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Collegiate Programs |
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Players pursuing a college opportunity in the USA |
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Showtime Basketball assists Australian female basketballers achieve scholarships in the United States of America’s university system. This service is run free of charge to any players seeking an opportunity to compete at the collegiate level in the USA. Showtime Basketball are in constant contact with college programs of all level throughout the USA who are always on the lookout for great Australian players. In order to be eligible for a college basketball scholarship you must meet the academic and athletic requirements set out by each college and the competition they compete in—i.e. NCAA, NJCAA and NAIA . The NCAA is the largest association of colleges in the USA, thus the majority of players compete in this system. The NCAA also has very tight guidelines that must be meet academically and athletic to be eligible for a scholarship – see ‘NCAA Academic eligibility’ and ‘NCAA Athletic eligibility’. For more information on the college basketball system in the USA, the NAIA and the NJCAA see ‘US College Basketball bio’
Obtaining a scholarship to an NCAA college can involve a lot of tedious paperwork. Below we have outlined the steps required to obtain a scholarship to an NCAA college institution. The process for colleges affiliated with other competitions (i.e. NAIA and NJCAA) follow a similar process which Showtime Basketball can also assist you with.
Showtime Basketball are able to assist players with the initial recruiting process by passing their details onto college programs in the United States that maybe interested in recruiting players. In order for Showtime Basketball to assist you in this manner, they firstly need to collect information regarding to your schooling, basketball experience and contact details as well as a completed ‘Personal Information Waiver’ – see ‘forms and links’. If you have any questions or concerns about how Showtime Basketball will use your personal information, please see the privacy policy, or contact Showtime Basketball for more information.
Once Showtime Basketball have collected the necessary information from you and you are actively being recruited by collegiate programs, the following tasks need to be completed.
1. Register with the “NCAA Initial – Eligibility Clearinghouse” The registration process is completed online (see ‘forms, info sheets & links’), where you need to complete the Student Release Form (SRF) for foreign students (US$75 fee), as well as provide consent and your parent’s consent. Once the forms are completed, they need to be printed and signed by you and your parents and forwarded to the NCAA clearinghouse. You will be allocated a 10 digit NCAA Clearing house ID Number – must be securely stored to enable you discover your status in the future. You will also be prompted to create and record your own PIN number.
2. Register for the “Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)” Registration for the SAT is online (see ‘forms, info sheets & links’). Check the ‘SAT information’ for the test details and test centre and dates throughout Australia. When taking the test, there are three components – critical reading, mathematics and writing. Only the first two components are considered when applying for a NCAA athletic scholarship, where a combined score of 820 is the minimum required.
3. Prepare recent game footage to be forwarded to Collegiate programs in the USA Coaches in the USA like footage that is less than 12 months old, and the more recent the better, so if you can get somebody to record your games for you on a monthly basis it would be highly beneficial.
Once you have registered online with the Clearinghouse, you need to forward the required documents to them. The Clearinghouse needs the following documents.
· The signed copy of the SRF · Set of ‘Certified Transcripts’ (Years 9 to 12)
Certified transcripts aren’t used in Australia. To obtain a copy of your certified transcripts you need to ask your school office for the official copy of your school reports from Years 9 to 12. These copies need to be stamped with the school stamp and signed by the school register.
5. Accepting a scholarship to a US college Firstly you will need to apply to the college. This process ensures that you meet the college’s specific entry requirements. Several colleges may recruit you at the one time via phone, email, regular mail and possibly even a visit to you or for you to their campus. Once a college has offered you a scholarship, you will need to apply to that college if you wish to accept their offer. There is a small fee (less than US$100) is generally associated with this, and it can sometimes be completed online. Some institutions may have forms you need to complete in one of their information booklets. Once you commit to a scholarship it is considered a ‘verbal’ commitment to that college.
6. Scholarship Papers and the National Letter of Intent (NLI) Once you have ‘Verbally’ accepted a scholarship offer there are two methods a college make the scholarship binding to both parties. Scholarship papers These need to be completed and returned to the college usually within a small timeframe, or National Letter of Intent A NLI is a commitment between a player and a college for a minimum of one year. You MUST play for that college and they MUST offer you a scholarship. A letter of Intent can only be signed during the early (November) period which lasts for around 10 days, or the late period (March-April) which is around 45 days long. For more information see the National Letter of Intent website.
7. Obtain a Student Visa To study in the USA in an academic or vocational institution, applicants must first obtain documents from the USA College institution before submitting their applications for visas. The document required is the I-20 form issued by the institution. This form will be sent directly to you, although you will probably need to ask the coach you are dealing with to get it arranged by the schools admissions office for you. Once you have received your I-20 from and completed it, you need to arrange an interview at the US Consulate General and pay the Student Visa Fee (around $100 UAD) which must be paid before your interview. See ‘Visa and Education contacts’ for more information
8. Basketball Australia Release Form Basketball Australia has implemented a policy so they can track all Australian players competing overseas. The forms is available for down load from ‘forms, info sheets & links’.
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Players pursuing college |
