Question about becoming a college track and field athlete.
by G.K.Chesterton (2017-07-19 23:51:45)

A friend has a child who is showing great promise in HS track and field after finishing their freshman year. He approached me recently about what it would take to be a track athlete in college, perhaps at a school like Notre Dame.

Questions:

1. What are good Catholic universities with good track programs?
2. Which of them offers the best scholarships?
3. What's the most anyone can receive from ND for a track scholarship? 50%? 25%? Less?

My only advice for him right now has been to refer him to a mutual friend who had been head coach for a pole vaulter in high school who went to Catholic U. but later transferred to ND and vaulted for the Irish.

Any advice you have would be most welcome, including advice about ND.


I can share my personal experience
by Irish 01 (click here to email the poster)  (2017-09-06 23:57:20)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Feel free to email me or pass along my email to your friend. Granted, it was 20 years ago, but I'm willing to share my experience and process if it is of interest. Link should be provided above, if not... ereichle@gmail.com


For a longer list...
by Irishthinclad  (2017-07-21 18:43:03)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Take a look at the results from the National Catholic Invitational for a longer list of programs. While the top schools ErikND mentions haven't competed in awhile, it's a good list. Bellamine, Loras, Lewis and Walsh are solid programs if D2 and D3 are under consideration.


What Erik said plus some scholarship info
by NDoggie78  (2017-07-20 14:57:16)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The NCAA allows 12.7 scholarships for each Men's and Women's Track & Field. This also includes Cross Country. These scholarships are dispersed as the coach sees fit. Notre Dame, under Piane, was considered more a distance running school so I'm guessing scholarships were weighted more that way (and I'm guessing still are). The advantage for offering distance runners a bigger "chunk" is that you get them for two sports - Track & Cross Country

I would have your friend contact coaches (even at this early date). I'm sure they can answer many questions. Notre Dame's are listed in link below

Also on ND's Track & Field website (under "Recruits") is this questionnaire:
https://college.jumpforward.com/questionnaire.aspx?iid=297&sportid=56

And ND has Track & Field camps which I'm sure would help as well:
http://youthsports.nd.edu/


The friend's kid should contact the coaches, not the friend.
by FL_Irish  (2017-07-20 23:40:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

That's probably what you meant, but worth being clear about.


Correct *
by NDoggie78  (2017-07-21 12:00:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Thank you as well. *
by G.K.Chesterton  (2017-07-20 16:57:52)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Answers
by ErikND96  (2017-07-20 08:38:40)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

1. Villanova, Georgetown, Notre Dame (historically, though Turner is trying to burn it to the ground quickly), Providence.... others have programs, but those are the ones with the strongest traditions that immediately come to mind

2. They all offer the full compliment of scholarships per NCAA; see #3

3. As for scholarships - unlike FB, it's a the discretion of the coach as to how he/she allocates the $... can be a full ride, or like you say x%, or even just some flat $ amount.

As for what your friend's kid should

a. contact the coaches at the schools they're interested in - they'll probably send a form letter w/ material on the program and school.... it never hurts to get on their radar early
b. it's early, but by end of SO year they need to start to figure out if they're punching above/below their weight in terms of athletic and academic ability (yes, a star track athlete will get some extra consideration - but that might mean 100-200pts on the SAT, not 500 they'd give for a FB player)
c. If they're a distance/middle distance runner - then XC regionals are important (as they allow for comparison vs kids from other states; otherwise courses differ so much, its next to impossible to compare times as a means of comparing athletes).
d. Here is a painful truth many learn the hard way - Senior Year Track times/performances don't matter - by then, the offers have already gone out the door. JUNIOR year track, and Senior year XC are the keys (and perhaps SR Indoors if they run great in the national meet).

Good luck,


I have a friend whose daughter is running track
by TWO  (2017-07-21 12:05:23)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

right now at ND, I haven't heard anything negative about Turner. But then she's just a freshman. What are the issues with him?


I have no details. Men's XC has sucked recently but ...
by Rocksteady74  (2017-07-21 19:18:11)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

... Turner only took that position over from Paine three years ago.


I am interested as well. *
by G.K.Chesterton  (2017-07-21 12:46:23)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post


Thanks for the input.
by G.K.Chesterton  (2017-07-20 12:26:34)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I did also see the following piece posted this week and passed it on to my friend as well for a tiny bit more insight into the decision.


To clarify....
by ErikND96  (2017-07-20 20:24:43)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

.... when I said XC regionals are important, that's just for coaches to gauge XC performance. Track times don't lie... you run a 4:02 mile and win by 30s, it's still 4:02 - so the competition isn't as key so long as you run fast