Know your priorities as a student</a> playing a sport in college. Among the regular responsibilities, student-athletes are required to have a minimum GPA to play for a college sports team. Also, academics affects scholarships, making the difference between a partial sports scholarship and a full ride. Although they are competitive, scholarships are one of the top perks of being a college athlete. There are <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-solution/2010/06/22/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-sports-scholarships">138,000 athletic scholarships available</a> for Division I and Division II students playing sports in college alone-football and basketball offering the highest rate of full ride scholarships.</p></div> <p><img src=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://sites.psu.edu/harercl1415/wp-content/uploads/sites/15383/2015/04/13284581161.jpg" alt="College sports map" width="1600" height="990" /></p> <p>Source: <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://sites.psu.edu/harercl1415/wp-content/uploads/sites/15383/2015/04/13284581161.jpg">psu.edu


<div> <p>Also, colleges offer different levels of sport play with their teams: Division I, II, and III. <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://affordableschools.net/25-best-american-colleges-student-athletes/">Highly competitive NCAA universities</a>, or schools part of the <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://www.ncaa.org/">National Collegiate Athletic Association</a>, are a top priority for most students who decide to play a sport in college; a rower may consider the <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> for their <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://www.gohuskies.com/news/2017/5/28/womens-rowing-clean-sweep-uw-wins-2017-ncaa-rowing-championship.aspx">female champion team</a> while a rugby star will apply to <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/">Saint Mary&rsquo;s College of California</a> for the<a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://d1arugby.com/news/saint-marys-beats-life-in-classic-affair-wins-third-d1a-national-championship/"> men&rsquo;s national title</a>. However, not everyone will argue that playing sports in college at the top level is the best choice. The perks of being a college athlete vary within each division; Division I being the most active with sports scholarships but high in competition compared to Division III which offers a less demanding schedule and more playtime for new members. Check out the <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://www.ncaa.org/">NCAA website to get a better understanding of your position with your college applications and remember: researching your opportunities to being a student-athlete is key!</p></div><br> <div><p><strong>Get Connected<strong></p></div> <div><p>Taking into account the steps to become a college athlete, it is your job to get connected with college recruiters. After an appropriate amount of research is done, execute a connection to the school. Connect through your own personal and online resources to make your application stand out! The goal is to create your own unique student-athlete profile to send to recruiters; show off your athletic accomplishments, upload videos of sport performances, and compile a file to impress the coaches. Number one advice is to <strong>be persistent</strong>. This task is crucial, because creating a connection with the right coach will open doors to your life playing a sport in college. Your coach will be your leader into professional sports, so find one who matters. Ultimately, reach out to as many coaches as you can, connect with someone who inspires you, and market yourself as a professional athlete. </p></div> <p><img src=https://plexuss.com/n/"http://whatsupic.com/images/whatsupicen/1415868038e.jpg" alt="College sports" width="640" height="300" /></p> <p>Source: <a href=https://plexuss.com/n/"https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t45.1600-4/19490525_6076981544119_7938519771253833728_n.png?oh=06f81597354645706855895756acd219&amp;oe=59CD02CA%22>Whatsupic.com


<div><p><strong>Work Hard, Play Hard<strong></p></div> <div><p>Take a good look at your goals to being a student athlete and take pursuit. A college student must dedicate a great amount of time and effort in general; you must dedicate all of yourself to not only your education, but to the sport. The dedication doesn&rsquo;t stop there because signing on with a college sports team is signing on for school spirit. You no longer represent only yourself, but your teammates, coach, and school name. All this may seem like a lot of much pressure, but don&rsquo;t let this scare you! You will become close with your teammates, leaning on each other through all the good and the bad. Anything is possible with the right motivation. Prepare to take on the extra responsibility, be a well-rounded student and earn your spot on the team to benefit the perks of being a college athlete! The product of hard work is success. Work hard and find yourself on the path to a professional career playing a sport in college!</p> </div>"/>