What Does Being a College Athlete Look Like?

We’ve talked about what the recruiting process looks like and what it takes to be a college athlete, but as players prepare for the transition to college ball, it’s helpful to know what to expect. As players graduate to new levels of competition, the physical, mental, and emotional demands of the game evolve. We’ll explore the differences, what’s required to be successful, and what players can do now to prepare for the transition to the next level.

The Demands

The graduation from high school and club ball to the collegiate level comes with a clear increase in the various demands on players: demands on their mind, body, and time. College athletes have what amounts to a full time job, year round. Strength training, film sessions, practice, travel, and games absorb a lot of student-athlete’s time. Unlike high school, there really is no “off-season”. Each individual sessions — whether it practice, training, or film — are themselves far more intense than the same sessions in high school.

Not only that, but the length of the season can be a shock to new college athletes. College seasons can sometimes be almost twice as long as high school seasons. This will be a big shift as it relates to players’ performance: stamina, consistency, and injury prevention become paramount with longer seasons. Longer seasons put more stress on the body and athletes must prepare to perform and recover more efficiently. The longer seasons also have ramifications on players’ mentality. Sustained focus and resilience becomes harder as fatigue sets in. Successful players must foresee these challenges and plan accordingly.

All of these differences are structural; effects produced by the logistical differences of college baseball. More than structural differences, though, the new level of competition places more emphasis on “the margins”, the extra work and preparation that players put in.

The Margins

One of the more obvious differences in collegiate baseball is the level of competition, but the effects of the increased competition are often overlooked. As college players are generally physically gifted and technically sound, difference in performance usually comes down to the “margins”. This means that, for players looking to gain an edge, it’s usually the work done off the field that makes the biggest difference. These “non-core” activities, as we’ll call them, take more time out of a college players’ day than they did in high school. The non-core activities are all those that aren’t necessarily mandated by a team or program and include:

Diet

Players at the college level are more vigilant and deliberate with what they put in their body. Athletes that are diligent about their diet — tracking their macro intakes (protein, fats, and carbs), limiting sugar and processed foods, and focusing on high-quality ingredients — gain an edge on their opponents. This takes more time and effort than just eating what’s available but it’s an important piece to the performance puzzle.

Sleep

Sleep is another “performance enhancer” that becomes more important as the level of competition increases. The increased demands on the college athlete’s body and schedule also make sleep that much more important. Getting consistent, high quality sleep is easier said than done as a college athlete. With all the demands on players’ time, it takes dedication and sacrifices to get to bed at the same time every night, de-stress, and allot 7-8 hours for high quality sleep. Those who can make quality sleep a priority, though, will reap the rewards of better performance for longer. Sleep, therefor, is an important facet of the college athlete’s schedule and focus.

Hydration

Proper hydration is another hidden “non-core” activity that college athletes must approach deliberately. With so much training and strain on the body, normal fluid intake is not enough for muscles to properly recover. College athletes need more than that and thus sufficient fluid intake requires monitoring and deliberate effort.

Recovery

While all the non-core activities above can be thought of as parts of recovery, there are other recovery activities — such as hot and cold therapy, pre-habilitation, and stretching — that college athletes focus more on than high school players. Due to the length of the season and the demands on the players’ bodies, these recovery activities are important to performing sustainably. This takes time and effort outside of the normal practice and training schedule.

The general theme here is that there are non-core activities that actually make most of the difference for high-performers in college. These activities are usually not front of mind for high school athletes; they tend to rely on their raw athleticism for performance. But in college, when all players have elite athleticism, it’s important to develop habits and systems that allow players to prioritize these non-core activities. In college, much more of players’ days and weeks are taken up by these activities and are a big difference between the lives of high school and college players.  

The Preparations

As we’ve discussed, the life and career of a college athlete looks a lot different than those of high school players. These changes can be a shock to young players and cause a long adjustment period, but they don’t have to be a shock. With some preparation and focus, players can get ready for the new demands of college athletics so they can hit the ground running when the time comes.

Start Now

No matter what level you’re at, if you have aspirations of playing college sports, start developing habits that you will be able to use as a college athlete. Not only will it prepare you for your college career, it will make you a better player now. The earlier you start, the more comfortable you’ll feel and the more benefits you’ll reap over time.

Find Mentors

Reach out to current or former college athletes. Ones maybe you played with, or that your coach knows. Ask them about their experience, what worked for them, and what didn’t. Do your research.

Stay Consistent

The most important aspect of any routine, system, or habit is consistency. If you start early and stay consistent, your actions will compound over time and you’ll see a massive bump in your skills, stamina, and comfort level.

How the Futures App Can Help

Check out our previous blog post on “What It Takes to be a College Athlete." Our blog posts are a good source of information to help prepare and get inspired. The Futures App can also provide players and teams with the tools to build more efficient strength and conditioning programs, aid in developing routines, and help with time management. We have scheduling tools, sleep trackers, MLB drills, and interviews with top MLB players that focus on “the mental edge” required to become a top performer and develop collegiate-level habits.

If you’re worried about the jump from high school to college, don’t be. It’s a challenge but a challenge worth attacking. Do your research, start early, stay consistent and you’ll be ready for the jump in no time. If you’re a coach and want to set your players up for success — at any level — book a demo for The Futures App today.