Senior year is full of uncertainty and questions. What’s the next step? Where am I going? What’s my long-term plan? College applications and essays take more time than actual school work, and they begin to dominate conversations throughout the day. As an athlete, college coaches and campus visits are something you have to plan between your final season, school work, and holidays. As you walk into your last season, think about these 6 things when planning the rest of your year.
1. Find out what you want to do after college!
At this point in your life, you may have a definitive path to beyond college or you may not. If you don’t, look to get advice from your parents or guardians, talk to teachers, and look to your friends. The biggest thing that these people can offer you is feedback on your ideas. Take your interests and share them! Once you get a few solid ideas, research them! There is a career path for almost everything and there is a college degree (somewhere) can get you there.
2. Find out what kind of personality you have!
There are several benefits to doing this and there are many tests online to take! 16 Personalities is one of these, you can start here! https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
By taking this test, or one like this, you can get a better idea of what kind of career you want, help you know what to study in school, and understand your strengths and weaknesses.
3. Communicate!
Talk to as many college coaches as you can! Get your name out there, share your interests, and tell coaches what you’re all about! Find examples of your performance, big academic projects, and extra-curricular activities and make a “resume” of yourself to give to those coaches.
If you get an email or notification from a university, answer them immediately! Chances are they are interested in you and you must be on top of that communication to be successful!
SEE ALSO: The Difference Between A High School And College Athlete
4. Attend college camps and open competitions!
The best way to get yourself out there is to be around environments where coaches can interact with you as much as possible! They see results, get to coach and mentor, and get a sneak peek into what you’re all about!
5. Register with NCAA Clearing House
This helps you become eligible for college athletics on every division! Get on this, sign up, and share your profile with college coaches.
6. Stay Healthy!
Maintain your conditioning, nutrition, and a good amount of sleep! Don’t wear yourself out and be burned out before you even get to college.
Once you sign somewhere or get accepted to a school, commit yourself 100% to your decision! Leave no doubts on the table, commit yourself to your academics, and be the best athlete/teammate you can be while you attend school!
