The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

From the blog:

If you’re a rider and you’ve been in the sport long enough, you’ve been there:

You’ve had that moment when the horse you’re sitting on decides to make for the hills (or far end of the arena) and take you with it. Either that or you’re sitting on a horse who suddenly decides to ignore you for seemingly no reason and becomes incapable of making left turns.

Either way, you’re faced with a choice. Read More

IHSA Zone Finals were held last weekend - here are the results and a list of the top teams headed to Harrisburg for the National Championship next month!

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If you're the parent of a high school senior who's having trouble making a final college decision, how can you help (and not hinder) the process?

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Athletics 101The dream of playing intercollegiate athletics is one shared by many students nationwide but the process of making the transition from a high school career into one at the next level is often confusing for students and parents alike. In particular, recruiting rules vary between leagues and divisions and much of the information available from other parents is in the form of anecdotal evidence and rumors.Here are the basics:

• Leagues and divisions. The two intercollegiate athletic associations are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The NCAA is broken into three divisions (I, II, and III) and the NAIA is broken into two (I and II). Athletic scholarships are available through both organizations but vary by division.

• Eligibility. Athletes who wish to be officially recruited by coaches from either organization must formally declare themselves to be academically eligible by submitting their high school coursework and grades to the organization for approval before beginning the process. (College athletes must also maintain certain outlined GPA levels in their courses in order to remain eligible.)

• Recruitment. Coaches follow different rules for contacting their recruits based on the organization and division they report to; thus, high school athletes should work closely with their current coaches to identify which type of program their talents are best suited for as they begin the recruitment process.

• Showcases. Athletic showcases can help put students in front of college coaches and begin the recruiting process, but much like taking the SAT or ACT, a showcase is just a snapshot of the athlete’s talents on a particular day at a particular time. Students who successfully identify the right fit athletic programs (and colleges) for their post-high school careers can target those coaches specifically and reach out to begin the recruitment process on their own.

• Scholarships. The most rumors about college athletics surround scholarship availability. The bottom line is that a full-ride athletic scholarship is an extreme rarity in all but the most extreme cases, though partial scholarships are more common. Many web sites break down the number of scholarships available by sport and savvy student athletes would do well to know the odds before they enter the formal recruiting process.

In order to successfully navigate both the search for the right college and the right college athletic program, students must be prepared to do twice the research so they know exactly what opportunities are available to them and what will be required of them once they make the transition.

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