Sports Scholarships: 5 Tips to Secure Yours and Become a Successful Student-Athlete.

10/03/2017•4 minute read
Sports Scholarships: 5 Tips to Secure Yours and Become a Successful Student-Athlete.

Gaining a sports scholarship at a US college is a dream for many young sports enthusiasts.

However, it's not as simple as being a gun basketballer or freak hockey player, you need to back your good play on the field with hard work in the classroom.

For this:

Finding balance is the key to being a successful student-athlete at a US college._

Getting it right can take a lot of work, but once achieved, there are many benefits to reap, both on and off the court.

Here are a few tips that will give you a leg up on other student-athlete hopefuls:

1. Do your work as soon as you get it

As a student athlete, you must be on top of your work at all times.

Especially when it comes to post-season, when your playing and training schedule can change day-to-day.

Be organized, and get your work done (to the best of your ability) as soon as possible.

Not only will staying on top in class room help keep you on top in the field, but it will also prove to your coaches and tutors that you are a hard worker.

If you're in high school, this could be what gets the attention of a head coach.

If you're in college, your hard work may inspire your school to upgrade your partial sports scholarship to a full sports scholarship.

Additionally, it might take your ten minutes of game time to 20 minutes.

There are many benefits to being on top of your work and study schedule at all times.

2. Establish a good relationship with professors

Professors are like coaches:

There needs to be effective communication and a strong relationship at all times in order to be effective.

The more you talk with your professor, the more you will learn about them and vice versa.

This means, the better they'll understand your commitments away from the classroom, allowing them to help hugely with any assignments you may miss or need to hand in at a different time.

The more connection and communication you have with your professor, the easier your assignments will become, and the easier it will be to stay on top of your study regime.

This will give you more time to work on your game and lift your performances in all areas of your student-athlete life.

3. Utilize tutors and support

When you are struggling with a class, no matter what stage of the academic journey you're at, it is always good to ask for help.

This is even more important when it comes to being a student-athlete with a schedule much more difficult than a regular student.

When you have someone to support you, even if it’s just to say something out loud, their presence will be invaluable.

During high school, a support network can help you bump up your grades and ultimately improve your chances of getting noticed by colleges.

Once at college, a strong team around you can not only improve your grades, but take the pressure off and ease the load, allowing you to focus on what you really love ... SPORTS!

Tutors and support networks are also a great way to hear and learn about the different sports scholarships available and ones you could secure!

Tip: Always keep your ears to the ground when it comes to securing a sports scholarship.

4. Maximise time in the study hall

Once you've achieved entry into your dream college as a student-athlete, you'll be afforded many benefits to help manage your time.

Many coaches, regardless of sport, will allocate study hall times for you to do your work in. Make the most of this!

Some athletes earn the right to leave study hall hours when they achieve a GPA high enough to do so.

Tip: stay in the study hall, whether you have achieved the GPA or not.

Having an allocated, supervised time to do your work in is a great place to be most effective in completing your course work.

5. Work with other athletes

As an athlete, it's hard to find time between your many extracurricular commitments.

It is inevitable that during your time at university you will be placed in the somewhat daunting process of completing a group project.

As a busy student-athelte, you don't want to be the annoying guy in the group always letting the team down.

It's always much easier to try and work with people in the same team as you or a fellow student athlete.

Knowing you’re working with someone who has a similar schedule to you makes organising meetups to complete the task much easier and less stressful.

Warning: Working with a fellow sportslover, it becomes very easy to procrastinate! Try not to get caught in this trap.

Final Thoughts

The best way to become a successful student-athlete is to work your damn butt off!

On the field or in the classroom, prove you're worthy of a full-scholarship.

It can be hard to manage all of your demands, but once you graduate with honours and a coach and support network around you who couldn't be prouder, it makes it all worth while.

Remember, it's not just about your performance on the field.

Being a successful student-athlete is about being both a good student and a strong athlete.

Good luck!

background image

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe to our email newsletter to get the latest updates delivered in your inbox!