Starting the Conversation
Starting the Conversation: A Career Exploration Guide for Parents and Children is a new magazine that helps parents and mentors show their children how to connect academics and interests with a realistic plan for achieving career goals.
Starting the Conversation offers strategies, timelines and resources to guide parents as their children move from elementary school to high school graduation. It discusses the new world of work and financial aid, among other topics. It even has sections for parents and children to read together. (It doesn't focus on athletic scholarships, so we've included information about them below.) Ultimately, it encourages parents to become more involved in their children's educational decision-making.
See disclaimer.
How Can You Purchase it?
You can order a copy of the
Starting the Conversation by sending a check or
purchase order to "Career Development Resources." You can obtain the mailing address,
price and order form
here.
Athletic Scholarships
If your child has what it takes to be a college athlete, don't wait until his/her senior year to start the process of obtaining an athletic scholarship. College coaches want to know where the talent is as early as possible so they can build files on athletes and watch them in action. Encourage your child to follow the
timeline below to improve his/her chances of getting a scholarship but read
Have a Back-Up Plan first!
Have a Back-Up Plan
Lots of kids dream of playing college sports on the way to careers as professional athletes. They don't realize, however, that the chances of receiving a scholarship and starting on a college team are relatively slim. The likelihood of turning pro is even smaller. The odds of a high school football player becoming a pro are 5,000 to 1, for example. The odds in basketball are 10,000 to 1. Very few achieve that dream.
Why this negativity? Because it's a reality--one you must help your child face. Your son or daughter may be talented, but it takes extraordinary talent to succeed at the collegiate level and beyond. And even the most gifted athlete can receive a career-ending injury at any time.
That's why your child needs a back-up plan--one that starts with a strong academic foundation. Encourage him/her to pursue an athletic scholarship but never at the expense of school work. Taking challenging courses and striving for good grades is not a cop-out or a fall-back position. It's just smart.
So cheer on your child as he/she tries to beat the odds, but make sure his/her options remain open!
Athletic Scholarship Preparation Timeline
FOR KIDS: If you believe you have serious talent in your sport of choice, take the actions outlined for each year of your high school career. And ask questions of coaches and NCAA officials at every stage of the game. Good luck!
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Freshman Year
Concentrate on following a solid high school curriculum.
Talk to your coach or Athletic Director about your goals.
Establish a schedule that allows time for academics and athletics.
Sophomore Year
Continue striving for academic success.
Research NCAA academic requirements at
www.ncaa.org.
Make sure that you are "on target" for all core high school requirements.
Stay active in your sport, even during the summer.
Prepare an athletic resume that details your experience and achievements.
Complete it during the summer before your junior year.
Identify colleges you would like to attend.
Junior Year
Continue to make your academic studies your top priority.
Review the NCAA requirements to ensure they have not changed.
Send a letter of introduction to coaches of colleges that interest you
at the
start of your sport's season. Include your resume and your playing schedule.
(If a schedule is not available, include it in a follow-up letter as soon
as possible.)
Register with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Initial
Eligibility Clearinghouse at 6201 College Blvd., Overland Park, Kansas
66211-2422 (phone: 913-339-1906).
Request that your ACT and/or SAT scores be sent to the NCAA Eligibility
Clearinghouse.
Keep investigating other colleges and send out additional resumes.
Prepare a videotape of yourself in action in case colleges request it.
Send updates to colleges of interest as your season closes. Include your new
stats and any special recognition you may have earned.
Make unofficial visits to schools that interest you, if possible.
Try to watch some local college games in your sport, especially if one of the
schools that interests you is playing.
Update your academic information with the Clearinghouse in July after your Junior
year. If your top colleges have not panned out, send infomation to your
second- and third-tier choices.
Senior Year
Continue to do your best academically. Avoid "senioritis!"
Review your core course requirements with your high school counselor.
Send your senior athletic schedule to colleges of interest as soon as it is
available.
Keep college coaches posted on any changes or updates to your team schedule.
Send your resume to any school that expresses interest in you.
Contact the NCAA to learn when your sport requires you to sign a Letter of Intent
to attend a particular college.
Take advantage of any paid visits to colleges, if offered.
Ask a lot of questions and weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of the
schools that interest you before making your decision.
Congratulate yourself for doing your best whether or not you get a scholarship.
If you didn't get one, remember that many colleges allow students to "walk on" and
try out for teams. If your high school academic record enables you to attend
college, there's hope yet!
Disclaimer: Starting the Conversation and its related webpages are in no way intended as an official policy position of the Texas Workforce Commission or any agency of the State of Texas. Moreover, parenting is an individual and unique responsibility and the suggestions contained therein are not intended to criticize, usurp, limit or intrude on parental responsibilities. The athletic scholarship information is adapted from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Return to "Athletic Scholarships."
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