What Does It Mean to Be a Division I Athlete?

When our son applied to college, his primary focus was a school with a Division I (DI) swim program. His next two criteria, in order, were a university with an urban campus and lastly, one with a good engineering school. Before you judge, I challenge you to find any 17-year-old whose priorities in choosing a college are completely rational. 

Division I Athletics

First, a disclaimer. I was not an athlete until I moved to the mountains at the ripe old age of forty. Even now, I am a weekend warrior at best. During my childhood I tried every sport imaginable, spending an entire summer standing in right field praying with all my might that the softball was hit to someone else. Unlike me, my husband was a recruited DI athlete who swam for the University of Pennsylvania. So he was able to take our son on numerous coaches’ visits in hopes of finding him just the right swim program at just the right school.

So what exactly does it mean to be a Division I athlete? These programs are the highest, most-regulated level of NCAA sports, followed by Division II and Division III athletics. DI sports often offer the most robust scholarship programs, however the ability to receive scholarships varies significantly by school and sport. Another perk of being part of a DI athletic program is that they tend to have the greatest funding which translates into better facilities, along with a myriad of trainers, coaches and support staff, including free tutors, for the athletes. This also makes DI programs some of the most competitive for athletes to join.

Recruiting Trips for DI Athletes

In Division I sports, recruited athletes are those whom coaches actively seek out to be part of their team. To find the program that is the right fit for your student, the best approach is to seek out schools actively, without waiting for coaches to contact your athlete. In our son’s case, he and my husband met with various DI swim programs by reaching out directly to the coaches. The team he ultimately ended up joining invited him out for an official recruiting trip as a result of one of these initial meetings.

Important Tip:  Before you start reaching out to coaches and teams, make sure you understand the NCAA recruiting regulations. There are limits to the number of official recruiting trips an athlete can attend and how/when your athlete can be in contact with coaches.

Time Commitment for Division I Athletes

If your student becomes a Division I athlete, the time commitment for training, practicing and competing is equivalent to a part-time job. Our son swims double workouts (morning and afternoon practices) three days a week, along with Saturday practices, for a total of nine swims a week. Additionally, he does three weight training sessions and two dryland sessions. The result is about 20 hours a week of training. Translation:  DI sports are not for the faint of heart. Your athlete needs to be willing to suffer at an entirely new level of training than they ever experienced in high school or club sports.

A Lifestyle Choice

Does being a DI athlete mean that your student won’t have a social life while in college? Absolutely not. But it does mean that he/she will need to be more focused with their time than the average student. In between attending classes and studying, which amounts to about 30 hours per week, and training another 20 hours, athlete’s schedules are pretty full. Still, motivated students can make time to join clubs, religious groups, or community service organizations on campus or even take on leadership opportunities within their own sport, such as team captains.

Some teams require their athletes to live in the dorms for all four years, but this varies by sport. At our son’s college, a number of “swimmer houses” exist off-campus with leases handed down from upperclassmen to underclassmen. Even though many members of the team live off-campus, most keep meal plans at the university dining halls. Why? The amount of food that swimmers consume is significant, making dining halls the easiest option with access to a variety of different types of food. Also, due to the time they devote to training, it is an added constraint for DI athletes to cook for themselves. Still, some don’t like the dining halls and choose to forgo the meal plans. However, as the parent of an athlete, I am thrilled with the “unlimited swipes” that allow my son to eat in the dining hall as many times a day as he likes.

The Payoff for Division I Athletes

So what makes being a DI athlete worth all the work? First and foremost, your student has an instant group of friends, from the moment he/she steps on campus. Which makes acclimating to college that much easier. Some teams even create a family atmosphere that is truly welcoming to new recruits. This starts from the head coach all the way down to the upperclassmen who lookout for the underclassmen. Our son’s team operates this way and we are so grateful. He has made lifelong friends, especially from his recruiting class, and they continue to live together, take the same classes and study together.

And then there is the swag; otherwise known as all the gear that is provided to student athletes. Depending on the school and program this can range from warm up outfits, to full-on coats, and can include backpacks or even duffel bags for travel. Not to mention an endless supply of T-shirts and shorts for training, all with the college logo. One school we toured even gave their swimmers two pairs of shoes; one for every day and one to be used only for lifting. The advantage of all this swag to you as a parent? You’ll never be goaded by your athlete for “just one more” collegiate sweatshirt, and since they wear their gear daily, their clothes budget will be smaller.

But the most important benefit is what your athlete will learn about themselves by being part of a DI sport. It will challenge them in ways they never thought possible, both physically and academically, and they will grow and mature as a result. And when they do graduate, it is something that employers will notice and respect. Leadership, tenacity, and a strong work ethic. Who wouldn’t want to hire a DI athlete?

Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash