Archive for College Sports
Sports Fieldtrip – Take in an NCAA Event
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Courtney Kupets, NCAA Champion Gymnast and former Olympian -- photo by Kelly Lambert/Athens Banner-Herald
Looking for ways to keep kids in the sport longer? Try this one – coaches take your team (or parents take your athlete) to a college level game or competition in their sport. Seriously!
While college sports are a lot of work and there are limited spaces and scholarships available, they are fun and are a viable goal for many high school aged athletes.
In a recent discussion with Megan at Because I Played Sports, we both agree that exposing kids to a variety of levels in their sport is important for helping them decide where they fit in – from a local high school team, division 3 college, junior pro team, to everything in between – and will ultimately help keep kids in sports longer.
Over the weekend a group of gymnasts from our gym went to the NCAA Regional gymnastics meet held at UNC. In that meet alone they were exposed to a varying level of skill, intensity, and team spirit. I asked some of them what they thought of the meet and they all loved it. However, it was interesting to see how a few of the girls could really relate – they saw gymnasts doing skills they train everyday.
I also think it was helpful for the girls to see that the teams were all different – from the coaching styles, gymnast skill levels, and the overall team chemistry. For some of the girls who are in high school it helped re-energize them – giving them a new goal to work towards.
In addition to the basic benefit of exposure for your athletes, college sports are an excellent entertainment value as ticket prices are usually inexpensive – plus, they are just FUN!
PS – looking for a fashionable way to show your support of your favorite team? Check out these great ladies team shirts done with Swarovski crystals and a great feminine fit.
Wrapping Up Another Week in Girls Sports
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s mid-January and half of the US is freezing cold today, but that will not stop thousands of girls from going to sports practice today! It has been a busy week in girls sports this week and I have plenty of good articles to share with you.
- Let’s start with a blast from the olden days – Coach Rick found this photo of women doing a group warm up in 1916 – look at the outfits – they don’t look comfortable for working out.
- Continuing the push to Chicago winning the bid to host the 2016 Olympics, Chicago is hosting this year’s Tyson’s American Cup Gymnastics competition on February 21. Gymnasts slated to compete include Olympian Bridget Sloan, up and comer Jordyn Wieber and 10 additional athletes. The roster is almost complete and can be found at USA Gymnastics.
- USA Swimming’s junior squad finished a very successful competition in Guam at the 2009 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. Dagny Knutsen not only won gold in the 200 IM, she also set a meet record in the process.
- The 2008-2009 Gatorade Girls State Cross Country Runners of the Year awards have been posted. What a great achievement for all 50+ of these young women!
- Because I Played Sports offers a very interesting commentary on the recent NCAA study on women and careers in athletics. One of the reasons I have continued to coach (albeit at the club level and not collegiate level) is that I feel that kids need great coaches and role models at all levels and of both genders.
- On a related note, the USOC and the NCAA are holding a women in coaching conference this weekend in Colorado Springs. I’d love to sit in on some of those sessions.
- Youth Sports Psychology really wants to make parents think this week. Are Young Athletes Entertainers for Parents Today? Whether you think they are or not, you really should read the article. As a society, are we getting too wrapped up in winning, chasing scholarships, and the performance of athletics?
- And just for fun, did you see Olympic gymnast turned fashionista, Alicia Sacramone reporting/commentating for E! at the pre-Golden Globes Red Carpet show. She is such a natural performer. Here is a link to the You Tube videos of the show.
Tips for Maximizing Your College Recruiting Visit to Campus
Posted by: | CommentsBy Avi Stopper
One of the best recruiting things you’ll ever do is visit college campuses. Visits show you what colleges are really like. They take you way beyond glossy websites and brochures and show you all the bumps, scrapes, and hidden delights colleges have to offer.
If you can, schedule your visit with the coach. That way, when you get there, you’ll find a schedule waiting for you that lists the people you’ll stay with, who you’ll go to class with, when meals are, and so on. Then again, maybe you won’t get the royal treatment. Don?t worry if this happens. Some coaches roll out the red carpet for recruits. Others require you to be more self-sufficient. Either way, a can-do attitude will go a long way.
Your visit is your one real chance to investigate the school and the team. You have a ton of say in this whole decision. You may be trying to convince the coach to recruit you, but he has to convince you that his school and team are great as well. Remember, if you don?t like a college, you don?t have to go there just because the coach wants you to come.
Most importantly, this is where you might go to college. Ask yourself these questions: does it feel like home? Does it feel like a great place to spend four years? Does the campus have the right vibe?
Of course, this is also where you might play for the next four years. Do you like what you see in terms of style, the quality of play, the quality of coaching, the team?s attitude on the field, as well as the social dynamic off the field?
While you’re on campus, ditch your parents. Much as they might like to relive the glory years, this is your college experience. Take the tour with your parents and then go off with some of the kids on the team. Get the real college experience by staying in the dorms with them and eating in the cafeteria.
Finally, you have to meet with the coach. Try to sit down with him one-on-one. Ask for a tour of the facilities, watch a practice, and a game. In the few days that you’re there, do as much as you can to simulate what your college experience there would be like. Then, once you get home, be honest with yourself by answering one key question: How did you like it?
Avi Stopper coached at the University of Chicago and is the founder of CaptainU.com.
