NCAA Freshman Eligibility Certification

If you are a incoming freshman athlete and are planning to participate in an NCAA Division I or Division II sports program this fall, you will need to finalize eligibility and amateurism status to be eligible to compete as a freshman.

To obtain final amateurism certification:
1.  Log onto http://www.eligiblitycenter.org/ and select the box for “Fall 2010 or After.”
2.  Log in using your e-mail address and password.
3.  Request final amateurism certification separately for each sport.  Track and cross country athletes, for example, will need to request separate certification for each.

If you are an athlete who originally registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center through the old website and have not transferred your account to the new site, you need to transfer your account before requesting final amateurism certification. 

Regarding academic certification, athletes must submit all required materials to the Eligibility Center.  This includes a final transcript with proof of graduation as well as an official transcript from any other high school that the athlete attended.

Important: 

1.  Be sure that a final transcript is sent by your high school to the Eligibility Center as soon as possible after graduation occurs.  Waiting until the middle of summer can result in a delay as many high school offices are closed for a few weeks of summer vacation.

2.  Also required is an official ACT or SAT test score sent directly to the Eligibility Center from the testing agency. 

3.  Be sure that the proper fee has been paid to the Eligibility Center for processing.  Each year there are a significant number of athletes whose certification is delayed because they have not yet paid the fee.

Academic certifications are prioritized by the date that a file is “Ready to Process” and by the date that an Institutional Request List (IRL) is submitted by the college or university for a particular athlete.  This is important to keep in mind as the following example illustrates:

If the IRL for a wrestler is submitted to the Eligibility Center by a university a month prior to the submission of an IRL for a soccer player by the same university, the file for the wrestler will be reviewed at the Eligibility Center before the file for the soccer player even though the wrestling season starts two months after the start of the soccer season.

For questions about eligibility requirements, or the eligibility certification process, contact Rick Allen at rick@informedathlete.com or at 918-994-7271.  For more information, register for our free monthly newsletter, or become a fan of Informed Athlete on Facebook.

Key Points About Outside Scholarships

The end of the school year will be arriving before we know it, bringing with it graduations and awards ceremonies where many scholarships will be awarded to high school seniors to help pay for their college education. 

For those students who will be playing a sport at an NCAA Division I or II university, it will be important to remember some key points if they receive one of these scholarships from their high school, local civic club, parent’s employer, or other organization.  Local organizations providing these scholarships should also keep these key points in mind.

The NCAA considers any financial aid for an athlete that comes from a source other than their family, or the college or university they are attending, to be “aid from outside sources.”  This “aid from outside sources” is classified into three categories.  Those three categories are:

• No relationship to athletics ability;
• Athletics participation not major criterion; and
• Athletics participation as a major criterion. 

Here are some key points about outside aid classified into these three categories:

No relationship to athletics ability:  A scholarship program that requests or encourages an applicant to include their athletic participation or achievements as part of the application process cannot be classified in this category.  The organization that awards the scholarship may be asked to confirm that it did not consider athletics participation or achievements in selecting the athlete who receives the award and must not restrict the athlete’s choice of college institution. 

Athletics Participation not Major Criterion.  Scholarships fit in this category if athletics participation or achievements are one of the criteria considered in awarding the scholarship, but are not the major criteria for awarding the scholarship.  Organizations awarding scholarships in this category are strongly encouraged to provide written notification of the award to the financial aid office of the college that the athlete will be attending.

Athletics Participation as a Major Criterion.  Scholarships are classified in this category if the athlete’s athletics participation and achievements are the major criteria for awarding the scholarship.  In fact, if applicants or nominees are required to be an athlete in order to be considered for a scholarship, then that scholarship will automatically be considered to be in this category.  Furthermore, if the recipient of a scholarship from this category was recruited by the college they will be attending, the recipient will be considered a “counter” for financial aid purposes and the value of the scholarship will be counted toward team financial aid limits as if it were an athletic scholarship awarded by the college.  Scholarships in this category should be sent to the financial aid office of the college the recipient will be attending so that the aid will be properly tracked for NCAA limits.

Athletes attending an NCAA Division I or II university will likely be asked to indicate on a form for their athletic department whether they are the recipient of an outside award.  In addition, an awarding organization may be asked to provide a copy of their application or nomination form and a list of criteria for the scholarship.

If you have questions about outside awards, or other questions about athletic scholarships, contact Rick Allen at 918-994-7271 or at rick@informedathlete.com.  You can also subscribe to the Informed Athlete monthly newsletter at www.informedathlete.com, or join the Informed Athlete Facebook fan page.

FREE Telseminar – Mental Strength & Athletic Performance

Have you ever watched an athlete who obviously has raw athletic skill falter and not achieve his or her highest potential while others who aren’t as athletically gifted excel far beyond anyone’s expectations?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a GOOD athlete and a GREAT athlete?

If  you are an athlete, the parent or coach of an athlete, you will not want to miss this seminar on Wednesday, January 13th at 7 pm CST.

Dr. Chris White is the co-author of the NY Times and USA Today best seller The Flip Side – Break Free of the Barriers That Hold You Back.  With his Ph.D. in statistics and his uncanny ability to communicate, Chris has helped launch a division of The Flippen Group that assists with the development of top professional athletes.

During this hour, Chris will:

• Talk about what Mental Strength is and how to develop leadership skills
• Discuss the 5 top skills that an athlete needs to excel both on & off the field
• Give real-life examples of how he & The Flippen Group work with professional and college athletes to build confidence and become exceptional leaders in their sport

To register for this FREE teleseminar, click on this link: Informed Athlete Seminar.

If you would like to submit a question before the teleseminar begins, you can send it to rick@informedathlete.com.

This teleseminar is one in our regular series in which we discuss topics of interest to athletes, parents, and coaches  It is provided as a complimentary service of Informed Athlete, but registration is required.

We hope that you are able to join us on Wednesday, January 13th at 7 pm CST!

What is Informed Athlete?

Campus Visits 101

One of the most important decisions that a college athlete recruit will make is which college scholarship offer to accept.  The best way to learn about a college or university and the baseball program, that you are interested in or that that is recruiting you, is to visit campus.  From the standpoint of NCAA rules, there are two types of visits:  “official” and “unofficial”.  This article will discuss both, the differences and the rules for each.

Unofficial Visits
Any time an athlete visits campus with parents or other family members, or with some of their friends, at their own expense, this is an “unofficial” visit.  Some facts about unofficial visits:

• Must be made at prospect’s expense

• University can provide up to 3 complimentary admissions to campus athletic event

• No limit on number of unofficial visits

• Cannot visit campus during a dead period – a period of time in which the NCAA will not allow any contact between the coach and a recruit.

• Cannot participate in tryout during official visit (Division I)

Official Visits

Official visits are highly regulated by NCAA rules.  During an official visit to an NCAA institution, it is permissible for the institution to provide a prospect with transportation to visit the campus, and with meals and lodging during a visit to campus that cannot exceed 48 hours from the time that the prospect (and parents or legal guardians, if they accompany the prospect) arrives on campus.

Large universities with ample recruiting budgets may provide all of the permissible expenses that they are permitted to provide.  However, some institutions, especially smaller colleges or universities with limited recruiting budgets, may only provide meals while on campus, or meals and lodging for just one night instead of two.

Some important points to know about official visits include:

• Cannot be made prior to first day of classes for senior year of HS

• Limit of 5 official visits, only one per school (even if 2-sport athlete)

• Cannot visit campus during a dead period

• Must be registered with Eligibility Center

• Must provide HS transcript and ACT or SAT test score to university

• University can provide transportation, meals, lodging for prospect

• University can provide meals and lodging to parents, also transportation if traveling together in car with prospect

• Phone call rules prior to visit (unlimited during 5 days prior to visit)

• 48-hr. rule from time of arrival on campus

• Will visit interfere with competition?

• Can combine two visits into one trip with assistance of schools.

• Cannot participate in tryout during official visit (Division I)

This article has addressed the difference between official and unofficial visits and outlined the rules for each.  However, knowing the rules is only the starting point.

Many parents and athletes are so excited and happy about being noticed and recruited, that they often forget the ONE THING that is vital to their future success and happiness playing the sport they love at the level they aspire.  That one thing is proper preparation for the visit!

Making the decision on which college to attend is extremely important and can have major financial and emotional implications for many years.

The visit, whether official or unofficial, is extremely important and should be treated as you would a job interview.  Proper preparation is essential for you to make sure you have the information to help your son or daughter make the very best decision for them.

If you have questions about this topic or any other issues related to recruiting, eligibility, financial aid or transfer issues, please go to register for our free newsletter, or contact Rick Allen at 918-994-7271 or rick@informedathlete.com.  Rick has over 20 years of experience in NCAA rules at the college level and is also the parent of a college baseball player who was recruited at the Division I level.

Does your nutritional supplement contain banned substances?

It was recently reported by the New York Times that two dietary supplements that are popular with high school football players, Mass Xtreme and Tren Xtreme, contain steroids, according to court documents filed by federal authorities.  Search warrants executed by authorities on July 23 allege that the products, manufactured by American Cellular Labs, contain illegal man-made steroids.

This news should serve as a reminder to high school athletes, parents, and coaches to be careful about nutritional supplements that are purchased over-the-counter.

In addition, high school athletes who will be starting their college careers at NCAA colleges and universities within the next month are reminded that they will be subject to NCAA drug tests, and in many cases, additional drug tests administered by their school or conference.  These athletes should have received a list of the NCAA’s banned substances from their college or university.  If you did not receive such a list, be sure to contact your coaches and request a copy of the list.

Many universities, especially at the Division I level, have their own drug-testing policies, which in most cases are “help-based” programs.  This means that if an athlete tests positive in a university drug test, they will be referred for counseling and/or drug education classes, and may serve a penalty determined by the coach or school, but will not necessarily be subject to restrictions by the NCAA.

NCAA athletes will also be subject to drug tests administered by the NCAA.  The NCAA drug-testing program is a “punitive” program.  Student-athletes who test positive for NCAA banned substances will be ineligible for one calendar year from the date of a positive drug test. There have been cases in which freshmen athletes tested positive for a substance that they began taking while involved in high school sports because they were not aware that the product contained an NCAA banned substance.

Athletes and parents are reminded that a product as common as caffeine is on the list of NCAA banned substances.  Most athletes would have to drink a large quantity of caffeine to test positive in a NCAA drug test, but due to different body compositions and metabolic rates, there is no sure way to know how much caffeine may be consumed before being in danger of a positive NCAA test.

For more information about matters regarding NCAA rules, or any other issues that athletes and parents have questions about, go to www.informedathlete.com to sign up for our free newsletter, or contact Rick Allen at 918-994-7271 or rick@informedathlete.com.

College Recruiting – The Importance of July 1st

For high school athletes in many sports who are upcoming seniors, July 1 is an important date.  July 1 is the date when it is permissible for coaches in most NCAA Division I sports to begin to have off-campus face-to-face contact with high school recruits who will be entering their senior year.  July 1 is also the date in most sports when once-per-week phone calls to high school upcoming seniors are permissible as well.

For those athletes who are fortunate to receive recruiting interest at this time of year, enjoy the attention and be sure to ask a lot of questions.  Remember that you should be evaluating the coaches and the schools just as much as they have been evaluating you.  For those athletes who do not receive a recruiting phone call, or a visit by a college coach to your home, on July 1 or within a few days of this “special date,” don’t panic and get stressed out.  There is still plenty of time to be recruited and plenty of opportunities for you to be seen.  You may not be recruited by your first choice of schools, but there are plenty of other schools to choose from.

For more on the permissible dates for phone calls and other recruiting information, sign up for our newsletter and encourage your teammates and friends to sign up as well.

Have a great week!

Should I stay or should I go?

Congratulations to baseball players across the country who were drafted in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. It had to be exciting to see your name next to the name of a major league baseball team.

Many of you will have a difficult decision to make by August 17. Those of you who recently finished your high school career, or may even still be competing for your high school baseball team, have the largest number of options to consider.

Some of you will choose to sign a contract with the team that drafted you and begin your professional career. Others of you will choose to attend a four year school and will not be eligible for the draft until after your junior year of college (exceptions for those of you who turn 21 in your sophomore year, for example, or who start out at a four-year school but then transfer to a two-year college). Still others will attend a two-year college next year – possibly encouraged to do so by an advisor – with the goal of being drafted in a higher round after one year at the two-year college.

For those of you considering starting out at a two-year college, be sure to keep your options open for transfer to a four-year program in case your dreams of being drafted higher don’t work out. Be sure to do the following if you have not done so already, so that you have the option of successfully transferring to an NCAA Division I or II institution.

1. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Even if you are not planning to transfer to an NCAA Division I or II school at this time, registering now can make the process much easier if and when the time comes.

2. Have your high school send an official transcript with official seal and date of graduation to the Eligibility Center. Do this as soon as possible because it can be hard to find the appropriate staff members at a high school office that is closed for a few weeks in the summer.

3. If you have attended more than one high school, you also need to have an official transcript sent to the Eligibility Center from each high school you have attended.

4. Have your official ACT or SAT scores sent directly from the testing agency to the Eligibility Center. The Eligibility Center cannot accept scores taken off of the high school transcript.

5. Go to the NCAA Eligibility Center website and be sure to answer the amateurism questions for your amateurism certification. This includes answering the required question about NCAA Bylaw 10.1 (this is the “ethical conduct” bylaw that requires that athletes provide complete and accurate information to any questions asked on the Eligibility Center website or on other required NCAA forms).

6. The goal is that you will be certified as a “Qualifier” by the NCAA Eligibility Center so that you will have fewer academic requirements to satisfy as a transfer from a two-year school to a four-year school. Even a “Qualifier” will have academic requirements to satisfy as a “2-4” transfer, but the requirements will not be as extensive as they will be for a person who did not meet Qualifier standards.

Good luck with your decision as you review your college or professional options. If you have any questions about college eligibility contact Rick Allen by phone at 918-994-7271 or by e-mail at rick@informedathlete.com.

Athletic Scholarships and Financial Aid Issues

While some people believe that college athletes who receive athletic scholarships to participate in their sport receive “full-ride” scholarships, the truth is that no athletic scholarship covers ALL of the costs of attending college, and that athletes in the majority of sports programs receive “partial” athletic scholarships.  A “full” athletic scholarship covers the following costs of college:  tuition, certain course-related fees, room and board, and the value or provision of books. An athletic scholarship may not cover all student fees, and also may not cover things like parking fines, a single room in the dorm, library fines or late fees, etc.

In NCAA Division I, the following sports are “head-count” sports:  men’s and women’s basketball, football, women’s gymnastics, women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. All other Division I sports, as well as all Division II sports, are “equivalency” sports.  In equivalency sports, coaches can divide their scholarships up as they desire, as they long as they do not exceed the total allowable scholarship value available in their sport.  A few examples in Division I are baseball with 11.7, softball with 12, and wrestling with 9.9 scholarships.  One athlete on the team may be provided with the cost of tuition, a second athlete on the team may be provided with room and board, and a third athlete on the team may only be provided the value or use of books.

Any student-athlete who receives any amount of athletic financial aid is considered a “counter” per NCAA rules.  Once a student-athlete is considered a “counter” there are situations in which other types of financial aid may be required to be “counted” as athletic financial aid.

Any scholarships that a student-athlete will be receiving from groups such as a Rotary or Kiwanis club, a church youth group, or a high school booster club should be sent to the financial aid office of the college the student-athlete is attending so that the scholarship can be processed properly.  In addition, NCAA rules may require that the donor organization of the scholarship be required to complete a questionnaire to determine whether athletic participation was part of the criteria for the awarding of the scholarship.

In addition, if a student-athlete also receives an academic scholarship from their college or university due to their high school GPA or their ACT or SAT test score, the fact that they are already an NCAA “counter” may affect the value or receipt of their academic scholarship.  Once a student-athlete is a “counter” all other financial aid received from their institution is required to “count” as if it is an athletic scholarship, unless the student-athlete qualifies for an exemption based on the level of their GPA, their class rank, or their ACT or SAT test score.  If you have questions regarding athletic or academic scholarships for a student-athlete, you can contact Informed Athletic at 918-994-7271 or email rick@informedathlete.com.

College Recruiting – Why doesn’t the coach call me back?

“Stressed Athlete” recently sent me this question: “I called and left a message for a college coach asking him to call me back because I have some questions about their program, but he has not returned my phone call. Does this mean they are not interested in me?”

Answer: If the coach has already called and spoken to you or one of your parents that week, the NCAA rules do not permit him to call again during that week. For example, if the coach called and spoke to you on Sunday evening and you called back and left a message for him with some questions on Tuesday, the coach is not permitted to return your phone call until the following week. However, you can try to call again to reach him at his office or send him an email with your questions.

For information on recruiting, please go to http://www.informedathlete.com/recruiting/recruiting-info/and you will find recruiting calendars for most sports. These can serve as a reference for when and what type of contact that coaches are allowed to have with prospective student-athletes.

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