Saturday, October 17, 2009

Why should I sign up for the NCAA Clearinghouse?

By Coach Chris Berg

The best time to sign up for the NCAA Clearinghouse is at the end of your academic Junior year. The Clearinghouse is imperative if you are going to compete at the D I or D II level.

Many people ask me, "What exactly is the NCAA Clearinghouse?" I simply direct them to the definition on the NCAA website:

NCAA Clearinghouse is for students planning to compete at the either the Division I or Division II level during their freshman year. If you are going to compete as a freshman, then you must be registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse during your senior year in high school. The registration simply certifies that you, the student-athlete, are academically eligible to compete under NCAA regulations and guidelines so you can receive athletic based financial aid.

Division I and Division II coaches are sorting through hundreds, if not thousands, of players every year trying to find the best talent academically and athletically. The Clearinghouse is an easy way for a coach to know that a student-athlete has met basic academic requirements that qualify he/she to play at the collegiate level as a freshman.

Signing up for the NCAA Clearinghouse is easy. You can sign up at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net

QUICK NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE STORY

I know of a student-athlete that had a full-ride basketball scholarship to a school in Northern California, and the coach assumed he was cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse because the student-athlete came from a prestigious high school. The student-athlete started his fall semester on campus, he was getting ready for his upcoming basketball season, and the coach just happened to find out that the student had not registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse. It nearly cost him his scholarship, even though he was a "qualifier."

I share that story with you because it is IMPERATIVE that you register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. It does cost some money, and if you need financial assistance with it the NCAA has a way of subsidizing your costs.

The important thing is that you do well in the classroom, prepare for your SAT/ACT's, and be sure to get yourself signed up for the Clearinghouse at the end of your Junior academic year.

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