Congratulations on your decision to keep playing baseball! Many recruits make the mistake of thinking that their commitment marks the end of the recruiting process. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Your commitment marks the beginning of the journey, not the end, and it’s important you think of it
✅Finish and submit your final amateurism certificate required to play D1 or D2. It is also beneficial to do this if you plan to transfer to a D1 or D2 school later.
✅Request and send your final transcripts and proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center to complete your certification process. This is required to play D1 or D2 and is also beneficial if you plan to transfer to a D1 or D2 school later.
✅Keep your GPA up and ensure that you exceed eligibility requirements.
✅Submit your application prior to the deadline during the fall of senior year (or when your college coach directs you to if after the normal deadline).
✅Notify your future coaches that you have submitted your application.
✅Accept your admissions decision and pay the deposit.
✅Take care of the long list of pre-enrollment responsibilities for the school, baseball program and NCAA Eligibility Center.
✅Meet with your school counselor about the ways you can finance your education.
✅Submit your FAFSA at the earliest opportunity (Open for submission October 1).
✅Review and accept/reject the school’s offer of aid.
✅Look for outside scholarship opportunities.
✅Finalize how you will pay for school and make sure loans, etc. are in order.
✅Finish your senior season strong.
✅Ask your future coach for a weight lifting program to help you prepare for the transition to a college strength and conditioning program.
✅Train as hard as ever.
✅Show up for fall ball in mid-season form.
✅Don’t take your preparedness for granted.
✅Connect with your future teammates.
✅Learn about your responsibilities before landing on campus
✅Learn about what is required to stay eligible and finish your certification of eligibility with the NCAA Eligibility Center
✅Learn about why it’s important to finish strong academically
✅Learn about the level of competition and conference you will be playing in
✅Learn about what to expect with the transition to college and college baseball
✅Learn about the importance of coachability
✅Learn about the importance of having a good attitude and being open to new ideas
The work is not done yet! As you prepare for showing up on a college campus, there is a lot to do. Here are some of the things you need to be doing academically to make sure you show up to your college campus in good standing.
✅Finish strong! Make sure you keep your grades up through graduation.
✅Complete your NCAA eligibility requirements, including sending your final transcript and proof of graduation to your college and the NCAA Eligibility Center.
✅Make sure you fulfill all your pre-enrollment academic requirements, like signing up for classes, taking entrance or placement exams, and working with your college’s admissions and athletics to complete all your assigned tasks.
✅Coordinate with your college about any AP courses you may use for college course credit.
✅Stay active with reading and learning during your summer so you can hit the ground running freshman year!
Once you have done all this, you are ready to take on college academics! Congratulations on being part of the 12% of all high school baseball players who play in college!
Don’t be one of the recruits who underestimate the adjustment to college baseball and college level training. You need to show up to campus as prepared as possible for your freshman fall. Your window of opportunity will be short, and first impressions will go a long way.
By now you know that your development doesn’t stop, not matter how good you are. Continue to search for ways to improve and keep perfecting your training process. Now is not the time to rest on your accolades. There will be at least 25-30 other guys on campus hungry to show that they should be the ones on the field. If you are serious about being good at the college level, now is the time to show it. Prepare for success, work hard, and good luck from the KPB team!
