March 19, 2009
The Other College Scholarship - A Must Read
By Jake Chapman, Showcase U Co-founder
The Academic Scholarship
Unless you live under a rock, I imagine that you are hearing a pretty consistent message from your teachers, coaches and counselors,
about the importance of academics throughout your high school and
college careers. We hear it all the time that the best opportunity to get recruited is in the classroom.
Let's face it, some of us are going to struggle with our studies, and
others of us may find things a bit easier. But what should be present
in either case is an honest effort, a true commitment, and a
willingness to seek help if needed. Also, it must begin the first day
you step foot in high school.
Let's discuss some of the reasons why academics should be your number one priority.
- College coaches will love you.
The moment you pop up on a program's radar, you are compared to the
other "blips" on the screen. By bringing a strong academic resume to
the game, your stock instantly rises in the recruiting market. If the
athletic skills are equal between you and another player, your academic
accomplishments will most likely be the determining factor for a coach
as to whether you are the one recruited or not. The coach might be
thinking....
- You will be more likely to receive academic scholarship money.
- You increase the team GPA and graduation rate while always remaining eligible for games.
- Most importantly, you have demonstrated that you are responsible, committed to excellence, and have the makeup of a winner.
- Scholarship money that sticks. Speaking from personal experience, I received a 50% academic scholarship
in college. As a walk-on, I entered the world of collegiate athletics
with some piece of mind knowing that, whether I made the team or not,
my college education was already discounted. It couldn't be taken away
if things didn't work out on the field. That can't be said for
non-guaranteed athletic scholarship recipients. (Yes, you can lose
your athletic scholarship for a multitude of reasons.)
- Scholarship money that motivates. In
most instances, if you are a recipient of an academic scholarship, you
will be required to maintain a minimum GPA. For example, I was awarded
a 50% academic scholarship and was required to keep a cumulative GPA of
3.60. At first, this seemed quite daunting to me as a
student. I quickly learned that this served as a wonderful motivator
for me to keep pushing and to ask for help if needed. Free tutoring
programs are offered at most institutions, so whether you are carrying
a 2.0 or a 3.0...take advantage of the assistance and get that GPA up!
- Scholarship money that pays off.
As your college playing career comes to a close, the next chapter in
your life is entering the workforce. Due to very busy
training/practice regimens and demanding schedules, many college
athletes don't have time to get jobs. So without significant working
experience, college student-athletes must rely on their academic
accomplishments. Employers want intelligent workers, with a high
aptitude for learning, and a proven track-record of results in the
classroom. To be able to graduate with honors while playing
intercollegiate athletics is just another way to separate yourself from
your competition.
This topic deserves much greater coverage and
discussion than just the few points I shared today. As we grow as a
company, we plan to revisit it in much greater depth. But for now, I
will leave you with this trailing thought....
"An academic scholarship opened the door for me
the get a great education at Saint Joseph's College (IN)....which
then led to an opportunity to walk on and ride the bench for 2 yrs at a
division II baseball program....which later led to some playing time
and a Conference championship.....which was followed the next year by
a DII College World Series finale, GTE Academic All-American Honors,
the 1996 MLB draft and an 8 year professional baseball career."
The "other" college scholarship changed my life. Allow it to change yours.
