To sophomore athletes: Take control of your transfer process

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Sophomores like Grant Walker and Malcolm Mann are a couple of athletes who hope to play their junior and senior years.

by Jordan Tanner – Horizon Columnist

As we enter spring break, I’ve realized that the time to make my decision about where I want to play next year is coming quickly. For athletes like myself here at Hesston, this may be a very scary reality. The good news is, you have a direct impact on many facets of the transfer process.

Focusing in the classroom

One of the first questions a coach will ask at the beginning of the recruiting process is whether your grades and GPA are sitting at a high level. Although having the talent is a major part of the process, having the grades that will help you attain, and maintain attendance at their school is very important to coaches. Grades can also be an indicator of you level of discipline as well as how you manage your time. Being a student-athlete can be very demanding, and the those who perform well in academia as well as in their respective sports, prove to be very valuable to coaches trying to find additions to their teams. As students and athletes, what goes on in the classroom should be, and is just  as important as what goes on in athletics.

Transfer schools: Start the paperwork

You must also take time to set aside an extensive of list of the schools you’d like to play at this upcoming year. If you have a few schools that you are very interested in, take the time to contact these schools and let them know that you exist. With the help of your coaching staff, emails can be sent, calls can be made, and footage can be delivered to the sports programs you would like to see yourself at. Another important piece of this would be sending transcripts. Your transcripts help determine whether you have the grades to get into those schools, as well as which classes that you have taken that may or may not transfer to your next institution. Narrowing down that list, and using your resources like Hesston’s website where you can request a transcript be sent, can help you get ahead and stay ahead in the transfer process

Stay focused and play hard

Although you are playing for your current year, as your spot on a team next year, you must remember to stay focused. A large part of your personal success stems directly from the success your team has. The harder you play and perform, and the closer your team gets to reaching its goals for the year the better off you will be. Whether your name is called first in the starting lineups, or the 6th man coming off the bench, your play has an effect on the team, and will affect your recruiting. Knowing this, you should be able to focus and immerse yourself in your team’s goals and have fun playing the sport you love.

The transfer process can be very tough and stressful for many people, but with the knowledge that there are many factors that you can actively work on, there should be a level of comfort involved. As long as you take care of the things that you can control, you will be in good shape and on a collegiate roster next year.

 

 

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