coach plays a significant role in your education and training, and having one who is interested can make all the difference.
Ask the Coach:
When in doubt, it’s crucial to ask the coach if they are recruiting you. This may be a hard answer to accept, but it is better than going along with the process for the next 6-12 months with false hope. As a student-athlete, it’s important to be realistic and set your expectations accordingly, and with this information, you can better adjust your goals and approach.
Schedule College Visits:
It’s important to continue scheduling college visits, be it in-person or virtual, to explore campuses and meet coaches. The last thing you want is to have regrets when looking back on this process. Whilst it can be tiring and overwhelming at times, remember this is a critical decision that will impact your future significantly. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember, hundreds of thousands of student-athletes graduate every four years, and you have got this.
Athletic Training:
With college applications looming, it can be easy to forget to prioritize athletic training. However, this is a crucial time as you have upcoming competitions to prepare for, and you want to be at the top of your game. Try to balance your time and give adequate attention to both academics and athletics.
Stay Focused:
Finally, it’s essential to remain focused and prioritize your commitments. It’s easy to get distracted by social media, cell phones, and friends. However, keep your eye on the prize and remember why you’re doing this. It can be helpful to set daily goals and maintain a positive attitude.
Conclusion:
Junior year can be a daunting year, but taking proactive steps to plan and organize can help reduce the pressure. As a student-athlete, there are various tasks that must be accomplished, including comparing colleges, asking the coach, scheduling college visits, training, and staying focused. Whilst all this can seem overwhelming, it’s important to remember that hundreds of thousands of student-athletes graduate every four years, and you have got this. Keep pushing forward and stay focused on your goals, and soon you’ll find yourself at the beginning of a bright future.