The Athletic $Cholarship Eligibility Coach: A How-To Guide for the Eligibility Certification Game

Copyright © 2012 by Marlynn R. Jones, Esquire.

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ISBN: 978-1-4697-8756-5 (sc)

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iUniverse rev. date: 12/14/2012

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Introduction

The Story of Jacob and Emily: What you need to know to get Certified

PART I:   Pre-Game

Chapter One Setting The Landscape: Choosing Where To Play

National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA]

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics [NAIA]

National Junior College Athletic Association [NJCAA]

Chapter Two The Academic Pre-Game: College Admissions Process

Chapter Three The Athletic Pre-Game: College Recruiting Process

PART II:   The First Half

Chapter Four The Real Pre-Game: Academic Certification

Chapter Five Professionals Not Allowed: Amateurism Certification

Chapter Six It’s Not Fun And Games Anymore: Ninth/Tenth Grade Years

PART III:   Half-Time

Chapter Seven The Deciding Factor: The Eleventh Grade Year

Chapter Eight It’s Crunch Time: The Twelfth Grade Year

Chapter Nine Beware Of Strangers Bearing Gifts… Athletic Boosters

PART IV:   The Second Half

Chapter Ten And The Winner Is… Signing a National Letter of Intent [NLI]

Chapter Eleven Are We There Yet? After High School Graduation

PART V:   Extra Periods

Chapter Twelve But I Changed My Mind: Transfer Students

Chapter Thirteen Bienvenida! Willkommen! Boa Vinda! International Students

Chapter Fourteen What About Me: Other Special Students

Home-Schooled Student-Athletes

Virtual High Schools

Students with Learning-Impacted Disabilities

Chapter Fifteen Conclusion: Getting to Final Certified

PART VI:   The Post-Game

Appendix I Helpful Web Resources

Appendix II Division I Academic Worksheet

Appendix III Division II Academic Worksheet

Appendix IV NCAA Division II Academic Worksheet

Appendix IV NCAA Sports Sponsorship Chart

Appendix V Eligibility Coach Order Form

Appendix VI What Are The Next Steps ToAthletic $cholarship Eligibility?

APPENDIX VII Eligibility Coach Education And Accolades

"Eligibility Coach is the most comprehensive book on how to qualify for athletic scholarships. Every parent of an aspiring collegiate student-athlete should have it in their personal library."

Doug Williams, Most Valuable Player, Super Bowl XXII

Member, Washington Redskins Ring of Honor

Head Football Coach Grambling State University

Former Director of Pro Scouting, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Former Assistant Football Coach, United States Naval Academy [Navy]

Softball and football parent

"Eligibility Coach is a great book for prospective college basketball players to read. It’s easy to understand and it explains the NCAA and NAIA scholarship processes in detail. I wish I had it when I was getting ready for college."

Sean May, Professional Basketball Player with KK Zagreb in Croatia

Five-year veteran of National Basketball Association with Charlotte Bobcats and Sacramento Kings

2005 Most Valuable Player of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship

Former Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete at the University of North Carolina

2002 McDonald’s High School All-America in basketball

"If you are looking for a blueprint on how to transition from high school to college athletics, search no further. Eligibility Coach is an easy-to-read how-to guide regarding athletic scholarships that every high school coach, athletic director, and parent must have."

Kenny Williamson, Assistant General Manager, Memphis Grizzlies

Former Director of Scouting, Charlotte Bobcats

Former Lead Scout, New York Nicks

Former Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Florida State University and Iona College

Former Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Columbia University, University of Louisville

"Marlynn Jones has provided an insider’s view of the certification process. Eligibility Coach will be a valuable tool for parents and prospective college student-athletes to use in their journey to receive an athletic scholarship."

Dereck Whittenburg, ESPN Basketball Analyst

Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Fordham University and Wagner College

Former Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Georgia Tech, University of West Virginia, Long Beach State University, NC State University, and George Mason University

Member 1983 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Team

Former Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete, NC State University

With over 20 years of experience in the field, Marlynn Jones’ new book is a ‘must-read’ for high school athletes who are interested in continuing their athletic careers in college! The process can be very confusing, and this guide can be an invaluable resource for families.

H. Tommy Amaker, Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Harvard University

Former Head Men’s Basketball Coach, University of Michigan and Seton Hall University

Former Member Board of Directors for USA Basketball

Member of Gold Medal US National Team for the 1986 FIBA World Championships

Former Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete at Duke University and Member of the Duke University Athletic Hall of Fame

Former McDonald’s and Parade High School All-America in basketball

"Eligibility Coach is absolutely an essential resource for recruited student-athletes and their families. It will guide them through the maze of eligibility and certification issues and make the transition process much smoother."

Robert Brickey, Interim Head Coach, Oshawa Power, National Basketball League of Canada

Professional Basketball Skills Trainer/Clinician/Motivational Speaker @ Robert Brickey Basketball

Former Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Southern Methodist University, United States Military Academy [Army] and James Madison University

Former Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete at Duke University

Dynamic, truthful, informative and should be required reading for all prospective student-athletes, parents, counselors and coaches.

Alfreeda Goff, Senior Associate Commissioner/Chief of Staff, Horizon League

Former President of National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletic Administrators

Former Chair of NCAA Division I Track and Field Committee

Former Member NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee

Former Director of Athletics, Virginia State University

Former Associate Director of Athletics, Virginia Commonwealth University

Former Head Track and Field Coach, University of Pittsburgh

This book serves as an excellent resource guide that simplifies a very important area for prospective student-athletes and parents. The real life scenarios provide a step-by-step road map for what it takes to prepare for participating in college athletics. The book provides a unique perspective preparing the student-athlete who wants information on Divisions I, II, or III as well as NAIA. This is by far the most comprehensive book I have seen regarding the student-athlete eligibility and the certification process.

Dell Robinson, Commissioner, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Former Assistant Commissioner, Mid-American Conference [MAC]

Former Assistant Commissioner, Western Athletic Conference [WAC]

Former Football Student-Athlete, Ohio University

Ms. Jones provides an excellent road map for prospective student-athletes and their parents on what they need to know about becoming academically eligible to participate in athletics at the collegiate level. This is a must read for anyone sincerely interested in avoiding the many pitfalls to the many NCAA and NAIA initial eligibility rules and academic certification requirements. This book provides all that you will need to know about being academically eligible to compete in athletics as an incoming freshman.

Stan Wilcox, Deputy Director of Athletics, Duke University

Former Deputy Director of Athletics, University of Notre Dame

Former Associate Commissioner, Big East Conference

Former Member, NCAA Recruiting Task Force

2001-02 National Association of Athletics Compliance Coordinators Outstanding Achievement Award Recipient

Former NCAA Staff Member, Legislative Services Department

Former Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete at University of Notre Dame

"Eligibility Coach provides a much needed resource for athletic directors, coaches and counselors to use for student-athletes in preparing them for NCAA and NAIA eligibility certification. This coaching guide needs to be implemented sooner rather than later."

Dr. Jason Pappas, Assistant Instructor and Director of Undergraduate Practicum, Department of Sport Management, Florida State University

Former Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Academic Services, Florida State University

Former Assistant Athletic Director for Athlete Academic Support, University of Southern California

Former Director of Academic Support for football and baseball, University of South Carolina

As a professional colleague, I consider Marlynn Jones as an expert in the areas of NCAA compliance and eligibility. She has an excellent pedigree with many years of practical experience in the field of intercollegiate athletics. The knowledge she shares in the book is invaluable for everyone who interfaces with college student-athletes.

Dr. Derrick Gregg, Director of Athletics, Eastern Michigan University

Member, NCAA Division I Legislative Council

Member of the Huntsville-Madison County [Alabama] Athletic Hall of Fame

Former Senior Associate Athletic Director, University of Arkansas

Former Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, University of Michigan

Former Football Student-Athlete, Vanderbilt University

"The Eligibility Coach helped us understand NCAA regulations and timelines as well as prepared us for both official and home visits. We knew what to expect throughout the process, and what questions to ask. After considering offers in gymnastics from several Division I universities, our daughter accepted a full athletic scholarship and is a Dean’s List student competing for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was recently admitted to medical school and received a 2012 Weaver-James-Corrigan Post-Graduate Scholarship Award from the Atlantic Coast Conference [ACC]."

Darrell and Tedra Brown, Gymnastics Parents in North Carolina

"I found Eligibility Coach to be full of information that I needed. It helped me understand there are some things I needed to do that I had not done, and I am so behind. I loved the story format used throughout the book. The way the stories are told help the reader understand the subject, and makes the information exciting to read. Without these stories the information would read no differently than it reads on the NCAA website. Eligibility Coach will help parents work with the coaches and athletic administrators, and not feel so lost in the process. This book is long overdue."

Tammy McCrae-Coley, Ice Hockey Parent in North Carolina

"The Eligibility Coach does an excellent job delivering critical and practical information on transitioning from the community college level to NCAA and NAIA schools. It’s a valuable resource that we can highly recommend to our student-athletes and parents. The Eligibility Coach is long overdue and a welcome resource for student-athletes at all levels!

Rochelle M. Taylor, Director of Athletics, Henry Ford Community College

Member, Board of Directors US Lacrosse

Former Executive Director, National Youth Sports Program Foundation

Former President, National Youth Sports Corporation

Former Director of Professional Development, NCAA

Former Track and Field Student-Athlete at University of Texas El Paso [UTEP] and Member UTEP Athletic Hall of Fame, Member, National Championship Track and Field Team, and Three Time All-American

Marlynn Jones provides the humanistic touch and approach of real world athletics at the college level. Her descriptions highlight for many parents the examples which have become more common today than unique. This effort to support and promote positive ethical and legal practices for college-bound young people and their parents is a must read! Those that take the time to educate themselves from the readings will benefit through the selection process ten-fold.

E. Newton Jackson, Jr. Ph.D., Professor of Sport Management and Associate Provost, University of North Florida

President Elect of the American Association of Physical Education and Recreation

Journal Editor, Academic Athletic Journal

2008 Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association Diving Coach of the Year

"Eligibility Coach is a must read for high school coaches, athletic directors and guidance counselors who want to help their student-athletes prepare for NCAA and NAIA eligibility certification."

Troy Mathieu, Athletic Director, Grand Prairie [TX] Independent School District

Former Athletic Director, District of Columbia School System

Former Associate Superintendent for Athletics, Dallas, TX Independent School District

Former Executive Director, Sugar Bowl

This book is excellent and needed. It will serve as a great resource to thousands.

Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree, Director of Athletics, North Carolina Central University

Former Head Volleyball and Softball Coach, North Carolina Central University

Former Assistant Volleyball Coach, North Carolina A&T State University

Former Assistant Volleyball Coach, North Carolina State University

Former Volleyball Student-Athlete at George Washington University and Member of the George Washington University Athletic Hall of Fame

Knowing the system is the first STEP to the benefits of learning skills from competing in big-time sports. This book will put you in the blocks, huddle and classroom; and if you are not in the huddle, you don’t know the play.

Curtis Frye, Past President, United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association

Coach of 60 NCAA Champions, 114 Southeastern Conference Champions, 415 NCAA All-Americas and the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track Championship Team

Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach, University of South Carolina

Former Assistant Head Coach of Track and Field, University of North Carolina

Former Assistant Track and Field Coach, University of Florida

Former Assistant Track and Field Coach, North Carolina State University

I was one of the few student-athletes to come out of my high school to be recruited by a Division I University. If I had an Eligibility Coach, then the process could have been smoother, and less complicated… . Overall, this book is just great."

Danielle Thorpe, Former Track and Field Student-Athlete at Appalachian State University

Former Member Durham Striders Track and Field Club

To the love of my life Trinity Faith Seline.

FOREWORD

Ever since its inception in the 1800s, American intercollegiate athletics has represented in the hearts and minds of many, the highest of ideals in competition and sportsmanship, and for many talented youngsters, it has been the path to higher education and greater self-realization.

However, that romantic view of college sports being an extracurricular activity like music, theatre or the arts changed dramatically forever in the 1970s, when the larger institutions of higher learning began to commit more financial and human resources to athletics, thus altering the competitive landscape perpetually.

As college athletics broke up into divisions based largely on finances and the ability to generate revenue to support multiple sports teams, the gulf between the haves in Division I and those less financially blessed in Divisions II and III, and the NAIA continued to grow, even to this day.

To fuel this escalation in competition, especially on the Division I level, as television exposure and the sponsorship dollars it brought into the top-tier conferences, and programs became critical to staying viable, the acquisition of talent, better known as recruiting, came to the forefront in the 1970s and 1980s.

The recruiting by major schools, especially of African American high school athletes, something which had been limited to the East, Midwest and West prior to integration brought on by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, became a full-blown war for talent when the formerly segregated Southern schools joined the fray in the 1970s.

This radical shift in the business of intercollegiate athletics forced the NCAA and NAIA to put in place stronger guidelines to govern college athletics better, in every aspect from classification of programs, setting up rules on scholarships, eligibility for competition, academic performance goals, recruiting, championship competition, as well as penalties and punishments for rules violations.

To this day, the NCAA and NAIA, along with the governing bodies overseeing junior college athletics, remain ever vigilant in their efforts as referees in a sense, to keep the playing fields level for all schools, while at the same time working to protect the most precious and critical persons in the industry—the student-athlete.

So to help every future student-athlete, their parents and/or guardians, along with high school coaches, guidance counselors and principals, author Marlynn R. Jones, Esq., whose extensive work experience in several collegiate athletic programs and organizations, gives her a unique perspective on the harsh realities of college athletics, poured that insider’s knowledge and experience into this book, The Athletic $cholarship Eligibility Coach: A How-To Guide To The Eligibility Certification Game.

This is an easy-to-digest, how-to-guide which will prove to be an immensely helpful resource in navigating the complex issues regarding eligibility for college sports competition, and in getting an early start in effectively planning your student-athlete’s steps toward being just as prepared academically, as they are athletically, to embrace fully the next step in their life’s journey—the intercollegiate athletic experience.

Alvin Hollins Jr.

Freelance College Sports Reporter

Retired Assistant Director of Athletics for

Media Relations [30 years experience]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I owe a special thank you to the persons who assisted me in editing the proposal and drafts as this book developed: Soror LuAnn Edmonds-Harris, Dave Didion, Dwayne Foster, Isis Harnett, Soror Angela Lawrence, Dr. Virginia Politano, Soror Elnora Shields, Dr. Ixchel Tate, Soror Etienne Thomas, Janyce Rucker Wardlaw, Ingrid Wicker-McCree, and Kevin Wilson. Equally important are the people, who encouraged me to complete this project, including: Carter Cue, Eathan Johnson, Eric Moore, and Claudia Weaver Richardson.

Thanks to Jon Miller, my high school English teacher, who encouraged me to study writing, and Dean Richard Cole at the University of North Carolina who guided me as an undergraduate. Thanks to literary agent Jacquelyn Flynn for honest feedback on my proposal and encouragement to continue with the project even though her agency could not publish it.

Thank you LeVelle Moton for keeping your word. Thanks to Georgette Crawford-Crooks and Gerard Barnes for saving my laptop, and two years of research when I broke my computer.

Special thanks to Dereck Whittenburg for always being there. Your support and encouragement throughout my career are greatly appreciated.

Thanks to my brother Reggie for managing the house for the past two years while I was writing. My Webmaster Eric Moore, and my makeup artist Kevin McKnight of Trish McEvoy Cosmetics at Nordstrom. My local marketing advisors Artful Concepts of Durham, NC, and Nancy Juetton’s Broadcasting Your Brilliance Marketing Seminars.

My Choir of Angels, including my parents the late Dossie Nickles and Grover Seline Johnson Jones, my Godparents Henry Bud and Marion Russell, and Viola Turner, my baby daughter Cameron Nicole, as well as Soror Helen Edmonds, Grandpa Harry Percival Johnson, Uncle Overton Rexford Johnson, Aunt Jeanette Lee, Soror Alice Little, Soror Nancy Rowland, Danny Worthy, and Marilyn Yarborough.

I have been inspired by the student-athletes I have had the pleasure of working with at Virginia Commonwealth University, North Carolina A&T State University, University of South Carolina, Florida A&M University, and North Carolina Central University, and I thank them for allowing me into their lives.

Thanks to Mars Alma, George Needoff, and Jill Serinas at iUniverse for assisting with publishing Eligibility Coach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Perfection is our goal, excellence will be tolerated.

J. Yahl

Marlynn R. Jones, Esquire is fiercely committed to guiding parents, high school coaches and guidance counselors to achieve admissions and eligibility certification for prospective collegiate student-athletes. Knowing that one simple mistake can turn a scholarship celebration into a frantic search for $15,000-$60,000 to finance the first year of college, Jones serves as a personal coach through the maze of legislation involved in acquiring an intercollegiate athletic scholarship.

Bit by the journalism bug in high school when named a teen columnist for the Durham Morning Herald, Jones continued to develop her writing skills at the University of North Carolina’s Journalism School, receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, and at Virginia Commonwealth University’s [VCU] Graduate School of Mass Communications.

She was able to marry her love of journalism with her passion for sports as a graduate assistant in the Office of Sports Information at VCU while earning her Master’s Degree. This position led to her first full-time job in athletics at the National Collegiate Athletic Association where she served as the first advertising manager for The NCAA News.

After being named 1999 National Outstanding Law School Student of the Year while receiving her Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami, and working for five universities, the Orange Bowl Committee, and the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, Jones has settled back home in Durham, NC, where she resides with her daughter Faith.

Her company’s blog is located at www.eligibilitycoach.com. For regular updates on eligibility and certification news, follow Eligibility Coach on Twitter @eligibilitycoac, and like Eligibility Coach on Facebook at www.facebook.com/eligibilitycoach, and on You Tube at www.youtube.com/eligibilitycoach.

INTRODUCTION

LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART, DOES NOT NECESSARILY CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MY PART.

ANONYMOUS

Parents of aspiring collegiate athletes spend large sums of money on strength coaches, speed coaches, academic coaches and food coaches (nutritionists), all in an effort to gain an edge on the competition. For those who aspire to attain an athletic scholarship, they need an Eligibility Coach as well.

The Athletic $cholarship Eligibility Coach [Eligibility Coach] guides parents through the necessary steps to help their children successfully navigate the eligibility and recruiting processes, and become certified to receive an athletic scholarship. Missing any of the required steps can revoke an athletic scholarship offer, and require parents to finance the first year of college now averaging $21,477 for public universities [in-state], $33,973 for public universities [out-of-state], and $42,224 for private colleges, according to College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2011.

Eligibility Coach is divided into sections that are named for the parts of an athletic competition, because the family needs to prepare for this process just as it has prepared for athletic competitions for so many years.

Pre-Game explains the admissions and recruiting processes. National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] member institutions compete at the Division I, II or III levels; Division I, being split into the bowl sub-division [FBS] and the championship sub-division [FCS] for the sport of football. The difference in these divisions and how those differences affect scholarship opportunities will be explained.

The First Half walks through the certification process and the steps to take in the ninth and tenth grades. When planning for academic certification begins in the ninth grade, rather than in the twelfth grade, it is a smoother undertaking and eliminates a lot of headaches.

In order for a Division I or II university to award an athletic scholarship, the prospective student-athlete must be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center [EC]. Division III does not use the EC for certification. How to access the EC, what is needed to register, and most important when to provide the information will be explained so parents can help their sons and daughters manage this essential process.

Many students do not understand that amateurism certification is as important as academic certification and tend to take this step for granted. Eligibility Coach will show how to successfully complete both certifications.

Time and time again, students miss the same steps in the certification process. These Common Mistakes, if corrected early in the process, can eliminate a lot of headaches. Eligibility Coach will list the Most Common Eligibility Center Mistakes, and explain how to avoid them in an effort to ensure that readers do not fall into the same traps that have befallen others before them.

Half-time covers preparations to be made during the eleventh and twelfth grades, including narrowing university choices to five.

The Second Half covers the NLI Process, followed by the steps that are necessary after high school graduation, and once the student-athlete reports to campus.

Many people look at graduation as an ending, but that is not so with the certification process. There are several key components that must be completed after high school graduation, and if these steps are missed or delayed, it could result in the loss of the promised athletic scholarship. This book will walk parents through this process as well.

Extra Periods discusses additional steps in the certification process for transfer, international, and home-schooled student-athletes, and gives advice for students with learning-impacted disabilities. Often, these are the hardest students to certify, but they don’t have to be. Eligibility Coach will guide readers through these special certification processes.

The Post-Game section contains reference materials to assist readers along the way.

Beginning with the 2011-12 academic year, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics [NAIA] requires all of its prospective student-athletes to complete eligibility certification. This new process will be explained.

Throughout this entire process, there are three key points to remember:

1.   College Admissions and Eligibility Center Certification are two separate and distinct processes. The two processes must be completed simultaneously, yet independently of each other.

2.   NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Certification does not necessarily mean that the university that signed the prospective student-athlete will be able to complete the certification process. NCAA or NAIA certification does not guarantee admission to the university of one’s choice.

3.   Certification consists of two steps: Amateurism and academic certification.

The author intends to have the parents, coaches and guidance counselors who read Eligibility Coach to be able to partner with prospective student-athletes during this process, and make it as easy and seamless as possible. If at any time questions arise that are not answered, please go to the website www.eligibilitycoach.com and register for services that will allow the opportunity to have an e-mail exchange with the author throughout the certification process. Remember, the goal is to achieve Final Certified Status and to qualify to have an athletic scholarship awarded to your son or daughter.

To help the readers understand complex NCAA legislation, short stories are presented to help illustrate these concepts. The names of student-athletes and universities are fictitious, in an effort to protect the privacy rights of the students involved, but the situations are based on current issues involving real student-athletes. However, the NCAA Case Studies that are included are actual NCAA cases, and are reprinted exactly as publicly reported by the NCAA.

The Story of Jacob and Emily:

What you need to know to get Certified

It’s the first Wednesday in February, and National Letter of Intent [NLI] signing day. In Waco, Texas, Jacob Anderson a 6’6" local football player and national prospect is preparing for his press conference at Grand Valley High School. His high school and Pop Warner coaches are there, in addition to lots of family and friends who have followed his career since he started playing football at age six.

Jacob has won every major award in high school football. He’s listed with every major scouting service. Most Division I football coaches have been seen in town at his high school football games for the past three years. It is no surprise that Jacob has been recruited by all the top colleges, and he is preparing to sign a full scholarship and start his journey to the National Football League.

The cheerleaders are leading the crowd as the pep band plays the school fight song. Jacob approaches the microphone, and the crowd gets quiet. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to play my college football at the University of, there is a long pause, followed by Jacob saying the word—Texas.

The gym erupts in cheers and chants of Hook ’em Horns. Jacob’s high school coach places a Texas hat on his head, and cameras flash photos of Jacob, his parents and little sister for the newspaper articles that will follow.

This is a great day, says the high school principal. Jacob has prepared for this for a long time, and he has made our school and his family proud, he adds. We’re behind you all the way, the principal concludes. The pep band starts to play the Texas fight song, and the crowd goes wild.

Two months later in April, across the state in Arlington, there is a smaller but similar gathering of friends and family in the home of Emily Turner, who has been the fastest girl in the state of Texas for the past two years. In addition to competing in indoor and outdoor track, Emily excels in cross country. She is a rare talent in that she is as good at the middle distances as she is at the longer cross country races.

Emily has won numerous awards for Midway High School where she has been enrolled in honors courses for the last three years. As a member of the local Arlington Track Club for the past ten years, she has won abundant trophies and ribbons.

The Turner house is decorated in red and white and there are miniature hogs lining the living and dining room of her parents’ home. Today, Emily is signing an NLI to run track at the University of Arkansas.

The local newspaper runs a story and photo of Emily and her parents on the front page of the sports section the next day. Emily’s church places this story on its bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. The entire town is full of pride.

Both Jacob and Emily report to their universities in early August for pre-season football and cross country practices. The local newspapers print follow-up stories with photos on their sports heroes leaving for college to become NCAA Division I elite student-athletes.

Fast-forward to September; it’s the opening weekend of the college football season and everyone who can be is in Austin, Texas, for the home opener at the University of Texas. In Waco, there is a watch party that has been planned since the day Jacob signed with Texas. Did you hear that Jacob is back at home and not in Austin, said the bartender to one of the patrons. What happened? asked the patron? He got a full scholarship to Texas, why in the world would he be back here in Waco?

Something to do with his eligibility. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but he left school right after pre-season practice and is working across town at FedEx, said the bartender. What a shame, the patron responded.

Over in Arlington, two ladies from Westside Baptist Church are shocked to see Faye Turner, Emily’s mother, working in the shoe department of Neiman Marcus. What is she doing working here, she’s a guidance counselor at my daughter’s middle school, asked the first lady. She can’t need the money; her daughter got a full scholarship to Arkansas, said the second lady.

As Turner approaches to wait on her two church members, she says, Hello and asks, May I get you those shoes to try on? They reply in unison, No thanks; we’re just looking. The first lady asks, When did you start working here? Turner responds, Last week, after we found out that we had to pay for Emily’s first year of college at Arkansas. You know those out-of-state fees are very high, Turner added.

How could it be that two young star athletes sign full scholarships then one ends up back at home after completing pre-season practice, and one ends up having her mother working a second job trying to raise the out-of state tuition? The first thought is the students must have really messed up. Not necessarily so.

Unfortunately, these scenarios are not unique and happen all too often in college athletics. This is especially true for student-athletes who do not plan their NCAA eligibility certification process effectively. Eligibility Coach will explain how to get to Final Certified and Qualify for an Athletic Scholarship so collegiate student-athletes will not have to return home after getting settled into a new life; or have their parents take on a second job to pay tuition after planning to save that tuition money to purchase a car to reward their student-athlete for receiving a full scholarship.

Jacob’s Mistake:

Jacob was a good student with a high school grade-point average [GPA] of 2.8 and a SAT score of 800; however, Jacob took a lot of courses that do not count as NCAA core courses. Only the grades from core courses are counted in the NCAA GPA. Therefore, Jacob’s NCAA GPA was actually 2.5. Using the NCAA sliding scale, his 2.5 GPA requires a SAT score of 820.

To know what classes will count toward the NCAA GPA, a high school student must compare the courses taken in high school with their high school’s List of Approved Core Courses, for each high school attended. Each high school’s list is available on-line at the EC web site.

The NCAA only approves academic courses for inclusion on a high school’s List of Approved Core Courses. Therefore, courses such as band, art, physical education, foods and nutrition, learning strategies, career management, keyboarding, sports marketing and driver’s education do not count in a high school student’s NCAA GPA.

COMMON MISTAKE #1:

Thinking that the NCAA uses the GPA from high school transcripts.

Prospective student-athletes [prospects] need to calculate their GPAs yearly using only NCAA core courses to know exactly where they stand and precisely what corresponding standardized test score is needed to qualify for a scholarship.

COMMON MISTAKE #1 results in COMMON MISTAKE #2:

Using the wrong GPA to determine the standardized test score needed for the NCAA sliding scale.

If a high school student uses the GPA from the high school transcript along with his SAT or ACT score, he can mistakenly believe that he has qualified for a scholarship when in actuality he has not.

Jacob used the sliding scale and saw that a GPA of 2.8 only needed a SAT score of 700 so when he received an 800 on the test, he never retook the SAT, nor did he take the ACT. This simple mistake cost Jacob his athletic scholarship opportunity.

Had Jacob calculated his NCAA GPA, he would have known he needed an 820 SAT score and would have had time to study for and retake the SAT to get a higher score. Alternatively, since Jacob was a good student, he could have taken the ACT because it tests students on more subjects than the SAT.

Emily’s Mistake:

Emily was an honor student in high school with a weighted GPA of 4.2 and a SAT score of 1000. In addition to a love of track, Emily has a love of music and took symphonic band each year of high school. After successfully completing thirteen hard academic units and receiving Early Academic Certification from the EC in October, Emily decided to relax her senior year. Her school was on a block schedule, and Emily took one hard academic course and three electives, including dance and art, each semester of her senior year.

Emily met all the requirements for a high school diploma in the State of Texas. Since she was an honor student, and received Early Academic Certification from the NCAA EC, the guidance counselors assumed that Emily had all the core courses she needed to qualify for an athletic scholarship. However, like many high school counselors, Emily’s counselor simply did not know NCAA rules because she didn’t encounter many Division I caliber student-athletes at her school. Emily only completed fifteen NCAA core courses, not the sixteen required to receive an athletic scholarship during the first year of collegiate enrollment.

Emily is considered a non-qualifier and may not practice, compete or receive an athletic scholarship in her first year of college. After the initial year, Emily may receive an athletic scholarship as long as she passes twenty-four hours of credit during her freshman year.

Emily made the honor roll her first semester at Arkansas and is now on track to receive her athletic scholarship during her sophomore year.

COMMON MISTAKE #3

Not consulting the high school’s List of Approved Core Courses as prospects register each year in grades nine-twelve to ensure they are on track to complete the sixteen required core courses.

Each time a student-athlete registers for classes, she needs to consult the List of Approved Core Courses for her specific high school, keep a running tally of core courses completed, and needed for completion to ensure sixteen or more units by high school graduation.

COMMON MISTAKE #4

Not knowing that since 2007, the NCAA has allowed high school students to take one core course after high school graduation, but not later than the end of the academic year immediately after the high school graduation date of the prospect’s class.

Emily could have taken the sixteenth core course she needed in summer school after graduation, and she could have received her athletic scholarship her freshman year.

COMMON MISTAKE #5

Thinking that Early Academic Certification means the prospective student-athlete is finished with the certification process. Early Academic Certification is based on thirteen core courses, but the prospect must successfully complete sixteen core courses before enrolling in college in order to be eligible to receive an athletic scholarship.

Emily forgot to submit a request for her guidance counselor to send her final high school transcript to the EC before the high school closed for the summer. Therefore, her final transcript did not arrive until the high school reopened in mid-August. This is a busy time for the EC when students from all over the world are submitting late transcript requests.

If the EC had received Emily’s final transcript in early June, she could have been notified of her final non-qualifier status in time to attend the second session of summer school at her high school, and Emily could have completed that one missing core course before college classes