Parents with children looking to play in D3

Started by K-Mack, November 09, 2005, 12:03:40 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

FootballFanatic

Quote from: Tex on August 15, 2007, 09:40:05 AM
It kills me to see guys on his team that have unbelievable talent, but no grades.  If you can't qualify, you can't play.  It breaks my heart.  Unfortunately by the time they get to high school, it's often almost too late.  We've got to get to them earlier. 

Ditto. Even as freshman in high school or earlier.
FootballFanatic!!!!!

Tom33

D3 ball is a great opportunity. Compared to the the D1 programs you have a lot better overall college "experience". For any "undersized" football player that has dreams of playing in college, do your research and go for visits. You can always walk on some where or even go into coaching.

Tex

Quote from: Tom33 on August 22, 2007, 12:16:12 PM
D3 ball is a great opportunity. Compared to the the D1 programs you have a lot better overall college "experience". For any "undersized" football player that has dreams of playing in college, do your research and go for visits. You can always walk on some where or even go into coaching.

Very true.  One example of coaching I know is Jim Bob Helduser, currently with Texas A&M as their O-Line coach.  JB played at Texas Lutheran and was the head coach at SWTS (now called Texas State). 
"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son." -- Dean Wormer

FootballFanatic

Quote from: Tom33 on August 22, 2007, 12:16:12 PM
D3 ball is a great opportunity. Compared to the the D1 programs you have a lot better overall college "experience". For any "undersized" football player that has dreams of playing in college, do your research and go for visits. You can always walk on some where or even go into coaching.

Great advice. Their are many D3 schools with excellent academic & athletic programs, the total package. 8)
FootballFanatic!!!!!

TheeBuffaloSabres

as far as academics go, college is all about how much effort you put in to your studies, the general impression the prof has of you and who you meet in school to help you get your career started. As far as football is concerned, your son better LOVE football, or he wont make it.
and we all wanna be like tommy gavin

K-Mack

#95
Got a couple of offseason e-mails I thought I'd put out there for your general expertise (as many heads are better than one). Here's the first:

Quote----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff XXXXXXXX"
To: Keith@D3football.com
Subject: Hey Keith

I have read a few of your D-3 comments and threads and I appreciate your experience...My question is how much financial aid is usually given to a kid of very good size and admission acceptable grades? 50%, 75% 90%????
Any comments are appreciated.

Jeff

Jeff,
I apologize for the delay in responding; I check my football e-mail very infrequently during the offseason.

Size, or football skill in any manner, has very little to do with it, but since aid is not athletic-based, it varies from school to school. It's often need-based, or based on academics ... Personally I was a good student and a decent player coming out of high school and got about $5,000 a year in academic scholarships, $5,000 in grants, $1,000 in work-study on-campus jobs, and the rest I had to make up with outside scholarships, student loans or money out of my parents' pockets. Of course, back then I was only trying to get to $18,000. Back in the mid-90s.

I don't know if that helps or not. Maybe if you could provide the school or schools you're considering, we can locate someone who is in touch with their current practices and could give you a better idea.

Keith


Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

K-Mack

Here's another:

Quote----- Original Message -----
From: "xxxxxxxxx"
To: keith@d3football.com
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 2:33:37 PM
Subject: DIII ?

Someone told me that D3 football is lower than Community College.  How true is that?
Also, is it true that D3 athletes do not get scholarships?

[name withheld]

Hello xxxx,
Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply, I don't check my football mailbox daily during the offseason.

With regard to your question, whoever told you that is not someone I'd be relying on for football-related advice. First, most community colleges don't even have football teams; it's not cost-effective. Second, there are 235 football-playing schools in Division III, and they cover a wide range of institutional profiles, from 10,000-student state schools who beat 63-scholarship Division I-AA teams, to 600-student private schools who struggle to compete with their fellow D3s. Division III covers such a wide range that it's hard to generalize.

Division III schools do not offer scholarships based on athletic ability alone, but for good students, or for students with a financial need, there are very competitive aid packages available. They vary from school to school and situation to situation, but it's not be a stretch to say that some aid offers from Division III schools would be competitive with a partial athletic scholarship offer from some Division II or NAIA schools. You'd really have to examine your situation closely to find what's the best fit for you.

If you're a parent of a potential college football player, I encourage you to take a look at our Parents thread, which is designed for those new to Division III football and a sort of open forum where you can ask questions of the Division III populous and get specific answers.

Here's the address: http://www.d3boards.com/index.php?topic=4015.0

I will post your question anonymously and my answer on Page 7 of the thread, but you might learn a lot starting at the beginning. Whether you choose a D3 school or not, the general theme of the advice is usually to identify your child's priorities, and then to help figure out what works best for you.

Keith McMillan
National Columnist & Managing Editor
Keith@D3football.com



Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

K-Mack

Nice reference material from Ryan Wood of Active.com:

The short of it is a reminder that not everyone who plays scholarship football can offer full scholarships.

Here's an excerpt:

FBS programs are allowed 85 scholarships on its roster at any given time, and generally can sign up to 25 players per year. All 85 scholarships are full rides. There are no partial scholarships given in FBS football.

FCS schools have 63 scholarships to be distributed, and up to 30 incoming players each year can be given aid.

Division II programs have 36 scholarships to be distributed, though some conferences don't allow their schools to have that many. Football scholarships at Division-II institutions can be divided among as many players as a program wishes. Most Division-II players are on partial scholarships.

There are no athletic scholarships in Division III athletics. Though there's no chance of getting a football scholarship at a Division III school, it is possible to receive an academic scholarship or a need-based grant that can help financially while you play football.

NAIA football programs are permitted 24 scholarships to be spread out in any way.

NJCAA programs are permitted 85 scholarships.

It's also a reference as to how many schools are in each classification.
Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

WIplayer

Is there a message board for the WIAC?  I can't seem to find one.

Just Bill

Quote from: WIplayer on April 07, 2009, 01:21:50 PM
Is there a message board for the WIAC?  I can't seem to find one.

Of course.  Instead of giving you the direct link I'll give you the navigation path so you can find it yourself:

Men's Basketball | West Region | Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Women's Basetball | Central Region | WIAC

Football | West Region | Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Baseball | Midwest Region | BB: WIAC: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Women's Soccer | Central Region | WIAC

Men's Soccer: (There's no dedicated thread, but you can find WIAC discussion under Central Region | Central Region Talk)
"That seems silly and pointless..." - Hoops Fan

The first and still most accurate description of the D3 Championship BeltTM thread.

The Forgotten Man

Quote from: K-Mack on March 30, 2009, 02:22:56 PM
Got a couple of offseason e-mails I thought I'd put out there for your general expertise (as many heads are better than one). Here's the first:

Quote----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff XXXXXXXX"
To: Keith@D3football.com
Subject: Hey Keith

I have read a few of your D-3 comments and threads and I appreciate your experience...My question is how much financial aid is usually given to a kid of very good size and admission acceptable grades? 50%, 75% 90%????
Any comments are appreciated.

Jeff

Jeff,
I apologize for the delay in responding; I check my football e-mail very infrequently during the offseason.

Size, or football skill in any manner, has very little to do with it, but since aid is not athletic-based, it varies from school to school. It's often need-based, or based on academics ... Personally I was a good student and a decent player coming out of high school and got about $5,000 a year in academic scholarships, $5,000 in grants, $1,000 in work-study on-campus jobs, and the rest I had to make up with outside scholarships, student loans or money out of my parents' pockets. Of course, back then I was only trying to get to $18,000. Back in the mid-90s.

I don't know if that helps or not. Maybe if you could provide the school or schools you're considering, we can locate someone who is in touch with their current practices and could give you a better idea.

Keith




My son was "recruited" by several DIII schools and was excited about several of them. Alas, the FAFSA formula said I could afford to hock everything I own and pay the full tuition amounts. He is a pretty good player and even had a partial scholarship offer to an FCS school that he decided wasn't for him. He had good grades and is an eagle scout but no aid was forthcomning from any of the DIII schools. He was looking at huge loans, just because he wanted to play football. Then he decided to look at a nearby school with a new football program. The school was/is great, the coaches and facilities are great, and the tuition was more reasonable. He decided to go there. And then he was blessed with an academic scholarship that helped with some of the tuition.

So, the moral of my story is keep looking at alot of options. The right school is out there if you make the effort to seek it out.
"The soldier, above all others, prays for peace, for it is he who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
Douglas MacArthur, General, U.S. Army, (1880-1964)

FZ6

Hello, My son is a junoir in high school and just took his SAT exam for the first time. His score was below average(1100), and he will retake them on June. He has a tutor and he is going to A SAT prep class also. He is 6"1" and 245lbs he benches 425lbs and squats 525 lbs. He will be starting on the OL line for the 2nd year. He is a GREAT KID, comes from a good family, does lots of community service, has a 3.2GPA and decent class ranking. Will his low SAT score cost him a chance to be recruited? Also any tips to get him noticed here in Pennsylvania.  Thanks for your Time!!!! :-\

The Forgotten Man

Quote from: FZ6 on May 04, 2009, 07:38:00 PM
Hello, My son is a junoir in high school and just took his SAT exam for the first time. His score was below average(1100), and he will retake them on June. He has a tutor and he is going to A SAT prep class also. He is 6"1" and 245lbs he benches 425lbs and squats 525 lbs. He will be starting on the OL line for the 2nd year. He is a GREAT KID, comes from a good family, does lots of community service, has a 3.2GPA and decent class ranking. Will his low SAT score cost him a chance to be recruited? Also any tips to get him noticed here in Pennsylvania.  Thanks for your Time!!!! :-\

You don't need to sit back and wait for them. Contact the schools he is interested. Send them game fillm. Go visit them. The contact and visit is crucial.
"The soldier, above all others, prays for peace, for it is he who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
Douglas MacArthur, General, U.S. Army, (1880-1964)

K-Mack

Forgotten Man, good story and good advice.

I'll be sending more parents this direction this season.
Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

PA_wesleyfan

FZ6

I'll add one thing to Forgotten Man's great advice.  +1

Living in Pa . you have a plethora of schools to chooose from. DI, DIIA, DII and DIII. That being said he will no doubt be seen by someone, somewhere even if they are looking at other players on his team or playing against him. BUT do visit as many schools as you can because there are some great campuses to see. Not only that but depending on your local there are some fine schools in N.J., N.Y, Del.and Md also. The more schools you visit the better you and especially your son will be able to judge by talking to the coaches what kind of person they are and how your son would fit in academically and sports wise
Football !!! The ultimate team sport. Anyone who plays DIII football is a winner...