Q: The Best College for H.S. Runner with Eyes on Pros?
Dear Lauren,
What should elite high school runners with an eye to a possible pro distance career look for in a college running program? Which program would you choose, if you had to choose now? Who’s the best coach in the right place at the right time? Which program combines the best academic/athletic combination? Would you have benefited from leaving your home state?
-Michmobile
A:
Writing you from Bend. Happy Holidays Michmobile!
Hey Michmobile-
If you want to be a pro after college, being a talented athlete isn’t enough. Choosing a great college running program also isn’t enough. You need a college program that brings out all the best qualities of the athlete and minimizes all their faults. You need a personal fit.
As a distance runner, I’d look at the most recent five years’ results at the NCAA Cross Country and Track National Championships. I’d look at the patterns for programs that have success in both (either with individuals or as a whole team). Make a list of those top programs and see how they’ve done the past few years. Depending on what you’re looking for, you might want a program with sudden success (generally more scholarships available) or a program that’s always good (proven environment of success).
If a college is experiencing sudden and recent success at the NCAA level, I’d first look and see if its due to a fairly new coach. If so, this could be a real gold mine: lots of personal attention, early career ambition for the coach, etc. As a girl, however, I’d take a good look at running photos of the athletes from their conference and NCAA meet and see if their sudden improvements are related instead to a dominant team trend of being overly thin, and if so, I’d tread lightly. This success might be fleeting. But not all skinny runners have issues, as I learned at Stanford, so if you really love everything about the place except the fact that everyone is freakishly thin, go on a recruiting trip there. You’ll have lots of meal opportunities to see what the food environment is like. If everyone orders a salad with no dressing at a burger place after talking about how great the burgers are for the previous four hours, run for the hills.
That brings me to the most important thing to look for on your recruiting trip if you want college to set you up for a future pro career: team environment. What does the team do “for fun?” Are they capable of more than binge drinking on weekends? A little facebook research can tell you that much. Do they encourage each other to be successful or do they take the legs out from one another? Look for an environment of support and the right mix of having fun and being focused. On your recruiting trip, ask various runner’s about OTHER runners on the team, and see if (the occasional weirdo withstanding) they talk each other up, rather than down.
Big or Small Program?
When I was recruited, I decided to visit dominant, deep running programs with long histories of success. I didn’t care if I was #3 or #4 on a team if it meant we were all running with the top in the nation. If you come from a deep high school team, like I did at Canyon, the transition to this type of competitive environment is easier.
Smaller programs that produce a good individual or two, every 1-2 years are worth a serious look as well. You don’t have to be on a great “team.” These places do well due to a special coach, so make sure you find out if they intend to stay for several years before going there. High school athletes who are worried about drowning in a large program, or do best when they are #1 on a team, or are very high maintenance should strongly consider this option over a powerhouse school with 20+ athletes on the team.
The Intangibles:
Whether you want to be a pro-runner or not, pick a place you’d like to live and study if you couldn’t run, because no matter how big your goals are, sports are ruthless and competitive seasons are lost to injuries every day. You don’t have to love the place or the location…many people move after graduating anyway. But there needs to be at least three or four things that draw you there. Make sure you get along with a few people on the team, and you are passionate about getting a degree there (even if you don’t know the specifics yet). These things will pull you through the ups and downs of sport.
I could do a three part series on this question, because I didn’t even get to coach/athlete relations or scholarships. If there is interest, I’ll write some more next time. But hopefully this is a good start for you, despite the fact that I managed to avoid listing specific schools :). This is a question best answered by helping people ask the right questions.
Any outside opinions on this subject are welcomed…if you’ve been a recruited athlete in the past and have advice to give, please comment!
-L-Train
That was a great answer to a complicated question. I’m a collegiate runner and I don’t think there is one best coach or best school in the NCAA – it’s all about what’s right for the individual.
Checking out the team on facebook and asking them about each other is a good idea, because teams are on their best behavior when they host recruits.
I would also add that you should look at the team and their collective personality. Are they people you want to be like? You’ll be spending a lot of time together and they will inevitably influence you.
Definitely pick your school based on things besides running. As awesome as that is, sometimes it won’t be fun and you’ll need other things to keep you excited about life.
As carefully as you do choose your school, in the end I think it comes down to your attitude once you get there. You are going to find things you dislike about any school. Making the most of your situation by being friendly, communicating clearly with your coach and doing your best in running will be what makes the experience a good one.
Cate,
Thank you so much for commenting and sharing your thoughts on this. I especially like what you said about it coming down to your attitude once you get to your chosen college. A lot of people go sour on their college once things go slightly wrong. I guess this is natural, because for many athletes, it might be their first hurdle EVER in their athletic career, so naturally you blame others around you. But the “clear communication” you mention is key. Obstacles are what deepen and enrich a coach/athlete relationship.
Another thing to consider is where you are at as an athlete. I went to a small NAIA college, and in the beginning I wouldn’t have made a blip on any radar for any bigger school. While the coaching, funding, training partners etc may not have been on par with the bigger school, I did receive individualized attention and was able to enjoy excelling at that level. A good thing about running compared to other sports is that a time is a time (meaning if you run 1:48, its a 1:48 no matter what division you run it in). Qualifying for and placing at USA’s is just as meaningful in progressing as a professional athlete. All that being said, I had no guidance whatsoever when considering running after college, and that put me at a bit of a disadvantage as I had no idea what I was doing. I think it is very important to be somewhere that has the people in place to advise you and help you make that step to the next level. After spending a few years in Oregon, I have to say that i wish I was able to be a part of a program like that in college, and who knows how that would have benefited me. Most importantly though you need to do whats best for you. I have found that I run my best when I am happy and enjoying my life as well as my running. If you are somewhere you aren’t happy, you wont run well, so find a place that you will enjoy as well as having what you need to help build your running career.
I completely agree Mark. Your background served you well. And getting to your potential is all about opportunities paired with happiness in the place you are.
Wow that was really a great answer! I live in a very rural town and not to many people know about running on a scholarship or even about NCAA level running. Any information is really helpful, and your answer was especially so! Thanks!
My little brother (16 yo) is being recruited right now (for tennis) so this is a daily conversation in my family. I chose to pursue academics over athletics because I knew I wanted to go to a professional school, and that tennis was going to stop when I graduated. So, I played D3 and I wouldn’t change a thing. I got to play in every single match, experienced good success, and felt like a “big fish.” Academically, however, I was a “small fish,” which was good, as it pushed me to be better in that arena, which got me where I needed to go (to medical school). It really depends on what you want. I would suggest to go to a school you like several things about, meaning don’t pick the school you go to solely on running. In my case, I may have decided to ditch the medicine thing or quit tennis, but with where I went to school, I still would have been happy and had many opportunities to pursue other fields, as well. Echoing what others have said, I would make sure your future teammates are well-rounded people and/or people you look up to as those will be your new friends. Just my two cents. Good luck!
I recently committed to an Ivy league program. I am very excited about every aspect of the school and the coach has made a vested and reassuring amount of interest in me. My only reservation is the buzz I have been hearing about Ivys being incapable (or extremely unlikely to produce the next group of pros). Although I am not dead set on going to the olympics or running professionally, I did want a school that would provide me with the resources an environment to get me to my best (whatever that may be). What’s your opinion on elite high school athletes heading to Ivys to continue their careers?
Such a great and well thought out response to a tough question. You hit all the important points while still leaving the ultimate decision to be figured out after research and a little bit of soul searching.