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Getting recruited to an NCAA field hockey team is no easy task. College field hockey recruiting is a very competitive process. The level of competition is just as high, if not higher, than other sports in the NCAA. Over 100,000 student-athletes compete in high school field hockey, yet less than 3% of them will go on to play division 1 field hockey. The more knowledge aspiring college field hockey players have going into the college recruiting process, the better the outcome will be for them. Let’s start with some statistics to give you an idea of what the college field hockey recruiting process looks like.
As mentioned above, the percentage of high school field hockey players that go onto play on a D1 college field hockey team is less than 3%, illustrating the importance of taking the field hockey recruiting process VERY seriously. The table above also shows the big difference in terms of odds of making a d1 field hockey roster vs any division field hockey roster. An in-depth evaluation of your level is an important part of the field hockey recruiting process.
The second table above shows the number of teams and players at each level within NCAA field hockey. Importantly, it also shows the field hockey scholarship limit at each level. This data shows that much of the roster, even at the D1 field hockey level, will receive little to no athletic scholarship. This is something important to remember when considering the financial factors involved in college field hockey recruiting – as academic and financial aid offered by different field hockey schools may become an important factor for you.
The statistics above serve to illustrate the competitive nature of the college field hockey recruiting process. Given this level of competition, it is extremely important to be proactive and make an effective strategy for getting recruited. Below are some important tips to get you started.
Start Your Field Hockey Recruiting Early
The field hockey recruiting process can begin as early as freshman year for top field hockey players. For most players the process really begins in your sophomore year and beyond. By this time you should have a year of high school and club play under your belt, and will be one year closer to field hockey college. You can never begin your process too early as you can start to compile a body of field hockey work and a network of potential field hockey coach contacts as well as creating an initial field hockey college list.
Allow Fit To Guide Your Field Hockey Recruiting Process
Properly evaluating and comparing schools as you navigate the college field hockey recruiting process is extremely important and can have long term implications on your college experience and outcome. To put things into perspective, the 4-year graduation rate in the US is approximately 40%. This means that you are more likely to add additional years to your degree (or drop out of college) than to graduate in 4 years. In fact, about 39% of students transfer to another college or drop out altogether after freshman year. What is the reason for these statistics? Why is the transfer rate so high and the 4-year graduation rate so low?
The answer is generally that many students are making the decision to attend colleges that are not a good fit for them. This is usually the result of a flawed college field hockey evaluation process that does not consider the correct factors when determining which field hockey schools to attend, or in other words, which field hockey colleges are a best fit.
You should evaluate NCAA field hockey colleges based on all of the important athletic, academic, social, geographical and financial factors. For more information, click here.
Here is a great tool to help you find your best fit field hockey college: search and filter tool.
Market Yourself To College Field Hockey Coaches
As mentioned above, the process of getting recruited to play field hockey in college has become very competitive, with a large number of high school hopefuls competing for a limited number of college field hockey roster spots. One of the most important components of ensuring that your field hockey recruiting process is a successful one, along with determining which schools are the right fit, is standing out from the pack and getting the attention of college coaches.
This involves ‘marketing yourself’ to college field hockey coaches – presenting them with information that demonstrates your ability and creates interest in you as a potential field hockey recruit, but doing so in a direct and personal manner. Click here to read more about the 5 key ways that you can communicate effectively with coaches and grab their attention.
Make Use of Field Hockey Recruiting Technology AND Guidance
The rate of technological advancement has changed the way many industries operate and the recruiting industry is no different. Recruiting technology has removed many barriers to acquiring college information and communicating with college coaches. Student-athletes and families can now use technology to find, evaluate and compare any field hockey colleges in the country. They can then use this technology to send online resumes and highlight reels along with messages to any field hockey coach in the country, en masse. On the surface this looks very convenient for families. However, without sufficient guidance this technology can easily lead you to the wrong field hockey college. Read more here.
Attend Field Hockey Tournaments, Camps, Showcases
An important step for any aspiring college field hockey player is to display their talents across as many platforms as possible. This includes camps, showcases, and tournaments associated with travel teams. Travel teams are a great way for athletes to gain high exposure to college field hockey coaches just by traveling across states to play. It’s said that ninety percent of coaches cite that travel teams are their primary source for recruiting to high-level programs. The other method of gaining exposure is through attending camps and/or being invited to showcases to perform in front of collegiate coaches.
Visit Field Hockey College Campuses
One of the final steps in the field hockey recruiting process is to start visiting the targeted field hockey colleges of your choice. It’s the most realistic way for an athlete to get the feel for each college individually, as well as the coaching staff of those programs, and the student-life on campus. Visiting the college or university is a great way to get any last-minute questions or any confusion out of the way before making the commitment to a collegiate program.
Be sure to follow the links in each section above to read more about how to effectively navigate the college field hockey recruiting process.
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