Since I began running at the varsity level in tenth grade, I was convinced that running with a Division I team in college was for me. Even though I wasn’t a standout athlete, I could have successfully competed on a lower-end DI team. But as I looked into it more, I realized that DI was not what I wanted. It became clear to me that although I wanted to be challenged, I wasn’t up to the commitment that DI required. I finally realized that a Division III school with competitive cross-country and track teams was perfect for me.
For many high school athletes, whether or not to compete in college is a big decision. How to get recruited, which division to play for and whether you’d rather play for a club team are all important to evaluate. After my experiences in the recruiting process, here is what I have learned
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIVISIONS
You may not know what division you would fit best with. I was sure that I wanted to run for a DI team, but as I looked more closely and talked to people at colleges, I realized I would be much happier running for a competitive Division III team. There are a lot of differences between the divisions, so make sure you do some research. Don’t immediately eliminate a college from your list because it’s not the division you think you want. You may be surprised when your opinion changes once you visit the schools.
DIVISION I
DI is the most competitive division and can offer full or partial athletic scholarships. These teams compete nationwide at the highest collegiate level. Don’t automatically assume that you won’t be able to compete on a DI team if you’re not the best athlete at your school. There are some small DI schools that compete on a slightly lower level.
DI recruiting rules involving letters, telephone calls and official visits are much stricter than recruiting regulations for the other two divisions, especially for football and basketball.
DIVISION II
These teams compete mostly with other schools in their region and can offer partial athletic scholarships. There are rules regarding recruiting, but they aren’t as strict as DI regulations.
DIVISION III
These schools focus more on academics than on athletics, so the commitment and competition are not as intense. I was told by one DI coach that athletes are given tutors if their classes conflicted with practice. A DIII coach said that runners who have a lab during practice will just have to show up to practice late. This shows a difference in some attitudes towards academics among divisions and coaches.
DIII schools cannot offer athletic scholarships of any kind, so there are few rules regarding recruiting or official visits. You may not even have to try out for the team if you play at the Division III level.
“I decided to go Division III because I didn’t feel that I was good enough to go Division I,” says Brad Sawyer, a sophomore at SUNY Fredonia in New York. “And I also wanted a school where academics were more important than sports.”
If you played a sport in high school but don’t want to make sports your main activity in college, you may want to play club sports. Club teams are open to everyone, are significantly less time-consuming than the competitive divisions and provide students opportunities for fun. Stephanie Cowles, a junior at Colgate University (DI), ran varsity her first year of college but decided to quit her sophomore year.
“It was too much stress for me, and I didn’t feel like I had enough time for studying,” she says. “So I decided to start a running club. We got together a few times a week to run for fun and did a few road races. It took all of the stress out of racing so that I could run because I enjoyed it.”
START EARLY
Don’t wait until your senior year to get in contact with coaches. As you start your college-search process, research the sports teams of each college. Fill out questionnaires and e-mail coaches to let them know you’re interested. The more interest you show, the more interested they will be in you.
Make sure you follow up with coaches from whom you receive recruiting letters. Coaches are looking at many athletes who may have your same abilities, so make yourself stand out.
ASK QUESTIONS
Find out as much as you can about each team and coach so you can decide if you would fit well on the team. If you’re a runner, swimmer or skier, it’s easy to compare your times to those of other college athletes. Ask the coach if you would qualify for an athletic scholarship (if you want to play for Division I or II), and make sure you know the qualifications. Some scholarships will be revoked if you decide not to play for the team anymore or if you become injured.
VISIT
Once you have chosen a few schools that you’re interested in, schedule an overnight with a team member. Spending some time with the team can be a huge help in making your final decision. In my case, spending the night at my college made me realize that it was the perfect school for me.
You may feel totally set on a college until you spend the night there, or if you are so-so about the place, an overnight could completely change your view of it. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you are comfortable with the level of competition you choose.
Caitlin McMullin is an intern for The Next Step Magazine.
