A Basic Guide to the NCAA for Your Children

A Basic Guide to the NCAA for Your Children If youre the parent of a student-athlete, youve probably heard the term NCAA. The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, is the governing body that oversees 23 different sports and athletic championships at 1,200 colleges and universities in the United States. It stresses a well-rounded student, who excels at sports, as well as academics and campus life. Recruitment for the NCAA The point at which parents and the NCAA usually intersect is during college recruitment. High school athletes who want to play college ball (or track, swimming, etc.) at Division I, II or III school must register with the NCAA through its online eligibility center. If your child is interested in playing sports at the college level, his counselor and coach can help him navigate that path.   Divisions I, II, and III Schools that are part of the NCAA are divided into Division I, II and III schools. Each of these divisions reflects the relative priority of sports and academics. Division, I schools generally have the largest student bodies, as well as the largest budgets and scholarships for sports. 350 schools are classified as Division I and 6,000 teams belong to those schools. Division II schools strive to provide student-athletes with a high level of athletic competition, while also maintaining high grades and a well-rounded campus experience. Division III schools also provide opportunities for student-athletes to compete and participate athletically, but the primary focus is on academic achievement. This is the largest division in both total participants and number of schools. NCAA Sports By Season Fall Sports The NCAA offers six different sports for the fall season. Arguably, the most popular overall collegiate sport is  football, which takes place during the fall season. Overall, though, the fall season offers the least amount of sports out of the three seasons, as more sports take place during both the winter and spring seasons. The six sports offered by the National College Athletic Association for the fall season are: Mens and womens cross-countryField hockeyFootballMens and womens soccer teamsWomens volleyballMens water polo Winter Sports Winter is the busiest season in college sports. The NCAA offers ten different sports during the winter season: Mens and womens basketball teamsBowlingFencingMens and womens gymnasticsMens and womens ice hockeyMens, womens and mixed rifleMens, womens and mixed skiingMens and womens swimming and divingMens and womens indoor track and fieldWrestling Spring Sports Eight separate sports are offered during the spring season. Out of those eight sports, seven of them are available to both men and women. The spring season offers baseball for men, as well as softball for women. The eight sports offered by the National College Athletic Association for the spring season are: Baseball and softballMens and womens golfMens and womens lacrosseRowingMens and womens tennisMens and womens outdoor track and fieldMens volleyball Womens water polo