Central York

If a student hopes to compete in athletics at Division I or II schools, The student should meet with their guidance counselor on a yearly basis to discuss NCAA eligibility requirements.   Please note that the NCAA requirement has increased to 16 core courses -- 10 of which must be completed prior to the beginning of the senior year. Student-athletes can use the Division I worksheet and Division II worksheet to determine their progress toward earning eligibility.

Student-athletes must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse at the beginning of their senior year. Registration should be done online at www.ncaaeligibilitycenter.org. The NCAA determines final eligibility.

The list of CYHS courses that are approved for NCAA eligibility can be found at https://web1.ncaa.org/hsportal/exec/hsAction. Central York's NCAA code is 395430.

Students who are worried that they may not meet eligibility requirements for the NCAA may also be interested in learning about the National Junior College Athletic Association.

"To be considered in the [college applicant] pool for any sport, there has to be a coach at the college looking for high-level talent that you have to offer, and that coach must put you on a special list that he or she sends to the admissions office.... Athletes need to realize that although coaches have only a small number of spots they can fill, they need a long list of potential recruits to make sure they will fill those spaces -- since an admissions committee probably won't admit all of a coach's choices, and some who get admitted will turn the school down. It can be frustrating to applicants, but coaches have no choice except to recruit more athletes than the school can accept. On the other hand, coaches will usually be honest with you about where you stand, and it's okay for you to ask them where you lie on their list...and ask them how you stand with admissions." (156)

So what should an college-bound athlete do?

According to Dunbar, 

Put aside your ego. Don't wait around for them to notice how well you play. Make the first move: Send the coaches at the schools on your list a letter expressing your enthusiasm to play on their teams. Include:

1. A resume telling them how many seasons you've played competitively, buth during school and in summer, and any awards won by you or your team. Also include any objective statistics demonstrating how good you are...
2. References who can vouch for your talents: Provide specific names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the people who have coached you. (157) 

It is can be useful to go to summer camps that the college coach respects or works with. 

When a college coach shows interest in you, keep in mind that interest is not the same as commitment. Keep in close contact with the coaches that you hope to play for. Try to find out how serious they are about you and make it clear to them that you are indeed interested in them. Ask the coach to be honest with you, so that you can know how much effort to put into your second and third choice schools.