Are you thinking about playing water polo in college? While navigating the maze of college entrance requirements can be daunting by itself, overlaying the athletic recruiting process can make it appear overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be that way. USA Water Polo, in its continuing commitment to provide valuable services to its members, offers
Shooting for College, a column devoted to demystifying the process for students and their families—and hopefully relieving the stress and uncertainty that accompanies this exciting time in the lives of student-athletes.
I'm often asked when the preparation process should start. Obviously, the answer to this questions depends on the individual. Generally, in order to identify and maximize options, serious thoughts about these matters begin during the sophomore year, and definitely when an aspiring student-athlete is a rising junior. But many athletes who "bloom" later also have options available. The key to opportunities is athletic and academic preparation, which ideally start long beforehand.
Since its inception, this column has served as a valuable resource for aspiring student-athletes and their parents throughout the college preparation and athletic recruiting process. Feel free to write if you have any questions.
FINDING COLLEGE WATER POLO PROGRAMS
Did you know there actually are many schools where you can play water polo—not just the ones you always hear about, like Stanford, Cal, UCLA, and USC? Did you know you don't have to be an all-CIF championship player or varsity starter to participate in college sports? There are many opportunities to play. Currently there are 48 men's and 63 women's intercollegiate varsity water polo programs in the United States.
To begin your search, visit the College Corner section of the USA Water Polo Resources page,http://www.usawaterpolo.org/resources/college-directory.html. A list of all the intercollegiate varsity water polo appears on this page, along with contact information for coaches. You can access the home page of each water polo program by clicking on the school. From there, you can begin contacting coaches directly by completing online recruiting questionnaires for the collegiate programs you might be interested in learning more about. You also should send follow-up notes to the head coaches and assistant coaches to introduce yourself or request meetings if you plan to visit any campuses.
ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY
It's extremely important for aspiring student-athletes to be academically and athletically prepared. In addition to how long a student-athletes have been playing water polo, which clubs they play for, their positions, swim times, and so forth, other important factors that define student-athletes' options include where they attend high school, academic rigor, GPA, and standardized test scores.
To learn about a school's academic profile, after reading about the men's or women's water polo program, navigate to the school's home page to learn about the school—take a virtual tour, look at the admissions pages, and check the list of majors offered to make sure the college offers the studies you're considering.
Be sure to check the most recently available freshman academic profile to see where you stand based on your grades and standardized test scores—or what you must achieve to become a viable candidate for each school you're interested in. And consider making unofficial visits to schools that interest you.
Many schools, particularly highly selective schools, require athletes to meet their minimum thresholds for admission; those thresholds are usually much higher than the minimums required for NCAA eligibility, and such schools do not "dip" for athletes. The NCAA website advises that "any college-bound student athlete should prepare for the academic side of college as though the athletics experience did not exist." The message here is to build a solid high school academic record—take the most challenging courses you can manage, study hard, prepare for your standardized tests, and do your best in the classroom.
Remember, athletics can help open doors, but it doesn't replace classroom success.
CLUB PROGRAMS
In addition to intercollegiate varsity water polo programs, many colleges—including those that have intercollegiate Varsity water polo programs—offer active club programs. Some require tryouts, while others accept players who walk on. A future article will be devoted to club programs.
Questions? Write to Angela Kraus at angela@shootingforcollege.info or visit her website at www.shootingforcollege.info. Angela Kraus is an experienced and certified college counselor who advises high school athletes as they pursue the college recruiting process, with an emphasis on water polo players.
