Parents Idiots guide to NCAA recruiting?

[Faith]

Bearing in mind I am UK based so utterly clueless on US college (uni?) admissions full stop, never mind scholarships etc!

DD is looking at NCAA. I have done some limited Social Media, twitter, youtube etc and am posting results and some training and competition stuff. She's had a couple of coaches follow her so I reckon that's encouraging?

She is turning 15 this academic year 2019-2020.

Where do we start? How important are academics? Where do we find the grades needed for each college?

Do we start by filling out the recruiting questionnaires on the college websites? They say there can't be any contact until sophomore year- what is a sophomore?!!!

Can we start the communication process? email coaches? What about camps? are they mixed ability? Not even going to think about medical insurance

Thank you!

 

[skschlag]

so, here, you can start communicating between their sophomore and junior years. (so when they have 2 years of HS left). A sophomore is the 2nd year of high school (so 15 yos here).

Grades are important. If you go tto the college admissions websites, it should have information on general admission requirements.

She would be the perfect age to go to a camp next summer! (or 2). She would love it!!!

 

[Faith]

Here they start high school at 11. So she’s currently in her 4th year of high school

Which is why I am confused

She has this year and next left in high school. Then she would go on to sixth form for two years, and apply for British uni’s in her last year of sixth form aged 18.

I think sophomore equivalent is next year? The year she turns 16?

I will check the academics. The hc of her first choice div 1 has just requested to follow on twitter and IG so fingers crossed!

 

[skschlag]

So yes. I would say before the 2 years of 6th form.

That's awesome!!

 

[gymgal]

I would think there would be some rules in place to address athletes from other countries in terms of when they can be recruited. I would contact the NCAA directly to see what the time lines are specifically. Most sophomores in the US are 15/16. Just depends on where they live and when their birthday is.

If your child is equivalent to a L10 or above, which is sounds like, I would recommend you join the L10 private group. There is a lot of information in that group about recruiting. The group isn't very active in the off season but people are always around to answer new questions. And previous conversations will help you navigate how to contact the coaches, what to say, visits to the schools, etc. It can be a stressful time but exciting as well. Good luck!

 

[gymbeam]

You may also be the perfect example of someone who should consider hiring a consultant. I’m sure there’s others but the one I’m aware of specific to gymnastics is Jill Hicks Consulting.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Reach out to Jill Hicks, she can be found on facebook. She is amazing!

 

[Faith]

I will have a look, Thank you

She is super excited as the HC from 1st choice school "liked" her last competition post on IG yesterday!

 

[beachgirl]

9th grade, 1st year of high school =freshman
10th grade, 2nd year of high school = sophomore
11th grade, 3rd year of high school = junior
12th grade, last year of high school =senior

 

[Deleted member 18037]

9th grade, 1st year of high school =freshman
10th grade, 2nd year of high school = sophomore
11th grade, 3rd year of high school = junior
12th grade, last year of high school =senior

except in the UK it doesn't work that way

 

[Aussie_coach]

USA Sophomore year is equivalent to Year 11 in the UK.

UK Year 10 - USA 9th Grade (freshman year)
UK Year 11 - USA 10th Grade (Sophomore year)
UK Year 12 (lower 6th) - USA 11th Grade (Junior year)
UK Year 13 (upper 6th) - USA 12th Grade (Senior year)

 

[Faith]

Thanks for that. So she’s year 10/9th grade, and I am reading on college websites that they can’t contact her until july of sophomore year? So in about 18m?

my plan was to research all the coaches in the programmes she’s interested in and start following on social media? It seems to have worked with her current top choice as the day she followed him he followed her back and has “liked” two posts on twitter and ig- he’s also started following dh (same name, i like to stay anonymous!).

We’ll probably try and arrange a camp or two over the next few years so she can get a feel for the US, coaches etc. Does that have to wait until Sophomore year too?

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Thanks for that. So she’s year 10/9th grade, and I am reading on college websites that they can’t contact her until july of sophomore year? So in about 18m?

my plan was to research all the coaches in the programmes she’s interested in and start following on social media? It seems to have worked with her current top choice as the day she followed him he followed her back and has “liked” two posts on twitter and ig- he’s also started following dh (same name, i like to stay anonymous!).

We’ll probably try and arrange a camp or two over the next few years so she can get a feel for the US, coaches etc. Does that have to wait until Sophomore year too?

June 15th of sophomore year is when the coaches can start contacting her. She can attend camps at anytime and she can also email the coaches but they cannot reply.

 

[Faith]

June 15th of sophomore year is when the coaches can start contacting her. She can attend camps at anytime and she can also email the coaches but they cannot reply.

thank you. I will keep on with the social media, and it sounds like it might be worth filling in the recruiting questionnaires- get her on the radar even if they can’t make contact.

 

[gymgal]

thank you. I will keep on with the social media, and it sounds like it might be worth filling in the recruiting questionnaires- get her on the radar even if they can’t make contact.

most definitely. Whatever you can do to keep her in the forefront would be good. She can send periodic emails updating them on new skills (with video links) and results of competitions. You can help with the emails, especially the first several, but make sure it sounds like she is writing them.

 

[gymgal]

Thanks for that. So she’s year 10/9th grade, and I am reading on college websites that they can’t contact her until july of sophomore year? So in about 18m?

For UK students who go to US colleges, after which year of schooling do they usually go? That's where you want to base you timing on, but it may be possible for her to graduate early if it is beneficial for her both academically and athletically.

Also, the link below is specific for the UK. There is a link on the right side of the page for a pdf that provides academic info including grade/level equivalents.

United Kingdom

United Kingdom

www.ncaa.org

 

[Learning Parent GB]

Is this for gymnastics or for another sport? I know Danusia Francis now has some role helping gymnasts in the UK with the US college system. She might be a bit busy for the next week or so though ;-)

 

[Learning Parent GB]

Hmm. There was a website called 'Leaptheatlantic' but it has expired. Glad to know I wasn't imagining it, but I am clearly out of date!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Be aware of the academic requirements. The US have a broader range of requirements. We often have the problem with Australian students applying to US colleges. Aussie kids only do 6 subjects in the 11th and 12th grade. They generally do an English subject and a Maths subject, then the other 4 subjects are electives. So it can be whatever they want. They could do 4 science subjects or 4 arts subjects. But in the US they require a specific amount of study in a broader range of areas. Kids in the UK do even less subjects in 6th form. You may be better off doing the IB diploma.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Gymgal, UK students would go to US college after completing Year 13/6th form.

Both the UK and the US (and Australia) have 13 years of schooling. The difference is they call the first year of school Kindergarten in the US and they call it year 1 in the UK, so the numbers don’t line up. So Grade 12 in the US is equal to Year 13 in the UK.