What You Need to Know About Finding a Football Scholarship
One of the first things you need to understand is that there are multiple types of athletic scholarships. While some of them are academic in nature, others are strictly athletic. Because of this, you need to be clear on what you want to get out of a scholarship before you start searching.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common scholarships you can get and see where they fit in when it comes to football. Academic Scholarships - One of the most common ways to get financial assistance is through an academic scholarship. This is a form of financial aid that is awarded based on grades, standardized test scores, and other achievements related to your coursework. Academic scholarships usually don’t have any connection to sports. Instead, they are awarded as a way to recognize academic excellence regardless of any other factors.
Athletic Scholarships - A Division 1 football scholarship falls within the athletic scholarship category. Athletic scholarships are awarded to promising athletes with the goal of allowing them to focus on their sport without having to worry about paying for school. Athletic scholarships come in two basic varieties: partial- and full-ride. A partial-ride scholarship covers part of your tuition and doesn’t include any money for room and board. A full-ride athletic scholarship covers all of your costs of attendance including tuition, room and board, books, and other expenses.
Why Is Kicking so Hard to Get?
One of the reasons that getting a Division 1 football scholarship as a place kicker is so difficult is that there is a limited number of these scholarships available nationwide. Colleges have a finite amount of money to distribute in both athletics and academics. The athletic scholarship money is used to attract promising athletes to their program. The academic scholarship money is used to attract promising students to their program. The number of athletic scholarships awarded is dependent on the amount of money available. The number of academic scholarships awarded is dependent on the number of students attending the school who qualify for them. Since there are far more football players than there are available athletic scholarships, competition for them is fierce.
5 Tips to Help You Get a Scholarship as a Place Kicker
While getting a Division 1 football scholarship as a place kicker is difficult, it is not impossible. If you are serious about getting such an offer, here are some tips to help you make it happen.
Get Strong Academically - While athletics are important, they are also a means to an end. That end is getting a degree and setting yourself up for a successful future. Keep this in mind by maintaining a strong GPA and working hard in your courses. This will help ensure that you get a good education along with your athletic scholarship.
Build a Strong Resume - Beyond athletics, the resume you build before you even start looking for scholarships can make a huge difference in getting them. If you are really serious about kicking for a Division 1 football team, start building your resume now. You could include athletic accomplishments, academic accomplishments, extracurricular clubs and activities, jobs, etc. Coaches want to know they are investing in a quality person to not only perform on the field, but uphold the reputation of the program off the field. You can let them know what kind of person you are by educating them of the high standards you hold yourself off the field as well.
Participate in camps and showcases, showcase your skills online, and apply for a position on your high school team as soon as possible. The more you can do to get your name out there, the better your chances of getting noticed by coaches.
Set Goals - Setting goals is another great way to ensure that you get everything you can out of your football career. Goals can take many different forms, but make sure that they are specific and measurable. For example, you might have the goal of earning a scholarship to play football at a Division 1 university. That may start with networking with coaches and setting a goal to communicate with them at least once a quarter or once a month if you're going into your Senior year.
Be Patient - Finally, be patient and open minded. Getting a scholarship is a long, drawn out process. It is unlikely that you will get offered one until your senior year. Don't give up if you haven't received one by the time your Senior season is over. Always keep a positive relationship with every coach you meet as you never know where they'll end up and who they'll talk to on their way there. There may be 'sleeper' school watching you that could come out of nowhere in the last minute. Stay focused, and do something every day that helps bring you closer to this goal!
Conclusion
Getting a scholarship to play football at the Division 1 level is an incredibly difficult task. Fortunately, it is not an impossible one. If you are serious about getting such an offer, you can do it with the right combination of skill and hard work. To do so, start by getting strong academically, building a strong resume, setting goals, and being patient. Once you have done these things, you can then focus on honing your skills and being the best college place kicker you can be.