Recently, there were some comments on the site posted about Junior Colleges
and the recruiting process involving them. Since it has been something that I
really have not talked about, now is a good time to take a look at why you
should attend a Junior College or why it should be a place you at least give a
look to.
The first and most major reason that the majority of top
football players attend a Junior College is because of grades. They either did
not have a qualifying ACT/SAT or a GPA to be able to sign a National Letter of
Intent. When it is obvious that a top recruit does not have the grades to be a
qualifier, Junior Colleges throughout the country show this prospect attention.
That would be the reason why an athlete from the South may end up attending
a Junior College in California. Like Division I programs, Junior Colleges are
looking for the best college in the country. And while they may only get the
athlete for one or two years, they still want to win as many games as possible.
If you are a non qualifier for the Division I level, there are still a few
other options outside of Junior College. They include going to a prep school,
being a prop 48 at a Division I school, or looking at the Division II level. The
NCAA is cracking down more and more on prep schools but it basically is a year
away from home that prepares you for the college level. This is more prevalent
in basketball than anything.
As for the prop 48, I don’t believe that is
the term anymore but does not happen very often. Basically the recruit will have
to pay his own way that first year and cannot practice or play with the team.
Basically it would be a difficult year but if your dreams are to play at that
school, it is a possibility. As for the Division II level, the difference is
that they have lower requirements in terms of your grades.
The second
main reason why athletes decide to play at the Junior College level in college
is because they are not happy with their opportunities and want to open more
doors. You may have gotten a late start to the recruiting process and play at a
small school. There are any number of combinations as to why you would take this
route but it just depends on an athlete.
As I have talked about in
previous articles, some athletes go through the process with Division I eyes. If
that never changes and those schools don’t come knocking at your door, chances
are that this athlete is going to go to the Junior College level.
It
really just depends on the athlete as to what they want to do. I have seen
things go great and horrible at a Junior College so it really just depends on
the situation. Some athletes played at a small school in high school and ended
up being a two year starter at the major college after going through the Junior
College process. Others end up quitting right away because the coaching staff
will normally recruit over an athlete.
Last year, I saw a signing list of
the a Junior College that is known to win a lot of games. They signed over 50
kids and seemed to have more on the way. While I assume the majority of these
players were All Staters in high school, the coaches know that most of them will
end up quitting if they are so far down the depth chart.
My experience of
college athletics is having played Division III basketball. I like the fact that
I received a great education and was able to stay at one school for four years.
But as I have always said, keep your options open during the recruiting process.
If that includes going to a Junior College, make the most of it and enjoy
yourself. You are playing this sport because you love it.
One quick note
for athletes that are full qualifiers coming out of high school. If you have the
test scores/grades that a college is looking for, you can leave a Junior College
after one year. If you do not have those requirements, you will likely have to
stay there two years to get your AA. That is what Division I colleges will be
looking for. But remember more than anything, you are going to college to get an
education and set yourself up for the rest of your life. That is much more
important than your Division I eyes that will only play at that level.