Blessed to Have Received an Offer From...: A Success Manual for Student-Athletes, Their Families, and Everyone Seeking Strategies Reach Their Highest Selves

By Kerry M. Sloan

This book has been written for the purpose of educating student-athletes, and the parents of student-athletes, in order to help give insight as to what the college athlete world is all about. It is divided into two parts, "High School" (Part I) and "Can You Truly B.E.L.I.E.V.E." (Part II). Part I, focuses on things such as eligibility, strategies to help athletes get recruited, and busting common myths around recruiting.
Part II, focuses on the mental, physical, emotional, and spirtual building blocks for all successful people in an easy to remeber format. This is an educational self-help book "must-have" for anyone with plans of taking their talents to the next level.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669811213

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 by Kerry M. Sloan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 02/22/2022

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

838680

This book is

dedicated to…

This book is dedicated to all the athletes on the journeys to making their wildest dreams come alive through the beautiful world of athletics….

I have had many people serve as amazing mentors throughout my life and for that, I am forever extremely thankful. The successes and struggles that I have dealt with as a student-athlete have molded me into the man I am today, and I am beyond thankful for the combination of all these experiences. I believe that God has put a calling on my life to serve and that was the main motivation for writing this book. No matter where you are in the recruiting process, you will find tremendous value in this book as it has been constructed to serve as a compass in the process of figuring things out. This book will be very honest and blunt at times, as I have not been known to be the most politically correct. Everything in this book derives from personal experience as a Division I, Junior College, and an All-American, All-Conference, and Conference MVP Multi-sport Division III college athlete. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Sports Recreation Management and a Master’s of Education in Kinesiology, and Sports Recreation Management. I also bring experiences from serving as a college football Recruiting Coordinator, a college professor, and a collegiate football coach as well.

Contents

Introduction

About the Author

PART I: HIGH SCHOOL

Chapter One: Multiple Sport Participation

Avoiding Burnout

Reducing Overuse injuries

Acceleration in The Development of a True All-Around Athlete

Elevation Of Confidence

Bryan’s Story

What college coaches want to know….

Chapter Two: College Interest

Introduction to College interest

Thank God! I have been blessed to have received an offer from…

5. Only a NCAA Division I University is giving out true FULL scholarship offers

6. Your schooling cannot be covered unless you receive a full scholarship offer.

7. The acceptance of an offer is not a binding commitment to the school, just a verbal promise.

8. Most Offers Are Typically One-Year Agreements

Adam Gaines Story

Julie’s Story…

Trust Yourself and Your Decision making!

Chapter Three: College Visits

Finding The Right Fit

In-Person and Virtual Tours

The Earlier the Better

What’s Your Budget?

Learn About the Community

City area vs. Rural area

Get A Student’s Point Of View

Check Out the Academic Departments

Chapter Four: Where Are the Schools That I Want?

A Story from Coach Juice:

D-I Requirements (Most difficult):

D-II Requirements:

D-III Requirements:

NAIA

College Board Sat Prep Resource

Chapter Five: College Commitment

I’ve made a decision, but I think something else might be better…

Takeaway...

Chapter Six: Faith

Rodney’s Story…

The Bottom Line…

Chapter Seven: Leaving Home

Myth #1

I will finally be able to do what I want now, and no one will be able to tell me anything!

Myth #2

Student-Athletes do worse in school than the rest of the student population on campus

Myth #3

Student-Athletes are privileged and can get whatever they want

Chapter Eight: Competition

Competition:

Good Competition

Robbie and Janey’s story:

Bad Competition

PART II: Can You Truly B.E.L.I.E.V.E?

Chapter One: Build Your Foundation

Chapter Two: Education of Self

Takeaway:

Teaching yourself

Chapter Three: Love

Jordan’s Fading Passion.

Chapter Four: Increase EVERYTHING

Question #1:

Question #2:

Chapter Five: Energize Yourself!

Natural Energy Solutions

As a general statement:

Chapter Six: Visualization

Imagine this:

Scenario #2

Greatness leaves clues

Chapter Seven: Execute

Loyalty Vs. Dishonor

How Can We Align Our Priorities and Our Values With Our Goals?

Tuesday’s Priority List

Priority Story:

Chapter Eight: Rest and Recovery

Make yourself a schedule

JD’s Story:

Go to Sleep at a Consistent Time

Take Naps

Chapter Nine: A Tale of Two Tales

Bobby Rames (Mr. Blue Collar)

Jojo (The Show)

Preparation Meets Opportunity

Closing Thoughts

INTRODUCTION

I am writing this book for the purpose of educating student-athletes and the parents of student-athletes to help give insight as to what the college athlete world is all about. Coming into college athletics as a young man back in 2010, I can honestly say that I was extremely unprepared for the life that would lie ahead of me.. This is not the case for some students, but this was my reality as a new college athlete. Although my dad was a college athlete, I was still shocked by some of the nuances of collegiate athletics, and there were different aspects that particularly intrigued me throughout my college years. The number one thing that caught my attention was the impact of the First Generation collegiate athlete.

Being the first one in the family to pursue something can make you feel like a cowboy in the non-literal sense. A lot of the time it seemed my peers would ride out over the mountain ready to attack the world only to get bombarded with 100 arrows. If you live to see another day, you are considered a pioneer and instrumental in the development of your family and community.

Thoughts on this topic are usually discussed in retrospect, from the point of view of a professional athlete. This view is not the reality that is to come for most collegiate athletes. The intent of this book is not to look down or up at the life and journey of becoming a college athlete, but rather to shed a light on the process and experiences through the eyes of myself and others that have been involved in the realm of college athletics.

I want to engage you in a journey through the eyes, hearts, and minds of the many college athletes that make the monumental decision of attacking their wildest dreams through the means of a quality education.

Through a collection of short anecdotes, principles, information, and practice you will embark on the journey of what is to come for yourself or your student-athlete as they pursue their ultimate dream of achieving a degree at the helm of a collegiate athletic experience. All stories in this text are absolutely true, I have changed the names of some of the individuals who are still involved in collegiate athletics out of respect for them and to protect their privacy. As a disclaimer, I love all of the experiences that I amassed throughout my career in collegiate athletics. I have met some of the best people I will ever meet through college football and I would not trade those experiences for anything in this world. I just wish that there had been a guide when I entered the world of collegiate athletics at the tender age of 18. I longed to know what would come along with my new experiences as a collegiate athlete and I thirsted for anything that looked like a preview.

For that athlete that feels just like I did in 2010, this book is for you. May all of your dreams and desires come to fruition and you lead a life for yourself in secondary education that makes everyone in your family proud.