Right now I am a Junior in high school. My Personal Records are 45’6" in shot put and 133’3" in discus. Next year I should be able to throw 48′ in shot and 150 in disc. I know that junior year is crucial and that my throws aren’t that great, but i want to know how close i am to getting any sort of scholarship or chance to do track at any college, i don’t care if its Division I or not.
Aaron,
Unfortunately, your distances this year (and, frankly, even your projections) are a little low for scholarships. The good news is that you would almost certainly be able to "walk on" to nearly any school (even D-I) with those numbers and participate, although you might not compete much for a year or two. This would be particularly true if the coach feels you were underachieving in High School (if you are very big – over 6’1 and over 250, and/or you have terrible technique). And this should lead you to your strategy – seek out throw camps this summer at colleges you might want to attend. Get to know their coaches, ask for their advice and get on their radar. Get into some meets over the summer and if you do well, send your results to the college’s Track Coach. You might be able to get a partial scholarship at a small DI or other school – although that might not be as much as you could get if you can demonstrate financial need or academic ability. So my advice would be to focus on academics and view throwing as Plan B – something that would be great if it works out, but not Plan A. If you enjoy throwing, I’m sure you can continue it at college, but I’d caution you not to hope it will be your ticket in. Good luck!
If you can get past 50 in the shot and 190 in the discus you could get a ride.
However, most schools want to see good grades and the SAT score before they give away anything.
References :
Aaron,
Unfortunately, your distances this year (and, frankly, even your projections) are a little low for scholarships. The good news is that you would almost certainly be able to "walk on" to nearly any school (even D-I) with those numbers and participate, although you might not compete much for a year or two. This would be particularly true if the coach feels you were underachieving in High School (if you are very big – over 6’1 and over 250, and/or you have terrible technique). And this should lead you to your strategy – seek out throw camps this summer at colleges you might want to attend. Get to know their coaches, ask for their advice and get on their radar. Get into some meets over the summer and if you do well, send your results to the college’s Track Coach. You might be able to get a partial scholarship at a small DI or other school – although that might not be as much as you could get if you can demonstrate financial need or academic ability. So my advice would be to focus on academics and view throwing as Plan B – something that would be great if it works out, but not Plan A. If you enjoy throwing, I’m sure you can continue it at college, but I’d caution you not to hope it will be your ticket in. Good luck!
References :