<p>My son talks a lot about wanting to play football in college, but I'm not sure how realistic that is. </p>
<p>Can someone tell me about D3 football? How hard is it to get a slot on the roster at a small LAC, assuming he has the academic ability to get in? His preferred position is on the D-line. What kinds of stats do athletes in that position need? </p>
<p>Also, I know that for big D1 schools athletes are limited in what they can study because of team commitments, but is this true in D3? Could he study whatever he wants?</p>
<p>Also, what should he be doing to get ready if this is what he wants? He's pushing to try and transfer to a Catholic school in our area for Jr. and Sr. year that has a bigger rep in football. Is that a good strategy? Should he go to specific camps etc . . . ?</p>
<p>Depends on the team. The winningist football coach ever, at any level, is a D3 football coach out of Minnesota, St. John’s University. He has no contact practices and doesn’t cut anyone. Not all kids travel though. Practices and commitments are much like they are in high school, after class practice, and a game on Saturday. Most D3 schools stress academics first. As for making any other team, especially on the line, it’s going to depend on his size, agility and skills.</p>
<p>The time commitment is more than practices after class during the week and Saturday games. There are also strength/lifting sessions several times per week, film sessions, offensive/defensive positional & special teams meetings, academic advisor meetings and mandatory evening study halls for frehhman players several times/week. </p>
<p>First semester, my son was at the gym before 6:30 a.m., went to classes, had afternoon practice, ate, had whatever team/positional meetings that were going on… and then went to mandatory study hall until 10:00 p.m. Curfew was 11:00 p.m., I believe.</p>
<p>It’s tough to have more than one lab science per semester, due to conflicts with practices… but most reputable DIII coaches will prioritize academics, first.</p>
<p>If you p.m. me your email addy, I will be happy to forward a recruiting document I put together after my kiddo was recruited to play NESCAC football. It isn’t a comprehensive guide by any means… just a compilation of resources to consider.</p>
<p>MaryOC–Like I said, depends on the school. Not all DIII programs are run like that. I know for a fact that the program at St. John’s is NOT that involved. It is very much like a high school program-but our high schools also have film sessions, weight training, etc.</p>
<p>I’m not sure of exact time commitments in the off-season - obviously there were no games on Saturday and afternoon padded practices ceased… but I believe my son continued to lift & cross train 4-5x? per week. Also, any FY who achieved a pre-determined gpa 1st semester was released from mandatory study hall for 2nd semester. </p>
<p>Your student athlete has to show up to camp in August, fit, and ready to hit the turf. The coaches sent a strength & conditioning regimen home for S1 to follow last summer, after HS graduation. I assume he has a similar program to follow this summer… picking up where he leves off in May.</p>
<p>Regarding the part of your question–how hard is it to get a slot on a roster?–I was in your position a year ago. My son is a good football player. He was a two-year varsity starter, made 1st team all-Division as a senior and was a starter in the All-County Football Game. That said, coaches weren’t falling all over themselves to recruit him. We looked at Ivies, Patriot League and a number of Div. 3 programs. My son is a very good student, and I had hoped that the coaches would value academic and athletic achievement roughly equally and then go after the best mix of student-athlete they could. But that’s not exactly how it works. The coaches get fired if they don’t win. They certainly value academics, but what they are looking for is the absolute best athlete that can be accepted by the admissions department at their school. In other words, football ability comes first, second, and third. There are minimum thresholds for academic achievement that have to be met, but the minimum thresholds for athletic achievement are the ones that determine whether a school will be interested in you.<br>
I can say that any boy who plays Ivy/Patriot/NESCAC football had to be a good student in high school. And, the better a student you are, the less it “costs” the coach to slot you. But if you can’t play at their level, they are not going to be interested in you, no matter how good a student you are.
Fortunately for my son, he is in a great D-3 program, both academically and athletically. As the guy who runs the New England Elite Camp says, there is a college football program for everyone who takes the game seriously. The key is to find the right one for you.</p>
<p>Great observations about the Ivy, Patriot and NESCAC football recruiting process… and the importance of realizing there are MANY OTHER programs out there where your student athlete can thrive… and will be valued for all the gifts and talents he brings to the table.</p>
<p>"…I can say that any boy who plays Ivy/Patriot/NESCAC football had to be a good student in high school. And, the better a student you are, the less it “costs” the coach to slot you. But if you can’t play at their level, they are not going to be interested in you, no matter how good a student you are."</p>
<p>Are there lower levels than Patriot/Ivy/NESCAC? I mean, I know there are academically, but athletically? </p>
<p>I have no idea how competitive my kid will be, but let’s say he turns out to be a relatively average high school player. Maybe he’ll start but at a midsized school where football is not the dominant sport (I’m making this up). I know he wouldn’t be recruited at someplace like Ivy or NESCAC, but would he be able to find a place where he was allowed to play, where he could walk on and be the third string left guard or something, and have that team experience?</p>
<p>I’m not saying that’s where he will or won’t be. I don’t want to make predictions, but I’m not clear how high the bar is to play at college at all.</p>
<p>At this point I am not thinking of scholarships or using football as a hook. Maybe we will at some point but at this point I am just thinking that my kid is happier, healthier, etc when he plays and I wonder if he would enjoy college more if he was able to play there. Or is college football overwhelming on some way? </p>
<p>If it does seem like something he could do and benefiy from, what does it take to get a spot on the roster at Earlham (choosing a small school at random) and be able to travel with the team and maybe get a little playing time? And what are the most important things to work on if that is the goal? </p>
<p>Of course if Earlham is actually a football powerhouse then substitute some other nice small D3 school with a mediocre team.</p>
<p>I think there are plenty of places where he could make–and play on–the football team. That’s assuming he is good enough to get playing time on his high school team. Talk frankly with the recruiting coach at the schools your son is interested in. they will tell you whether they do “cuts”. My guess is that most D3 schools don’t.</p>
<p>Curiousjane, Earlham did not win a game last year. Hiring Kazmierczak will help change the culture.</p>
<p>D1 Always can study what they want as long as they produce annual progress to their degree. Compliancy committees only may recommend course tracks.</p>
<p>I’m not saying he won’t be able to aim higher, just wondering what it takes to play at the bottom of D3, for a kid who wants the experience of being on the team/traveling/playing more than the experiencing of winning or a “big name”? So, I’m assuming that Earlham doesn’t have thousands of players knocking down their doors. Assuming a kid can get in on their academic merit, what would it take to be able to play on the line?</p>
<p>As far as D1, I met someone who played D1 on a full scholarship at an OOS school but left after 2 years because the subject he wanted to major in required courses that conflicted with practice. He decided that fufilling his dream of being a Physical Therapist was more important than football so he transferred to our state flagship. Is that kind of conflict uncommon?</p>
<p>@Author: Thanks! And yes, we have made reservations for a few games already! @Curious Jane: if it’s not too late and you can swing it financially, you might want to consider the New England Elite Football Camp I referenced earlier. It’s held at Bentley College. There are dozens of small football coaches there (the schools are small-most of the coaches are large :). ).</p>
Or not officially, anyway. I’m not saying all D3 schools do this, but some, if they really want a kid, will cobble something together for him or her - need-based aid or a scholarship for a non-sports achievement. I’m kind of looking at the same thing for S2, a wrestler. It would be easier if his grades weren’t absolute dreck …</p>
<p>Curious Jane,
Uncommon from my experiences. Direct experience: two graduates in professional schools with national championships and graduate scholarships. </p>
<p>Who shuns a free education? The Pt interviews would be asking why he transferred / quit.
What other goals will he Rationalize as a need to walk away.</p>
<p>Education is not something that is done to a student…they have to participate by wanting to learn.</p>