Here I am signing my letter of intent for a full-scholarship in track to compete at SMU in 2000
It is amazing that it has been eight years since I have signed my first letter of intent to Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. I was offered a full-scholarship to compete for the SMU Mustangs in track and field. It was a proud moment for me and my parents, because a lot of hard work and dedication went into getting this all to work. There are many opportunities for athletes to get a college scholarship, but the thing that they and their parents have to realize is that it takes a lot of work to get one. First, you have to make the marks in your relative sport– whether it is scoring a certain number of touchdowns in football or hitting a certain distance or time in track and field. When I was a freshman, I got a sheet from Purdue actually on what marks and times in track they considered to be at a full-scholarship level, partial scholarship, and walk-on. For the shot put, it was 46 feet. It definitely was motivating for me to make sure that I could make that distance because I knew that I would need to get a full scholarship for college.
Here I am competing at the Golden West Invitational in 2000
I found this particular article interesting to see what athletes today are doing to get noticed by college coaches, and how much they are willing to spend to get someone to market themselves online. When I was starting out in high school, there were no social networking web sites like Facebook or MySpace. What separated me from my other track and field competitors was my personal web site. I posted pictures of me in track, but I also wanted to showcase who I was as a person. If people get to know you as a person, not just an athlete– it makes a difference. I also posted my grades (definitely was motivating to keep a high GPA!), but overall– I wanted to be upbeat and energetic about track, school, family, and life! 🙂
Throwing at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships
Athletes can have a sophisticated web site, but if they don’t have the marks or times– this could be an issue. Another thing to note of importance is that college coaches are looking not only at athletic performances, but also the reputation of the person. This is an athlete that will be on the team for four to five years, and there is a lot of investment that goes into each scholarship.
Here I am throwing for USC in 2006
For me, I did pretty well in track and field (Four time All-American, Two-time SEC Champion, 2004 Olympic Trials Finalist), but I was not the best shot putter ever by any means. But, what I did notice is that there were several meets where I got more attention and coverage than other throwers that were throwing several feet farther than me. This was because people knew me from my web site– not as an athlete, but as a person. I had one coach telling me one time at Penn Relays in 2004 that people came to see this one thrower because she can throw really far, but people came to see me throw because they wanted to see me. I thought that was an interesting point, and it made me think about how important it is to manage your reputation effectively and in a positive manner. 🙂
Managing your personal reputation is very important for athletes today– and is a key factor in scholarship decisions. I knew of many athletes that were talented and the top of their game, but they were not offered the best scholarships based on what others were saying about their reputation. Here are a few things that athletes may want to consider thinking about in managing their reputation, especially online:
- Be positive. Make sure that you proof-read everything that you post online to look professional, and upbeat. No one wants to hear whining or complaining– so stay positive. 🙂 Smile in pictures and be happy! 🙂
- Watch the language. It may be “cool” to use certain words among your friends, but you are representing yourself in a whole another arena. You are a brand, and you have to manage it effectively by using appropriate language (ex. no swearing).
- Have pictures / videos that showcase you and various roles in a positive light. This means that you want to have pictures and videos of you in your respective sports, but what about other hobbies like traveling, cooking, etc? People want to see you as the person, and get to know you better.
- Be aware of first impressions. People make pretty fast judgments about people based on first impressions, so be aware of what others are saying about you, what is being posted or discussed about you online, and what you can do to address this. You have to be aware of what attributes, characteristics, and associations are being made about you by others in the athletic community.
- Try to separate yourself from your competitors. Look and see what others are doing, and find the gaps in which you can show coaches and universities how you are different from these other athletes. You have to determine what makes you unique and a valuable asset to have for their team. For me, I knew in high school that not many athletes in track had a web site, so that is what I did to separate myself from my competitors. Now it seems like everyone has one! 😉
So my point is, getting a college scholarship is something that takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and commitment, but it is so worth the effort. I am very proud that I got seven years of college education paid for (SMU, Florida, and USC). It was a wonderful experience to be a scholarship athlete. 🙂 Anyway, I hope that this helps! Have a wonderful day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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