Session 2: Set Your Sails for College Athletics

Good morning everybody were gonna wait a couple more seconds for some more people to join. But uh, thanks. Thanks for being here and let's, uh, we'll just wait another 15 or 20 seconds.

Alright, well we'll go ahead and get started. Uh, no. Again, you really like to thank everybody for for joining us and you know their interest in learning a little bit more about washing college and this session specifically are clouded Department. We have 1/2 hour which I think is great. I have some slides that I'd love to share and will go through those.

As quickly as possible, and then you really wanna be able to turn it over for some questions and answers up until 11:30. So on your screen you'll see that you have ability to ask questions. Those questions will just go to myself in our moderators, so feel free to ask questions as were speaking through these slides and then we'll get to them at the end and you know the more questions, the better you know we'd love to love to talk about what you'd like to learn about in our presentation. Will talk a little bit about.

Uh, the Division Three model and Division Three Athletics will talk about specifically Washington College Narcotic Department. What makes us unique and and you know why? Why were an ideal spot for perspective soon athletes? And then we'll touch on a little bit about the recruiting process and what that specifically looking to Washington College.

My name is Corey Battrick. I'm our head baseball coach of Washington. I'm also our NCA compliance director.

I am starting here for at the college. Uhm, I was a Division Three athlete and uh, you know, I've I've coached the Division Three level and and feel very strongly about what it has to offer and I'm excited to share that. Share that with you today.

So again, we are a NCA Division Three institution. I'll touch on that a little bit more what that means and what that looks like a little bit later, and we are members of the procedure Centennial Conference. So we have 18 varsity sports at Washington College. We also have several club sports and then a full campus recreation, a numeral Department. Almost all of our sports are NCA and members of the Centennial Conference. We do have a couple sports that aren't our sailing trap and skeet programs.

And our men's rowing program, uh, have different affiliations and you can see those at the bottom of the screen, but just a little bit about the Centennial Conference. The Centennial Conference is truly, you know, if it's not the best. Obviously, I'm biased, but if it's not the best, then it's 1B. In terms of the best mix of academics and athletics at the Division Three level. So we're lucky that our League is has some of the best private liberal arts schools in the country, but also athletically. If you look at the.

Yeah, the top teams in our conference in any sport. You know those teams are competing at the national level in Centennial Conference. Seems to win national championships in multiple sports every single year. You know, it's it's highly competitive and it really gives our soon athlete a chance to you to compete at the highest level of division day athletics. I think there's a lot of misconceptions about Division Three. I do think there's a program out there that'll give almost everybody if not everybody a chance to.

To compete at the college level? Uhm, the Centennial Conference is, you know, it's it's some. It's highly competitive and we like it that way. Uh, we're very proud of our athletic teams and what we have to offer. And you know, we want to play against the best of the best. And we get to do that in our in our League.

A little bit specifically about the Division Three model. The biggest difference between the Division One and Division Two and Division Three. The biggest difference that everyone or most people seem to know about. It's the most most frequently known is that we are unable to give athletic scholarships at the Division Three level. So while I'm at Washington College, there are merit academic scholarships in different types of financial aid available to students. None of the none of the financial aid is able to be tide.

Directly to athletics. The idea of the Division Three model is that it's a student athlete. It's definitely student first, you know. Obviously athletics is important part of your student athletes experience in their life and what they do. But there are students first, and they're not treated any differently than other students. And that's kind of the idea for that process. Really, the focus is on having a well rounded college experience, you know, specifically academically.

Yeah we have a lot of students that are able to double major and major and double minor and really pursue all of the academic. You know the studies that they would like and they're not restricted to what they're going to study or if they're going to major in because there are also an athlete, right? So we have a lot of students that are taking that are studying.

And then having majors that require labs or your afternoon classes or evening classes and you know as coaches you know we don't restrict to water athletes are able to to study what they're able to do in the classroom that's their number one priority that's why they're here but obviously you know athletics are important and at the Division 3 level you're able to make both of those both of those work also with a well rounded college experience I think it's really neat.

The Division Three model allows are soon athletes to to get involved in different types of things, so we have soon athletes every year that study abroad that do internships, externships that get involved around campus. We have many student athletes that have employment on campus. We've sued Athlete of the intern that do internships that are involved in campus activities and student government intramural sports. So it really gives our student athletes an opportunity to have a.

Full experience it's not. Uhm hey your your sport all day everyday year round and you can't do anything else. It really allows are soon athlete sample full experience. But we think that directly impacts their postgraduate success. Not only are they playing a sport that they enjoy, have fun with playing with their friends, but we know for a fact that there are employers who look to hire former college athletes because of the skills that they are able to develop. Being a college athlete and teamwork and.

Time management organization. Your communication leadership. Yeah, those are qualities that, quite frankly not many people can be a college athlete. You know, because of its difficult. But at the Division Three level you are sued, athletes are able to make it work and and we think it puts them in a position to be successful after they graduate.

At the Division Three level, it also allows our students to be dual sport. A multi sport athletes. It's more common at the Division Three level than any other level I. It's definitely not easy. It's still very difficult to do, but I wash in college and across the division to landscape. There are several soon athletes who are dual sport athletes and that's something that we're able to do it at our level.

So specifically about washing college and what makes us unique. I think you know if I did, you get just a quick overview of you know what what. What's different about us? What do we do? Well, it's that mix of academics and athletics. It's the the academic rigor of the institution. It's how our student athletes are going to be in a position to be successful. From what they learn in the classroom. But the our athletic facilities and resources are truly.

Above what you would typically find you at most Division Three schools and most small schools. So from our from our outstanding facilities to our strength and conditioning programs, all of our teams have their own locker room, full equipment, room or athletic training staff. We feel that we give our student athletes and outstanding athletic experience, and I don't necessarily think that's the case at every school, not just at the division for level, but at different levels. So it's that mix of high academics.

But also being able to compete at a high level athletically and develop at a high level you athletically.

I'm sure you know, or you've heard that we have about 1400 students at Washington College or average class size is under 15 students, so we think we do well academically. Is the small class sizes individual tension access to professors? With That being said, You know, like I mentioned, our facilities and resources, or atypical for for school are size where I feel like our athletes get kind of the best of both worlds where they get that small school that small college field intimate class setting.

Yeah, but they're not. They don't get a small school athletic experience. Academic support. You know, we're very proud that washing college, uhm, you know. Historically, our student athlete GPA is consistently higher than the than the average GPA on campus. You are student athletes. Do the job in the classroom, on the field, in the weight room, or their leaders around the campus community. And we're very proud of what they do in the classroom. Part of that is the skills that they developed being an athlete.

Translates the yellow, uhm, you know what it takes to be successful in the in the classroom? But also is the support that's available not just your athletes, but to all of our students to take advantage of the office of academic skills. Take advantage of the writing center, taking advantage of professors office hours. Many of our teams have mandatory study Hall Oxford for their teams and athletes, so there's a lot of resources available as a coach and I know our other coaches are exactly the same. The academic success of our student athletes is our primary concern.

And we want to win games. We want to win championships, but our guys need to be doing the job in the classroom where we're always monitoring that making sure they're they're doing what they need to do at the end, the day. It's up to the student athlete to get, you know, we can't do it for them. But you were there to help and be a resource for them as well.

The last thing I mentioned, resources and facilities, but the last thing that I think makes us unique is our location, Winchester Town. It's just such a beautiful area where the only team, our conference that sits on the water so you can see in the on the on the screen. That's picture of our new Hatsun Boathouse which is on our waterfront property.

It's just a very neat little college town. Definitely oral, know environment, but the water and in Chester Town. It's just such a neat aspect to Washington College. And if you haven't had a chance to to visit Chester Town visual washing college, we need you come to check out this cool. I'd really encourage you to check out the town and the waterfront, 'cause it's really, really neat part.

So a little bit about the recruiting process. Uh, I do think I think it's important to know that about roughly a third of our students at Washington College, Arsene athletes and it actually might be slightly higher than that, then that's a high percentage. Not all of those students were recruited by the coaches. You don't need to be recruited by a student athlete. There are several teams where students try out and every year and then make the teams.

You know, just because you were recruited or just because you aren't currently being recruited doesn't mean you're not able to play a varsity sport at Washington College. So all of our teams have a tryout process. Or what we would call a walk on process. And every sport has a different has a different process. Some of those might be longer, so might be shorter. It looks different for each sport. Some of the teams it's easier to make as a walk on from from the roster size. Someone might be a little bit tougher.

Uh, if if you're interested in learning more about the recruiting process to try out of lock on process at at for your sport, I'd really encourage you to reach out to the head coach of the sport you're interested in all the contact information can be found on washing college sports.com, and that's really a question for the head coach of that individual sport. You don't be free to ask them what the walk on policy is. What's the tryout process? What does that look like and you will be able to get more information on that.

I do really think you as you're approaching this your senior year of high school now is a great time to you'll reach out to the to the coaches. At our level, the recruiting process works both ways were recruiting soon athletes, but we also have soon athletes that are recruiting us and sometimes that's how we get in touch with someone who we think is a really good player because they reach out to us first and that's OK. There's not one right or wrong way for this process to happen. It evolves.

Differently for everybody, but I would really encourage you to reach out to the coach of your sport. I would just send them an email and in that email to most important things. I would include any video you have, whether that's video of you in a game or match.

Yo, I would include that or if it's video of you doing skill work just to get an idea of of the suit perspective, synaptic, skill level and then the next thing is asking is giving them the information how they can see you playing purse. So our coaches in our system coaches and assistant coaches or out on the road recruiting constantly we try to see as many players as possible. Obviously we can't necessarily see everybody but we try to see as many as possible so we want to see people wanna see athletes playing person because that allows us.

To get a better idea of whether or not that person could be a fit for our programs. Uhm, and there's a lot of different events you know across the country. So let us know how we can see you and that way we can give you an evaluation of where in whether or not you might be a fit in our program. The other thing I think is really important to do is on our website, all of our athletic sites have recruit profiles, and you'll see that link up there next to roster and schedule will be a link that says recruit profile that will take you to a prospect.

Questionnaire if you fill out the questionnaire that gets emailed directly to the head coach of your sport, it'll ask for permanent contact information. Academic information, athletic information and it really allows the coach to learn more about you so that when they email you back or when they start to have a conversation, they learn more about what you're looking for. What position you play, know whether or not you might be a fit academically where you're located, what high school you go to.

Race war club coach contact info. So really it's a It's a full questionnaire and it allows us to get to know you a little bit better so I would encourage. Those are two things. Email the coach and fill out the questionnaire. With That being said, I'm I would love to take the next 15 minutes an answer. Any questions again you can ask the questions in the screen. No, the the questions will just be shared with the panelists and feel free to ask anything you want.

We're happy to answer questions all the way up to 11:30. Uh, the first question is, are is too?

Being offered for athletes? Uh, that's that's a really good question I think. Uhm, like I mentioned earlier, with the academic support, you know that there's academic. There's fantastic academic support for all of our students at washing taught not just our student athletes. So there's tutoring available for all of our students. Our office of academic skills is kind of the the hub of campus. Many of our classes professors will help students get in touch with tutors, coaches.

If we know someone struggling will definitely reach out, but that's not a resource that's only available to her soon. At least that's a resource that's available to all of our students, so tutoring is something that's available and the college. Just there's a lot of resources academically for our students and our student athletes as well.

Do athletes have the option to dorm alone?

So as a as a first year student and I don't want to say all the time, but most of our first year students live in our standard double dorm room, which is one other one other seen many of our teams have their incoming soon athletes room together, but no, that's not not all do. That's really an individual team preference. You don't have to live with another player on your team. You know, I do believe there have been situations where first year students have dawned alone.

I I you know, and I I don't know that they'd be better question for your missions counselor in residential life. Do you think it's possible? Specifically, there's an extenuating circumstance, but the vast majority of our student athletes live their first year with one other student in our one of our first year dorms. After your first year.

The housing process works a little bit differently, you know, and we do have singles on campus for upperclassmen. That's an option that some of our soon athletes choose. So however, most of our students live with other members of their team, and I think that just is it is a. It brings me to another point. Just set you. Our teams are so close with each other you know, whereas an athletic Department were definitely a family, but each sport is kind of its individual family, and I know our soon athletes they train together.

They studied together. They eat breakfast, lunch, dinner together. Yeah, there really a family you know on and off the field court pool. So many of them choose to live together and we support that. But we don't mandate any living arrangements as coaches.

Are there any other any other questions? Feel free to ask anything you like.

I'll talk a little bit about our strength and conditioning program that might bring some more interest. So at the Division Three level I talked about how it's a very balanced college experience. An example I use is our. Our teams are typically either fall, winter, spring, sports. So let's say you're a women soccer player. Your main season is in the fall in the fall semester is very busy for our fall athletes. You know they're practicing or playing just about six days a week.

Uh, you know, through the through their season, but they're restricted as coaches were restricted. How often we can meet with our student athletes were out of season. So for that woman soccer player, you know their their nontraditional there, out of season is the spring, so we're only able to practice up to five weeks in our nontraditional season. 16 days of practice. With That being said, are soon athletes are able to work with our strength and conditioning coaches year round. So even though they might not be able to work with us as their sport coach.

Out of season, they're able to work with our strength and conditioning coaches, so our being as soon after washing college is a year round commitment. And that doesn't mean you're practicing every day or you're busy every single day with that sport, but are soon athletes are committed year round, so to getting better to developing into winning and having the resources of code. Jenkins in his sports performance staff will really allows our athletes develop at a high level. So I think that is something that makes us unique. Is the resources at the athletic Department has in terms of strength, conditioning and sports performance?

You're helping our athletes. You'll reach their potential.

How often do athletes miss class for their sport? That's a great question, uh, so. So athletes. We never miss class for practice. So as coaches we practice we scheduled practices around class time. So there's some sports at practice. Sometimes early in the morning. You know there's some practice that some teams that practice in the afternoon. Some of the practice later in the evening. Depending on the nature of that sport. But as coaches were scheduling practices around class time and actually, that's an NCA rule about not being able to miss class for practice.

Our student athletes are able to miss class for games, but it is at the discretion of their professors and it varies from professor to Professor. I'd say the most common you know situation is that most classes allow for XML of miss classes. I'd say the most common one is 3 where and this isn't just for suit athletes. This is for all students and we really encourage our student athletes to save their absences for bring for games. Some sports miss more games than other.

Others again, kind of nature of the sport when when it starts you know access to lights, how many contests so it really depends will put our soon athletes do miss class from time to time. Their responsible for communicating now with their professor. Most of our professors, the vast majority of them are fantastic when it comes to making accommodations, letting our athletes ticket tests, earlier handed paper in early, get notes from it from a classmate. Get notes online so.

But it's up to the soon athlete to do that, and and missing classes at the discretion of the professor, you know what I found is is, uh, are soon athletes that are in class whenever they can that do everything they need to in the classroom that are good students that you are proactive and communicate very rarely do we run into a situation where professor isn't willing to work with that looks over professors do an outstanding job, but the onus is definitely on the on the student to be proactive and making sure they're getting the work done.

Do you run team study Hall? Uhm, so specifically for baseball, we do you know? Again, I think every sport does it a little bit differently. Some sports require study Hall for all of their all of their players throughout the year. Some of our teams don't require study Hall.

In summer sports have like a human in between model for us we have study Hall of mandatory for first year students and then after their first year depending on their GPA, they're able to kind of place out a study Hall. So that's just are what we've found works best for the baseball team. If a student athlete doesn't need study Hall and they're they're getting Azan Bezen doing a great job academically, we don't require it. But if someone struggling we want to be able to to.

You help him get the resources they need.

We have about 7 minutes left, so keep those questions coming.

It's gotta be more questions.

OK, yeah so far there. Any questions? I'll talk about one of the more common questions that that we receive is what AA day in the life looks like. A bassoon athlete again is definitely differs depending on the sport. Bullets in this scenario. Let's say you're in season Mens across player and let's say to a day where you just have a practice.

Uhm, yeah. Most very soon athletes classes start around 8:00 AM is some might not start later. So let's say I wake up at 7:30 AM to go to breakfast with some some members of your team. You have breakfast in the dining Hall. Then you might have a class from 10:50 and another one from 11 to 12. And maybe those are the only two classes you're in that day and then after your second class go to launch in the dining Hall. After lunch you might go to library and start doing some homework or some reading and then.

Down to the Delock Room in the athletic training room for practice will practice from anywhere from 3 to 5 four to 647 and then after practice go to lock room your dinner in the dining Hall and then it might be 8:00 o'clock and then you're back to the library to study again and you study for a couple hours. Do some homework and the next day your your back doing it again, so it definitely gets busy when you're in season. what I found in a lot of our coaches have found is many of our student athletes, actually.

Do better academically when there in season because there's no, there's no ability to procrastinate and they really need to be on top of everything.

What is the process for early decision? That's a really good question. Uhm, I would encourage you to reach out to the admissions counselor. Your admissions counselor that can talk a little bit more. Typically the early decision application. When you submit that, you're basically saying that if you're if you're admitted to Washington College, you're coming that you decided, hey, Washington colleges where I want to be, I'm going to apply early decision and then it means if you're admitted that you're coming to Washington College.

We also have different types of of applications, so you don't know.

So we have to apply early decision, but that's that's possible as far as the commitment process when it comes to recruiting, we've we've student athletes that are currently committed for the 2021 class so soon after going into their senior year. We have some sports that it will be recruiting the 2021 class all the way up until next May 1st. We have some teams that will be done with the 2021 recruiting class by late summer, early fall, so it really differs by sport, sport, blood, sport.

Uhm, you know it's never too early to reach out to coach. It can be too late if you wait till next March to start the recruiting process. You know the March of your senior year. That team might not. They might be done recruiting. That doesn't mean you can't try out for the team, but they might not be recruiting that year anymore. So I think now is a great time to start that recruiting process. Next question and this is probably going to be a last one. We might be able to fit one or two more. What does soon athletes enjoy most about playing a sport at Washington College?

Uhm yeah. It's tough for me to answer that just because I I'm not soon athlete and I haven't been, you know, I I think yeah, I can give you my opinion. But to answer that I think what what our coaches do during the recruiting process. A lot of times it's put our perspectives united cleats in touch with our current soon athletes where they can have those conversations. So part of the recruiting process is getting a no potential future teammates and see if it's a fit. If you like being around them just.

You're gonna spend a ton of time with with members of your team and one of the great questions. Ask them is yellow. What do you like most about washing card? What do you not like about? You know playing a sport? What's your favorite thing? What's your least favorite thing? Yeah, what's it like? Get get those questions from the people that live at every single day.

Yes, it is. Just you know what I think what I hear the most about what their favorite thing is is the relationships they built. You know, uh, they're they're making friends with members of their team that they are going to be best friends with for the rest of their lives. You know, it's not just a four year experience when you come to play play sports at Washington College. It's you're part of the family for a lifetime. And the relationships you make with your teammates with your coaches with your professors, you know it's that's the most important thing.

That's what you remember most. You don't necessarily remember every single game or match or or meat, but you remember your teammates and, uh, you know, and your coaches and cherish the time with them.

If the coaches just ended their position as the coach of your sport, who should you contact the assistant coach? Yeah, great question, uhm.

The the assistant coaches you know. Actually to be honest with you, I would start with with. You can either email myself or our director of athletics, thad more depending on what sport you're referring to, the best bet might be to start with with either myself or or athletic director and then he can pass that information along too.

The the the coach. That's kind of that. Running that process currently. So uhm, you know all that information be found on the website, but you don't feel free to reach out to our athletic director and will pass it along to the primary contact.

When is it soon as they know if they have been identified to play a particular sport recruited versus particular out walk on spot on the team?

So again, the question is, when does the soon actually know if they've been identified to play a particular sport recruited versus pursuing a walk on support for the team. If you're being recruited again, I would say like you, you'll know that the coaches during the recruiting process will say, Hey, we want you to come to play Washington College. You are soon athletes that are recruited. They typically are have a roster spot for at least their freshman year so they don't have to try out, so it's a little bit different than a walk on spot for who is someone trying out.

Um, that's a question to talk about. The coach of that sport is, say, what's your recruiting process, yo? What's the walk on process? And then you know, when the coach is able to evaluate you, they'll let you know whether or not you're a fit, whether or not they are able to recruit you and therefore offer you a spot on their roster on their team. So that's a conversation. Everyone's different. what I will say is, if if the coaches want you and are going to recruit you, you'll know that you recruit because of the Contacts.

But you know how you recruited goes both ways, so it's not always the coach reaching out to you first for a lot of our recruits, it started by the soon athlete perspective student athlete reaching out to the coach first. So don't don't be afraid to reach out. Don't be afraid to ask those hard questions. You deciding where to go to college is a big decision and our coaching staff will be honest and upfront with you and help you find that best fit. Whether it's washing college or elsewhere.

That was awesome question and on so it is 11:30. Unfortunately uhm, yeah so were gonna go ahead and sign off again. Washing college sports.com if you have any questions that weren't answered you feel free to email me. Sebetic2@washcall.edu, I'd encourage you to reach out to the coaches of your individual score if you have specific questions about that sport and hope to see how Washington College for a visit at some point at some point soon. So take care and have a great weekend.