SENIORS AND COLLEGE PREPARATION

BROOKE

Seniors, as many of you know, colleges have been looking at our names for about a year now. For those of you who plan to college rodeo after high school here are a few things to keep in mind when looking at schools and rodeo teams.

Financial support and being on the points team

Paul Brown, athletic director and head rodeo coach at Hill College and Mark Eakin, head rodeo coach at Tarleton explain it best. At some schools the only difference from being on a team (10 members) and not on the team, is that the team members are given travel money to attend college rodeos.

How to juggle school, practice, and rodeos

Paul Brown gives the inside scoop on how to keep everything in order as a college student. “First and foremost you are getting a scholarship to be a student athlete, so your grades are important. You are not doing the institution any good competing one semester then flunking out of school. The NIRA requires you to be a full time student maintaining a 2.0 GPA passing” he also mentions that practice is important, but it comes second to classes. If you aren’t passing you can’t rodeo. Dr. Al Wagner at Texas A&M University puts it short and sweet, “If you do not take on your academic work first, you will not be around to college rodeo.”

What does a coach look for in a student athlete?

It doesn’t matter the sport, coaches everywhere all have the same thing in mind when they look to recruit student athletes. They want someone who is going to benefit their team, not bring them down. Coaches look for someone who has a solid work ethic and want to show up to practice and put in work, rain or shine. Coaches are drawn to athletes who have strong leadership skills, someone who will help the program grow and thrive. Grades are a factor to recruitment, you don’t have to be the smartest cookie in the jar, but you have to be able to pass your classes. If you can’t pass your classes then you are not a valuable asset to the team. Women’s rodeo coach Wyatt Smith at Clarendon College tells all of his athletes the same thing, help at least one person a day. This way everyone gets the help they dish out.

Emery Mask, 3rd year at South Plain College

Emery’s college advice for freshmen is “College is like a work at your own pace kinda thing… don’t procrastinate and get behind because you won’t be able to catch back up, and don’t take 8ams if you don’t have to” Emery also says you have many things to look forward to. You get to meet new people, learn things that are of an actual interest to you like classes on your degree plan, traveling to new places and learning how to be on your own. “It’s all super exciting” says Emery. She has learned how to manage her time juggling school and rodeo, her advice is “don’t procrastinate, it’s your biggest enemy. Do things on time or ahead of due dates so that you don’t have to worry about homework during college rodeos.” As Emery finishes her 3rd year of college rodeo she has learned that a college rodeo does not define you. Be open minded and know that what you accomplish or don’t accomplish in college rodeo does not define your rodeo career.