Want to play DI? Make sure you’re completing these off-the-field tasks

Playing a Division I sport requires a lot of work on the field and in the classroom.  Everybody knows about the kind of work you have to put in to get better at your sport, but there are also a few other barriers to get over to play a sport at the DI level.  The NCAA website has excellent tools and information to make sure you’re on the right track to playing DI.  Here are a few of the major things to make sure you’re doing as you go through your high school career:

Grade 9

• Ask your counselor for a list of your high school’s NCAA core courses to make sure you take the right classes.

Grade 10

• Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at eligibilitycenter.org.

Grade 11

• Check with your counselor to make sure you will graduate on time with the required number of NCAA core courses.
• Take the ACT or SAT and submit your scores to the NCAA using code 9999.
• At the end of the year, ask your counselor to upload your official transcript to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Grade 12

• Finish your last NCAA core courses.
• Take the ACT or SAT again, if necessary, and submit your scores to the NCAA using code 9999.
• Complete all academic and amateurism questions in your NCAA Eligibility Center account at eligibilitycenter.org.
• After you graduate, ask your counselor to submit your final official transcript with proof of graduation to the NCAA Eligibility Center.

This isn’t a lot of work.  However, if you fail to complete these steps, you will be scrambling and it might be too late.