Conclusion:

With the semester wrapping up, this will be my last post on my blog. I hope that some of my posts have provided some insight into what Division I athletics is really about.

Growing up, it was never my dream to go on and play college sports. I always played for the love of the game, and put in the hours on end because it was something that I enjoyed doing. I can not thank my parents enough for not pushing me towards collegiate athletics. They have always been supportive in all of my decisions, but it was never a topic of discussion that I needed to play a college sport. They wanted me to make my own decision on whether I wanted to continue my career, and it was pressures off when I was choosing a college. They have always looked out for my best interests, and they have always been my biggest fans.

I would not be where I am today without the neverending support of my family and friends. I have had so many coaches over the years, and they have always been there for me in whatever my endeavors have been.

Playing a collegiate sport is not a decision that should be taken lightly. It is the most time consuming, stressful, and aggravating thing that I have ever done. You put in hours upon hours and it can feel like it is never going to end. It is also the most fun, exhilarating, and overall best experience I have ever had. I would not trade the 5:30am workout alarm clock for anything. The people that I have met, and the experiences that I have had make everything worth it in the end. I have met some of the most amazing people through collegiate athletics, and taken some of the most amazing trips.

When deciding if a Division I sport is right for you, there are so many things that you should keep in mind. Make your decision from your heart, and follow what your gut instincts are telling you. It is too big of a commitment to be unhappy, and college is supposed to be the best four years of your life.

Football Wrapup:

With the college football season winding down, it is down to crunch time and some do or die situations for teams to earn the possibility to continue their season and get a bowl bid.

For college football week 13, the top 7 teams held their spots all with wins this past weekend. It looks something like this: 1. Florida 2. Alabama 3. Texas 4. TCU 5. Cincinnati 6. Boise State 7. Georgia Tech 8. Oregon 9. Pittsburgh 10. Ohio State.

The margin between Florida and Alabama is close, and the true number one will be determined when the teams will play each other for the SEC title on December 4th. If both teams remain undefeated until then, that game will be seen as the national semifinal contest. The number 1-6 teams all hold undefeated records, and these final games will determine the outcome of their seasons.

LSU dropped the most spots this week going from number 8 to number 15 after a disappointing loss to unranked Ole Miss 25-23 this past weekend. Iowa brought themselves up 2 spots from number 13 to number 11 after shutting out Minnesota.

Top ranked Florida will take on in-state rival Florida State this weekend, the the rivalry will be sure to fuel some addrenaline and we will be sure to see a good game there. Number 2 Alabama will take on unranked Clemson before the two teams meet of for the championship game. Number 3 Texas also has a challenge ahead of them this weekend as they also take on another in-state foe with Texas A&M.

The best in-state rivalry we should be looking for this weekend is the number 8 Oregon taking on number 16 Oregon State. It will be a battle for increases in rankings, and it will bring some interesting results.

With the season coming to an end, you will see teams, especially those who are senior dominated, pull some victories out of no where. You will see teams leaving it all on the field because now is the time where you have to give it everything you've got if you want your season to continue. This weekend will make it or break it for quite a few teams, and their preparation and determination will take them a long way.

1997 Tennessee Lady Vols:

The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team has been known as one of the best women's basketball programs of all time. The 1997 season saw the Lady Vol's go 39-0, and claim the national title for the third consecutive time. ESPN titled the game one of the top 10 moments in women's sports history. They won the National Championship in convincing fashion defeating number 4 Louisiana Tech 93-75. The Lady Vols' played 12 games against top 20 teams, and handled all 12 teams easily. Head Coach Pay Summit is known as one of the best coaches of all time. Even more impressively, the Lady Vol's played only one game where they won by only ten points, and besides that all games were won by a margin of at least 15. The Lady Vol's were led by Chamique Holdsclaw, who garnered multiple post season awards.

The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team is one of the most dominant teams of all time, and is right up the with the UConn women's basketball team as the national powerhouse team. The Lady Vols have made it to the NCAA tournament every year since the NCAA sanctioned women's sports in 1981. The Lady Vols have won 14 SEC titles, 13 SEC tournament championships, has made 18 Final Four appearances, and won 8 National Championships.

The Lady Vols have been coach by Pat Summit for over three decades. She has over 1000 victories at Tennessee, and has won an impressive 91% of her home games.

What is also impressive about the Lady Vols is the rigorous schedule that they face each year, yet continue to have such success. The Lady Vols play on average 47% of their games against ranked opponents. Last season was the first time in over a decade the the Lady Vols suffered double digits in the loss column. After winning the National Championship in the 2007-2008 season and graduating all-american Candace Parker, the Lady Vols had a rebuilding year.

Currently the Lady Vols find themselves again in the top 10, and you can be sure that they will be yet again, a team to beat this season.

1970's football:

1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers:
The 1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team completed their season at 13-0. The team averaged an impressive 39 points per game, and their defense was equally impressive. The Cornhuskers played Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day in 1971, and defeated them 35-31 in what has been tabbed the "game of the century." Nebraska concluded their season in the Orange Bowl, where they defeated Alabama in impressive fashion 38-6.

Another notable Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the 1995 squad. They finished the season 12-0, after playing a very tough schedule. The schedule saw them facing 4 other teams who were in the top ten. Their offense is said to be one of the best of all time, as they averaged over 50 points per game.

1972 USC Trojans:
Just one year after the Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrated an undefeated season, the USC Trojans marched in and accomplished the same feat, going 12-0. The Trojans were the first team to ever be name number one in all media and coaches ballots. The team averaged 43 points per game, and also dominated on defense allowing on average only 12 points per game. The Trojans ended their season with a convincing win in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State taking the game 42-17.

The 1970's was a great era for college football, and the game really saw a lot of advancements in the offensive and defensive sides of the game. 1976 saw the longest collegiate field goal to date, when Ove Johansson kicked a 69 yard field goal for Abilene Chrisitian. This was followed in 1977 with a 67 yard field goal being kicked on two separate occasions, once by Texas and once by Arkansas.

Penn State Nittany Lions

The current Penn State Nittany Lions Women's Volleyball team has an extremely impressive streak going currently. They have won 82 straight games, and are back to back national champions. The Nittany Lions have been ranked number one all season for the past two years, and have produced countless all americans. They have easily handled all other teams they have faced in the top ten. They are currently tied for second in the NCAA women's history books for consecutive wins, tied with North Carolina Women's Soccer. They will play this coming weekend for the most consecutive wins all time for women's sports. Not only are they closing in on the women's record, but they sit only 6 games away from breaking the NCAA all-time record set by John Wooden and UCLA (discussed earlier) with 88 consecutive victories. Their roster last year saw 4 of the 6 starters earning first team All-American honors, with the other 2 starters being named to the second team. The Nittany Lions have not lost a game since October 8, 2006.

Last season, the Nittany Lions defeated Stanford in the National Championship game 3-0. The season, the Nittany Lions are just two wins away from taking the Big 10 title and clinch its seventh straight outright title. A win tonight will also see Penn State breaking the North Carolina women's soccer team current record of 92 straight victories. The Nittany Lions tied the record last weekend with a win against Northwestern. Penn State has been the unanimous number one vote on the rankings all season, and received 60 number one votes in the latest poll. This says a lot about the Nittany Lions, since 3 other Big 10 teams also find themselves in the top 15. Illinois is number 5, Minnesota is number 12, and Michigan is number 14. Head coach Russ Rose has been very successful and has built a volleyball empire at Penn State. It is one of the most respected collegiate programs in the nation, and they are well on their way to a third straight NCAA title.

Greatest Teams in History: 1968 UCLA Bruins

UCLA head coach John Wooden has been recognized as one of the best coaches of all time. UCLA won 10 national championships under Wooden, and one of the best teams of all time is known to be the 1968-69 team. The Bruins started the season 25-0, and finished the year with only one loss. Though there have been teams to finish the season undefeated, the '68 Bruins had one loss against Houston. The Bruins went on to win the national championship in convincing fashion winning 101-69 and 78-55 in the semifinal and national championship games. The Bruins were paced by Lew Alcindor, who was noted as the best college basketball player at the time, averaging 26 points and 16 rebounds each game. Three other players averaged in double digits for points, and 5 of these players were drafted by the NBA after their careers with UCLA were finished.

To go undefeated during a college basketball season speaks a lot of your abilities and team comrodory. Collegiate basketball always has its ups and downs, and teams are faced with injuries and needing to replace star players. The Bruins completed an undefeated season even with their star, and NCAA great Lew Alcindor out with an injury. This also speaks wonder about what this team was really made of, because they were ablet to easily win games with their leading scorer on the bench.

Other teams have finished an NCAA season with an undefeated record, but the fact that the Bruins did it, and won 13 National Titles in 14 years, speaks about the greatness that was in their program, and also speaks highly of what head coach John Wooden brought to that university.

Women's Basketball Preview:

With men's and women's basketball underway, after giving a preview of NCAA Men's basketball, it only seemed appropriate to preview women's basketball as well. Just like the men, there are some powerhouse schools for women's basketball, and the first team that will come to mind when most people talk about NCAA women's basketball is the University of Connecticut or UConn. Stanford and Ohio State have been known to produce some very successful team, along with Oklahoma and the ever-famous Tennessee.
The AP Top Ten looks like this:
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. North Carolina
5. Notre Dame
6. Tennessee
7. LSU
8. Baylor
9. Xavier
10. Texas

Unlike the men, the ESPN/USA Today top ten lineup looks very different than the Associated Press:
1. Connecticut
2. Stanford
3. Ohio State
4. Baylor
5. North Carolina
6. Duke
7. Notre Dame
8. Oklahoma
9. Tennessee
10. Michigan State

Connecticut was the unanimous number one selection in both polls, and at their season opener against Northeastern they proved that they are going to be tough to hang with, winning 101-35. They will be challenged throughout their season, as they will take on a number of opponents who also find themselves in the top 10. Connecticut has produced some outstanding players over the years, and one of the most notable is Diana Taurasi, who was named MVP of the WNBA last year.

Tennessee has always been looked at as a women's basketball powerhouse. With names like Candace Parker in their alumni list, it is easy to see how they always have success. Head coach Pat Summitt is one of the most respected collegiate coaches, and with someone like that on staff, the Lady Volunteers are bound to have another great year.

Men's Basketball Preview

With NCAA men's basketball just getting underway, the preseason polls and ranking have recently been published. Men's basketball is known for having the typical powerhouse teams such as Duke and North Carolina, but this year some other schools are making some waves and the powerhouse teams are finding themselves further down the list in rankings.
The ACC conference has been known to produce some very successful teams in the past few seasons, followed closely by the Big 10. The associated press top ten look like this:
1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Texas
4. Kentucky
5. Villanova
6. North Carolina
7. Purdue
8. West Virginia
9. Duke
10. Tennessee

The ESPN poll looks very similar, but Butler appears in the number 10 slot with Tennessee following at number 11.
Top ranked Kansas won their season opener against Hofstra with a convincing 101-65. In fact, the entire Big 12 conference is undefeated winning every one of their season openers.
Number 2 Michigan State also started their season with a convincing win over FGCU with a 97-58 victory. Much like the Big 12, the Big 10 conference is also off to a great start winning all games with exception to one (Iowa).

The NCAA basketball season is long. Most coaches refer to is as a marathon, not a sprint. It is important for these teams to show up every day. These teams will face detrimental injuries, and the top ten teams will likely change every time it is published.

For now, Kansas sits in the top spot. Only time will tell if they deserve the number one ranking, and we will all find out soon enough.

Book Review- I Dare You

The book I Dare You, by William H. Danforth is one of the best motivational books that I have read this far. It focuses not only on motivational tools for athletics, but it also focuses on motivational tools for life in general. One of my favorite quotes from the book is:
“I dare you to think bigger, to act bigger, and to be bigger. I dare you to think creatively. I dare you to lead and inspire others. I dare you to build character. I dare you to share. And I promise you a richer and more exciting life if you do!”

The book was published in 2003, though it has the feel that it was written quite a while ago. It is an easy read, as the book is only 152 pages long. The books main message focuses on four main pillars in life, and the four key components in life need to be in balance at all times Physical, Mental, Social, and Religious.

Danforth also co-founded the American Youth Foundation, which is an organization designed to develop young men and women, and help them prepare themselves for a life of responsibility and leadership. The book really emphasizes leadership and being a good leader.

“I dare you, boys and girls, to make life obey you, not you it. It is only a shallow dare to do the foolish things. I dare you to do the uplifting, courageous things.” Danforth pushes the readers to be a strong person, and to take risks and do the things that they really believe in and truly want to do with their lives.

I really enjoyed the book I Dare You. It is inspirational, and it gives easy points and easy passages that inspire you to be a great leader. The book can be purchased on amazon.com in a hardback or paperback edition for a very reasonable price.

Football Update

Going into week 11, there have been some dramatic changes in the top 10 rankings for Division I football. Florida is still holding strong in the number 1 spot, and have a 9-0 mark on the season. This weekend they will take on South Carolina at South Carolina, and will yet again be challenged for the top spot.
Alabama and Texas sit at numbers 2 and 3 respectively, and there is some controversy in the different polls who belongs in which spot. In the BCS standings, Alabama sits at number 2. In the Associated Press top 25, Texas claims the spot. In either situation, both teams remain unbeaten and boast 9-0 records.
The TCU Horned Frogs are at number 4 in both polls, and will face one of their toughest challenges of the season this weekend when they take on number 16 Utah.

One of the most drastic changes that Division I football saw over the weekend was the then number 4 Iowa Hawkeyes get taken down by unranked Northwestern. It was the biggest upset of the week, and it saw the Hawkeyes drop from number 4 to number 10, and also lose their undefeated record.

The big game to watch this weekend is the Big Ten Championship matchup between number 10 Iowa, and number 11 Ohio State. The game will be played Saturday at 3:30pm at Ohio State. The Hawkeyes enter the game with a 9-1 record, and the Bukeyes bring an equally impressive 8-2 record to the contest.

Rounding out the top 10 you have 5. Cincinnati 6. Boise State 7. Georgia Tech 8. LSU and 9. USC. Teams 1 through 6 all remain unbeaten on the year.

Eating Right

Leading a healthy lifestlye is an important part of being a successful athlete. Putting good things into your body can only make you a better athlete. This doesn't mean that you have to eat only organic food, and you can't even think about going to McDonald's, it just means that you should be conscious about what you are putting into your body.
The day before competition it has been proven that the intake or carbohydrates can be beneficial to your performance. It gives you the energy you need on game day. What you eat also depends on what sport you play. A cardio intensive sport like cross country, soccer, basketball, or track will allow you to consume more carbs than a low cardio intensive sport such as baseball, softball, or golf.
Depending on what you want your body to do, also varies in what you eat. A lot of male athletes come in to college trying to gain weight. These athletes need to eat a lot more calories, but it is important that they are consuming good calories. Proteins such as chicken breast and red meats are healthy fats that can be consumed.
It is important that you balance all of your food groups, you don't want to eat a lot of protein each day and have that be it. You want to be sure to get your full servings of fruits and vegetables, because your body needs the vitamins and minerals that these can provide for you.
Fruits and vegetables are very low in calories and are typically very low in fat. The fat that you do find in these items is generally good fat that your body needs to comsumer anyway

Book Review

For any athlete, I would strongly recommend reading the book I Dare You! by William Danforth. The book is not only a good motivational tool for athletes, but it is also a great motivational tool for life.
The whole book is based around this "I Dare You" concept, and Danforth is trying to push the reader to do things. Here is one of my favorite passages:

“I dare you to think bigger, to act bigger, and to be bigger. I dare you to think creatively. I dare you to lead and inspire others. I dare you to build character. I dare you to share. And I promise you a richer and more exciting life if you do!”

He really makes you think about things outside of sports, and it really motivates you to take control of the little things, and to take control of your life. Danforth says that he wants the readers to be "my own self, at my very best, all the time." Just reading about how simple it can be to make changes in your life that will impact society, and how much you can help others really makes you put things in perspective.

I would recommend this book not only to athletes, but to anyone. It gives a great outlook on life. Sports are typically just as much mental as they are physical, and if you go into competition with the right mental mindset then you are already one step ahead of the competition. If you go in with the wrong mental mindset, then you have already started to beat yourself. Clearing your head, and thinking of the simplicity of things can really help you when you are about to enter a tough competition.

Division I Athletics

There are a lot of different factors that go into sports. If you like what you are reading in these blogs, there are more detailed and specific articles that you can read on http://divisiononeathletics.com. These articles go into more detail about a variety of topics.

There are articles on how to get recruited by a D-1 school, how to tailgate, how to pick a college, how to fix your baseball or softball swing, how to prepare yourself for collegiate athletics, the drug testing policies, a list of recommended products, and an about me page.

The how to tailgate article gives a long list of products that would help if you are a beginning tailgater.

The Division I website gives some great insight from a Division I athletes perspective. There are other sites and blogs that you can read that give information about athletics, but divisiononeathletics.com has the slight edge because it is written to give opinion and suggestion from an actual Division I athlete.

If you want more information, go check out http://divisiononeathletics.com. You can learn a lot about every angle of athletics.

Bets Off

Gambling on sports by collegiate athletes is illegal and puts your scholarship in jeopardy. The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering on college sports. Sports wagering has become a serious problem that threatens the well-being of the student-athlete and the integrity of college sports.
With the internet becoming easier and easier to access, betting on sports is becoming easier and easier. The NCAA adopted rules that prohibits not only student athletes, but coaches, athletic department staff members, and conference office staff from engaging in sports wagering. The rules apply to any institutional practice or competition in an NCAA-sanctioned sport. An athlete that bets or is involved in sports wagering on the student-athletes institution permanently loses all remaining regular season and post season eligibility in all sports.
If the student-athlete is involved in sports wagering activity that involves college sports or professional athletics through internet gambling, the student-athlete will lose all regular season and postseason eligibility for at least one year.
An athlete can bet on collegiate sports and not even know it. Every spring when march madness rolls around, there are brackets posted all over the web and all around communities. If an athlete pays to fill out a bracket, this is considered gambling and they can lose their eligibility.
Gambling has played a huge roll in sports over the years, quite possibly the most famous case was Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds. Rose was caught and charged for betting on games, and was even accused of intentionally throwing games, Rose was expelled from the MLB forever, and he forever tarnished his name.
Athletes have to be careful about gambling, because it would be an awful punishment for an honest mistake. It is easiest to just stay away from gambling all together, to avoid putting yourself in a tough situation.

Picking a sport:

A lot of Division I athletes excelled in a lot of sports in high school. For many athletes not only is it a struggle to decide on a college, but a lot of them have to pick which sport they want to specialize in during their college years. Most Division I athletes are true athletes, and can be good at whatever sport you are thrown in to.
It is important that you choose the sport that you are most passionate about. It doesn't necessarily mean that you have to choose the sport that you are the best at. Just because you are better at one sport than another doesn't mean that is what you have to do in college.
High school athletes right now are being forced to choose one sport over another and totally specialize in something. That shouldn't be a decision that an athlete has to make at the age of 15 or 16. The more sports you play, the more athletic you will be, and you will be more successful in the long run.
If a coach wants you to pick a sport, then you should start by talking to them. Try to work out a compromise and explain all the benefits you will receive by playing other sports. You can even point out that you will be better at that sport if you are allowed to play other sports. Playing other sports keeps you active all year round, and makes you work hard at something all year round.
Hopefully you are never put in the position to have to make a decision like this, but if it comes down to it and the decision has to be made, keep these things in mind:
- Choose a sport you are passionate about
- Choose the sport you enjoy working hard at, and that you feel most satisfied after putting in a lot of effort
- Look to your future, if you see yourself playing this sport in years down the road, then it is probably something that you will enjoy sticking to
- Most importantly, choose the sport that you have the most fun playing. If you are not having fun, then it isn't worth it.

Oakleys

There are 17 Division I sports that take place outdoors. Though we would all like to hope that the weather will be perfect everyday of competition, we all know that this is always not the case. You have days where it is freezing, days where it is raining (possibly even snowing!), and days where it is sunny. Though with the weather channel you can somewhat predict what you are going to be playing in, you can never always be sure.
For those days where you are looking directly into the sun, I have found an excellent product for you. Start by going to this site:

www.oakley.com/custom

At this site you are able to customize your own sunglasses, goggles, watches, and backpacks. The customized sunglasses are a product that every outdoor sport athlete should look in to. You can choose from 29 different models of Oakley sunglasses. After selecting the style of the sunglasses, you then choose frame color, lens shape, lens color, icon color, and ear sock color. You can basically design a pair of sunglasses that are you school colors. You can even get things engraved on the lens such as school mascot, name, or jersey number.
There are about 20 different types of lenses that you can put in your sunglasses. Depending on the sport you play, there are different lenses that are recommended for you. There are special lenses for golf and baseball/softball.
The sun can do a lot of damage to you eyes, and it can also do a lot of damage to the game you are playing. The sun can effect the outcomes of games, most specifically baseball and softball. When you are looking into the sun you can lose the ball, and not be capable of making the play.
These sunglasses are a great way to show your school spirit, and look good doing it.

D-1

In my opinion, playing a Division I sport is an opportunity of a lifetime. It has been a great experience and I love every minute of it. Though the practice and the conditioning and the school are all so hard to manage, I wouldn't trade my college experience for anything.
I think that it is completely ridiculous that parents are pushing their kids so hard to play and get recruited for a Division I sport. These parents truly have no idea what they are wishing upon their children. I think that the decision to play can be made only by the student-athlete and it has to be a decision that they are totally confident about. You are giving up the normal college experience by committing to play a sport. You don't spend your weekends hopping from one party and bar to another. You spend your weekends on busses traveling from one place to another. You don't get to sleep in every day and blow off class when you want to. You are committed to going to class and are penalized if you don't go. These parents who are forcing their kids to play sports in college just so they don't have to pay and be in debt have no idea what their kids will be going through.
Over my college career I have missed out on a lot of activities that normal college students typically enjoy the most. But I have also been allowed to travel around the country and represent my school in a way that no normal college student would be able to do. I have learned so much about myself through these years, and I have learned some great skills that will carry into the rest of my life.
Collegiate athletics are an excellent experience for anyone that so chooses to pursue them. But I warn, that it is a decision that can only be made by you. If you are being forced into playing and competing, you will not enjoy your time in college.
Your college years are said to be the time of your life, and I truly believe that playing a sport will allow that to happen, but if and only if, it is a sport you are passionate about and wouldn't trade for anything.

Drug Testing

In our society, steroids and drugs are becoming a huge part in sports. Not only the illegal drugs, but also the supplements and different things that can be put in the body to make you better. Typically you find the use of these supplements more in male athletes, but female athletes are not excluded.

Each month the NCAA does random drug testing. You are informed the night before, and then have to report to the drug testing site the next morning. The test is done with a urine sample, and there are very strict requirements and rules that have to be followed in the process. The NCAA tests for stimulants, anabolic agents, alcohol and beta blockers, diuretics and other masking agents, street drugs, peptide hormones and analogues, anti-estrogens, and beta-2 agonists. There are drugs and procedures that are also subject to restrictions, they are: blood doping, local anesthetics, manipulation of urine samples, beta-2 agonists permitted only by prescription, and caffeine if concentrations in urine exceed 15 micrograms.

Each university/institution can also run their own drug tests. Since the NCAA does not test for street drugs, most institutions also run their own random drug tests. They typically test for narcotics and street drugs in addition to the same drugs that the NCAA tests for.

Penalty for a positive drug test from the NCAA, the student-athlete will be declared ineligible for one year and is withheld from athletic competition. They are still allowed to train and practice with the team, but they are not allowed to be used in competition. If an athlete tests positive on a drug test from the university, then it is treated by the institution and different penalties will result.

For the full list of banned substances go to www.ncaa.org

Drugs are very dangerous substances, and they are not something that should be taken lightly. The harm the body, and it is not something that athletes should be putting in their bodies.

How to prepare for college: Part 2 Conditioning

The second thing that you will need to do to prepare yourself for college is get in shape. To be in the best physical shape it includes not only lifting, but it also involves running and other types of cardio. Any strengthening program will include the cardio aspect in the training.

There are different things that can be done for cardio, and unless your college sport is cross country, there is no need to go out and run miles and miles every day. Your cardio training should be a good mix of sprints getting your heart rate up high, and some low intensive cardio to get your body in shape.

Some other things that can be done are riding a bike, elliptical, treadmill, running stairs, running hills, running long distance, short sprints, long sprints, track workouts, and swimming workouts.

A lot of programs will have you wear a heart rate monitor. It is important to know where your heart rate is at when you are working out. For low intensive cardio you don't want your heart rate to be above 130 beats per minute. When you are doing sprints you want your heart rate to get up around 180bpm. It is important when doing sprints to allow yourself enough rest to let your heart rate drop down to below 140bpm before sprinting again.

Doing a regular conditioning program will not only get your body ready for Division I athletics, but it will also keep you healthy and happy. Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happy. It can get rid of stress, and high school athletes are under a lot of stress and pressure when preparing for college.

I know it can be hard to motivate yourself to go out and exercise. Check out this site for some helpful hints: http://thejoggerlog.blogspot.com/2009/09/30-things-to-do-when-you-are.html

How to prepare for college: Part 1 Strength

There is a lot that can be done to prepare for college. There is a lot you can do for your body to prepare yourself for the extreme measures that you will push your body to. It is important that you begin the training before stepping foot on campus. It is even more important for males than females, and a lot of male athletes even opt to redshirt their freshman year to focus the entire year on getting stronger.

For any athlete. It is important to begin the training early. A routine training program is a solid start. It is important to lift all muscles and to strengthen the entire body. Lifting legs, doing things like squats, lunges and leg press twice, while alternating on the other days with upper body lifts like bench press, hammer row, and curls. You do not want to focus every one of your lifts on on area of the body. A lot of males tend to like lifting only the upper body, but it is very important to strengthen all areas.

In most major cities there are places that offer these types of training programs. There are people who can be there to train you and help you with your strengthening process.

It is also important that you go to the proper training facility. There are a lot of people out there that think they know how to train athletes and the proper way to train. It is important that you choose a facility that is credited for being successful and for producing successful athletes. They need to be people who have studied this area, and people who specialize in strength. It is important that these people know how the body works, and how to react if something isn't working properly.

It is important that you treat your body properly in all situations. If something doesn't feel right, and you feel like you have an injury, it is important that you tell your trainer so that you can work through it. Just because you have an injury doesn't mean that you can't still help the other parts of your body.

Rankings Update

After week 7 of the college football season, there have been a lot of changes and upsets since the season began.

Florida is still holding strong at number 1. They are off to a 5-0 start and have easily handled some good competition. Most recently they beat #4 LSU 13-3. After starting quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow suffered a concussion, many fans feared what would happen to the Gators, Tebow bounced back just fine and led his team to a solid victory against a tough opponent.

There is some discrepancy over the number two and three spots. In the USA today poll Texas has been chosen as the number 2 team, and are off to a 5-0 start. In the associated press poll Alabama is ranked number 2 and is off to a 6-0 start. Alabama is posted solid victories against number 7 Virginia Tech and number 20 Mississippi. Texas has also put up some good numbers, but have not faced any ranked opponents yet, but is looking at number 20 Oklahoma this week. Oklahoma started the season ranked third.

Rounding out the top ten is Virginia Tech, Boise State, USC, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Miami, and LSU. This weekends games will present new challenges to these teams, and new obstacles for them to face.

Double-A-Zone

www.doubleazone.com

Double-A-Zone is the official blog of the NCAA. The blog covers a wide variety of topics, and there are a wide variety of different blogs inside the site. The site updates on the activity going on in the NCAA, such as the administration and legislative decisions. It also has blogs that update the readers about what is going on at each institution and the individual changes that the colleges and universities are making.

For example, there is a recent blog post about the University of Michigan banning bags in their stadium. No purses, diaper bags, or any type of bag will be allowed inside the stadium due to recent terrorism probes. The university wants to ensure the safety of their fans and athletes.

According to the blog, which was launched in November 2005 and offers daily posts with commentary and all three divisions of the NCAA and other sports news. The blog allows readers to debate over the important issues that surround intercollegiate athletics. The site accepts guest blogs and other user submissions.

There are blogs about football, and all Division I II and III sports. Most of the individual blogs are run through cstv.collegesports.com. Each institution generally offers a blog for each game or time of competition offering live updates throughout the competition.

Double-A-Zone is a great place to go and start searching for Division I blogs, there is a wide variety of choices and options that you could follow, and the site offers a lot of valuable information.

Getting Drafted

Though it is the goal of many athletes to get drafted and play a professional sport beyond college, there is much more to it than just being the start of the team. A lot has to be done to even be considered by the pro's and the competition to get recruited is very intense. A very small percentage of athletes even consider going pro. Most play for the love of the game, the desire to compete, and the drive to win.

According to the NCAA website, student athletes compete because: "It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart. We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don't even know."

We compete to be the best, and to represent our college or university.

There are many rules that must be followed when entering the draft. Underclassmen who make themselves eligible for professional drafts are now allowed to resume their college careers if they change their minds about becoming professionals, whether or not they have been drafted. They can enter the draft and they then have until a certain date to withdraw from the draft and return to their institution.

The 2 most common drafts are for the National Football League and the National Basketball Association. If they don't make it to the pro's then they can go back and play in school. The technical term for all of this is amateurism. The only sports this effects is football and basketball. In baseball and hockey the players have more manueverability because the player can be drafted out of high school.

Though chances of going pro are very low, it is many athletes dreams and they are willing to do just about anything to extend their careers past the college level.

SB Nation

There are a lot of other blogs regarding sports that are very good places to look for information. My site is specific to Division I sports and being an athlete. Sports Blog Nation is a site made by fans for fans and allows you to browse through 213 different sports blogs.
The site I specifically analyzed is called Big 12 Hardball. The creator of the site does a really good job of keeping its fans updated on what is going on. Even though Big 12 baseball ended in June, there were posts and videos posted throughout the summer to keep the fans updated on what the athletes were doing, and how they were all playing in summer league.
The blog is really easy to navigate through, and provides detailed information. It talked about pre-season predictions, then followed the teams and players throughout the entire season, and ended by following the teams in the post season.
The blog highlights not only teams but also the standout players on each team and who is making a huge impact on the success or failures of each teams season.
The website provides a link to each school inside the Big 12 conference. On each of these pages there is a write up on an overall preview of the season, a depth chart so fans know what and who to be looking for, and statistics from previous seasons. It also leaves a lot of areas where readers can comment on what the writer is saying, and are given an opportunity to voice their opinions on the team as well.
There are numerous posts about schools and teams made by the fans in the FanPosts portion of the webpage. Fans keep the other fans updated about the polls and current situation and status of the league. There are a lot of posts by a lot of different people, which goes to show that this blog has a good following.
There isn't a lot of advertising on this blog. There is some across the top, and there are also links to CBS Sports and Brash Publishers who I would guess are the site sponsors. Overall, very little advertising and promotions.

There are a lot of places to find out information about sports, and SB nation is a great place to start.

Injuries

Playing a Division I sport can take a toll on your body. You eventually get used to sore and tired muscles, but one thing that can affect a lot of athletes is injury. It doesn't matter what sport you play, everyone in every sport is prone to some kind of injury. Most often you see an injury related to a specific instance in competition or practice where a body part was injured. The other common type of injury is an overuse injury.

Though thinking of injuries is not something that crosses a lot of athletes minds, it is definitely something that should always be kept at the back of you mind. You have to know how to react to it if you get injured, and there is a level of mental toughness that you need to have in order to bounce back from an injury quickly and successfully.

Though it can be frustrating, getting back as soon as possible from an injury is not always the best decision. The athlete will always think otherwise, but rushing back into something can be detrimental to the future health of the athlete.

Most colleges and universities have a team/program doctor. Someone who all the athletes are referred to for surgeries, injections, x-rays, MRI's, anything you can think of. This doctor gives priority to these athletes and will typically bend over backwards to do everything they can to get the athlete back to 100% as soon as they possibly can.

Though it is in no ones plan to get to college and get hurt, you are offered a lot of options if you are put into that situation. There are a number of surgeries and injections now that can make the injury go away, or at least mask the injury, for an extended period of time. The more medically advanced our society gets, the more options there are for athletes to compete.

Pre-Game Rituals

Superstitions are a huge part of sports. Not just college sports, but professional sports, high school sports, little league. You name it, athletes build superstitions. What an athlete does before a game is a lot of personal preference, along with some input from the coaching staff. It could be something as little as listening to your ipod on the way to competition to something as major as wearing the same socks every game. Each individual is different, but I can guarantee you that all athletes have some pre-game rituals.

After talking to some of my fellow athletes, I came up with a list of common, along with some unusual superstitions that we use.

- A football player listens to the same playlist on his ipod before every game.
- A cross country runner wears the same sports bra for every race.
- A soccer player always ties his right cleat first on game day.
- A volleyball player always wears a pink hair-tie.
- A softball player has to eat Cheerios for breakfast on days of competition.
- A football player has to have steak the night before a game. And a Snickers on game day.
- A baseball player has to take 50 practice swings before the first pitch.

Some of these things may seem like silly ideas, but it gives the athlete confidence and makes them feel more comfortable before competition. These techniques are used to relax the athlete, and take their mind off the big game for a little bit. These rituals don't necessarily mean that the athlete is going to go out and have the game of their lives, they are just little things that can be done to ease the mind.
Every coach I have ever had has talked about how important it is to get into a routine. It is especially important on game days, and breaking the routine can throw off your whole day.

Choosing a college

Choosing a college can be one of the hardest decision of your life. When you throw collegiate athletics into the mix, the decision process can be a very stressful time for student athletes and their families. There are some things that an athlete should do before considering schools. It will help if the athlete sits down and makes a list of criteria that they would like their selected college to meet.
There are so many things to think about when selecting a college, and there are a lot of factors that should to into your decision. Think about everything that will make you happy, and make your college experience exactly what you want it to be. Don't think that any criteria are crazy to hope for when selecting a school.
In the end, the college choice has to be made by the student athlete. Ultimately they are the ones that will play for that team, go to that school, and be a part of that institution. It has to be a decision they are comfortable with and that will satisfy them. Also, when making the final decision, stick with your gut. Choose a school and be confident about your choice. Don't go back and second guess yourself. Follow your gut and go where you feel like you fit in the best, and where you will have the most enjoyable college experience. In the end, it has to be a decision that is made by YOU. Mom and dad can't decide what coaches you get along with best, and no coach can decide what university you feel you will fit in the best at. It has to be a decision made by you, for you.

Read the full article with all helpful hints on my website at: http://divisiononeathletics.webs.com/howtopickacollege.htm

10 personality traits that will help you become a D-I athlete

1. Be committed. Choose the sport you want to focus on and be 100% committed to it. That doesn't mean that you can't play other sports, but be committed at excelling in your favorite sport and pour your heart into it. Be committed to yourself and be committed to your team (in a team sport.)

2. Time Management. Being able to balance school, sports, and a social life is an important part of college. You have to plan in advance, and keep your practice and travel schedules in mind at all times.

3. Prioritize. It is hard to balance a sport and school on top of the college social life. You need to have your priorities set, school, your sport, and then your social life. There will be times that you will have to pass on a big party because you have a hard practice the next day or a test you need to prepare for the next week. Keeping your priorities straight will help you do this.

4. Be independent. Being able to make your own decisions, and do things on your own is critical in the success of an athlete. Always relying on other people to get things done for you will not get you very far.

5. Be reliable. You don't want to be known as the person who is always late, or the person who you can't count on. Reliability is a personality trait that is important not only in sports, but in your professional and social life as well.

6. Lead. If you are a good athlete, you will try to lead the people you are with. It doesn't matter if you lead vocally, or if you lead by example on the field/court. It is important that when times get tough, you can step up and take charge of the situation.

7. Be relaxed. This is really important when you are in the recruitment process. It is important that you can keep your cool when you know your every move is being watched on the court/field. You have to keep your composure and continue to play your game. The more tense you are, the more likely you are to make a mistake which will lead to more stress. Take a deep breath and relax your mind and body before stepping foot on the floor for competition.

8. Self-discipline. At times, you have to be hard on yourself. Set goals for yourself and don't quit until you accomplish them. Don't ever take the easy way out of situations. Push yourself to be the best you can.

9. Be open-minded. You have to be willing to change if you want to be a successful athlete. Your way might not always be the best way. Different coaches will have different strategies on how to play the game, and you have to be able to adapt to these theories and make the adjustments that will make you successful.

10. Be competitive. Strive to be the best, do the little things that will push you past the competition. Don't settle for second best. Be at the top of your game, and help bring your team to the top of their game. Strive to win.

Rankings Update

With the first week of football competition over, the rankings have changed around a little bit. Oklahoma was upset by Brigham Young University, and dropped down to number 13. The top ranked Florida Gators stayed atop the competition by slaughtering Charleston Southern 62-3. Number 2 Texas also opened their season with a big win, defeating Louisiana Monroe 59-20.
As the season progresses, the heavily favored Gators will have their work cut out for them. With the SEC becoming more and more competitive, the Gators will have to defeat the number 21 Georgia Bulldogs, and number 11 LSU.

With all three Heisman Trophy candidates back playing this year, competition will be intense. Just one loss for any of the top teams would put their opportunity to play for the national championship at stake. Heisman trophy winner Sam Bradford, from Oklahoma will spend the next 4-6 weeks on the sidelines with a third degree shoulder separation. Speaking from experience, a separated shoulder is not something that you can just bounce back from right away. It is not an injury that can be pushed and rushed back into action. It needs the proper time to heal, or the injury will continue to occur. After dropping their season opener and losing their star quarterback, the Sooners are going to have to make some changes and find a way to win if they want to stay in contention for a national championship.

Week 2 of competition starts in 2 days, and we can only imagine what the weekend action will bring. Will there be more upsets or will the big dogs stay atop the charts. Teams will be challenged, pushed, and battle to earn the respect that they deserve, or think they deserve. Half the teams in the country started with a win last week. Who will be tough enough to continue what they started?

Tailgating

Tailgating is an important part of collegiate athletics. Sweeping over the country, tailgating has now become almost as popular as the actual competition being held. The most popular time to tailgate is during football season. Many companies are following this new trend and creating the products that the tailgate fanatics want. Budweiser recently started their "tailgate approved" campaign.

www.tailgateapproved.com

At this website, you can purchase Bud Light cans in your schools colors, you can purchase a giant foam finger that can also hold a beer, and you can purchase the Grooler. A combination of a grill, and a cooler.



To successfully tailgate, you also have to be decked out in the college or university of your choices fan gear.

www.footballfanatics.com

This website offers t-shirts, jerseys, hats, blankets, and anything else you might need to successfully tailgate. You can never have too much school spirit.


The most important part of tailgating is the food. Good or bad food will make or break a tailgate. Tyson has started the "anytizers" line of food. This is all pre-prepared food that just needs to be heated up. Buffalo wings, chicken strips, anything you could want. They are quick, and they are easy.

Check them out at www.tyson.com

Redshirting

All athletes are given an opportunity to take what is called a redshirt. There are two kinds of redshirting.

The first kind of redshirting is used most often with the freshmen class. Typically male athletes chose to take the redshirt to spend an entire year in the gym lifting and getting stronger. To take this kind of redshirt the athlete declares before the season, and they do not compete in games. The athlete continues to practice and workout with the team, but typically does not travel to out of town games, and does not dress for competition.

The second kind of redshirting is not technically a redshirt. The official terminology for this is a "hardship waiver," This refers to a student-athlete who is seeking to gain an extra year of eligibility because of an injury suffered. At the Division I level, the student can apply for the waiver if the season-ending injury occurs in the first half of the season. The student-athlete must not have participated in more than 20% of the school's schedules contests.
To be granted this waiver takes a lot of work. It requires documentation from all doctor's visits, surgery reports, x-rays, MRI's, and check ups. It is then submitted to the NCAA and a committee goes over all the paperwork to be approved.

If the waiver is granted, the athlete is given an extra year of eligibility.

Taking a redshirt is not an easy way out of a season. I was granted a hardship waiver for the 2008-2009 season. Between the surgery, rehab, and extra workouts I put more time into the season than the people who were actually playing.

Taking a redshirt can also be a struggle mentally for a lot of athletes. They are plagued with the feeling that they are putting all the time into their sport and getting nothing in return.

"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision."
-Muhammad Ali, American Boxer

Teamwork

Playing a Division I sport has taught me a lot of things that will carry over into the rest of my life, but I think one of the most important things is that its taught me how to work with a team. When I arrived on campus, I didn't know a single one of my teammates, and within a week we were practicing and working together like we had played with each other our whole lives.

My Division I team is like my family, you learn to respect everyone for their differences and work out all of the differences you may have. A team is built of a bunch of different personalities, and each of these individuals have to learn how to work together and mesh to accomplish a common goal.

Being able to work as a team requires a lot of give and take. You have to give up your individuality and begin to work towards something as a group. This is a skill that will be very valuable later in life. When at work, in a family, or in any group really, it is crucial that you know how to work with others.

On a successful team, there will be leaders and there will be the individuals that need to be led. It is important that the leader is established early on and that this leader does what is necessary to be successful. Being the leader is not always an easy task. The leader, typically named the captain, has to put their foot down, and do a lot of things that others may not want to do. They have to be the one to speak up when there is a problem, and they might have to be the bearer of bad news. It is a huge responsibility and not everyone is cut out for it.

Working as a team is a skill that I have learned over the years. I have been on my share of unsuccessful teams, and I have learned what not to do. I think it is a very valuable skill to have.

GOOD READ!

Check out this book on the first woman to play Division I football!

Recruiting Rules

There are some key terms in recruiting and with recruiting rules that are important for student-athletes and their parents and coaches to know.

• Official Visit- any visit to the college campus paid for by the college. These visits are typically overnight stays, and the college pays for all food, lodging, and other expenses incurred.
• Dead Period- this is a length of time where the college coach can not have any in-person contact with the people they are recruiting. This includes watching games and having athletes come visit campus. The coaches are allowed to write/call athletes during this time.
• Prospective Student Athlete- students become "prospective" student athletes when they enter the 9th grade. This is the time that all the rules begin.
• Verbal Commitment- this describes the student-athletes commitment to a college before he/she signs a national letter of intent. A verbal commitment can be made at any time in the high-school athletes career, and this commitment is not a binding contract for either the athlete or the coach.
• National Letter of Intent- is a binding contract between the student athlete and the college that they have chosen. This is typically the last step in the recruiting process. After the student-athlete has signed the National Letter of Intent, they should no longer receive recruiting calls, and is ensured an academic scholarship for one academic year.
• Signing Period- there are typically two signing periods for most college sports. The first is called the "early signing period," and this is usually in the fall. This includes most sports minus football. The second period is called the "regular signing period" and it occurs in the spring. For football, there is only a regular signing period, and it occurs in late January/early February.

There are a lot of rules that have to be followed when recruiting, and it is important that coaches and prospective student athletes follow these rules carefully.

All facts and information were taken from www.ncaa.com

Typical Day

A typical day for a college athlete is not anything like a typical day for a regular college student. There is a lot of extra things that have to be accomplished within the course of a day that a lot of people wouldn't even think about. This is what a typical day looks like in the offseason:

• wake up before the sun, strength and conditioning times for offseason sports are in the mornings before class.
• mornings and early afternoons are usually spent in class.
• after class, time is put in at the athletic study building, 8 hours a week is required.
• if you are injured, after study tables you will spend some quality time in the athletics training room doing rehab and therapy.
• then its time for practice.
• after practice, you head back to the training room to ice any part of your body that might be sore, this includes everyone on the team not just injured athletes.
• later at night is when you have a chance to do homework, and finish your hours at the athletic study center.
• along with all of this, there are days where you volunteer and do community service. A lot of universities like to be actively involved in their communities, and student athletes spend a lot of time interacting with their fans and supporters.
• AND, you have to find time in this busy schedule to fit in 3 meals!

When in-season, the schedule actually calms down a little. You have more days off to rest your body for competition, you spend less time in the weight room, and you spend a lot of time on a bus.

Student-athletes put in some long days, and most of the time this doesn't even include out of class activities, group meetings, meetings with teachers, and when in-season a lot of makeup work. A lot of people don't understand what all goes into being a Division I athlete, and there is a lot more to the sport than showing up on the field or court and competing.

Recruiting

Personally, I think that recruiting is based on about 25% skill and 75% luck. Division I coaches put so much time and effort into the recruiting process. They spend so much time analyzing prospective student athletes, when really they have no idea what they are really getting.

When you look at some Division I teams, you can pick out the athletes that ended up there by luck. Most likely, they played a phenomenal game when the coach was there watching, and with that one good game earned that college scholarship. I think college coaches stress too much on recruiting, because really, they have no idea what they are truly getting.

There is a lot you can do to help yourself get recruited. You can make highlight videos and send them to coaches, you can write letters, emails, and make some phone calls. The more the coach hears your name the more they will recognize if you have accomplished something great. There are Division I showcases for a lot of sports, particularly baseball, softball, and track. Camps are also a great place to show your skills while getting a chance to work with your possible future coach.

My experience with recruiting was kind of a whirlwind. My coaches saw me in action 1 time before I arrived on campus. The rest was by word of mouth. I did not play for the highest ranked travel team, and I never went to any recruiting camps, etc. This has just proved to me, that you don't have to pour money into doing everything possible to get recruited.

Athletes today are so focused on getting that scholarship that I think they are losing sight of why they are really playing the game. I can tell you, that if you do not love what you are doing, college will be a very long 4 years. The amount of time that you will have to put into your sport is not going to be worth it if you are miserable the entire time.

Pre-Season Polls

USA Today publishes the pre-season football polls. The Florida Gators were selected as the number 1 team in the nation, as they have proven themselves in becoming a football powerhouse. Behind the arm of Tim Tebow, the Gators will try to defend their national title. Also in the top ten were Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, LSU, and Mississippi.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association has also released their pre-season polls. The Penn State Nittany Lions will look to defend their undefeated 2008 season as national champions. They have been selected as the number 1 team in the country followed by Texas, Nebraska, Washington, and Stanford.

Athletic conferences also vote on pre-season rankings and pre-season all conference teams. Though the initial recognition can improve team morale, it also will place a target on the backs of the teams who were picked to finish first.

The fall sports season is about to begin, and time will only tell where these top ranked teams will be at the end of their respected seasons.

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Academics

As I started to touch on in my previous post, academics are emphasized at the Division I level. At my Division I institution there are strict rules regarding academics.

• An athletes entire first year on campus, they are required to clock in 8 hours per week in the athletic study building.
• That first year, they are also required to meet with an academic advisor once a week.
• If after the first year the student-athlete has above a 3.0 gpa, they are no longer required to get hours.
• If a student-athlete is caught cheating, their scholarship is revoked.

It is a stereotype that Division I athletes get into their institutions and get a free ride to a diploma. I know most universities are similar to mine, where academics is actually a priority and the student-athletes have to work just as hard, if not harder, to earn their respected degrees.

Information

• The NCAA holds 88 championships in 23 different sports.
• UCLA has the most team titles of any Division I school, with 104. Stanford leads all institutions with individual titles.
• 95% of the NCAA's revenue come from television and marketing rights.

The NCAA emphasizes the term "student athlete," and states that "when the athlete can no longer play, the student can still succeed." As a Division I athlete, I can speak from experience that academics are emphasized almost as much as athletic abilities. There are GPA requirements, and most schools have academic study centers where the student-athletes are required to put in time outside of class.

There is a lot more to Division I athletics than meets the outsiders eye. All of the behind the scenes work goes unnoticed to many, and that is what truly makes a team successful.

Introdution

Hello,

I am writing this blog as a semester long class project for Accounting 255. Throughout the next few months I will be discussing NCAA Division I athletics.

I am going to start with a brief history of the NCAA:

• First called the IAAUS, the organization was officially constituted on March 31, 1906.
• The organization changed their name to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) in 1910.
• The first national championship was held in track and field.
• The national headquarters is located in Kansas City, Missouri.
• World War II brought about the "sanity code," which established rules for recruiting and financial aid.
• The NCAA was divided into 3 divisions (I, II, III) in 1973.
• Women's athletics became a part of the NCAA in 1980.

All of this information and more can be found at www.ncaa.com