Complete conditioning for lacrosse. Complete Lacrosse Conditioning Guide: Strength Training for Peak Performance

When should lacrosse players start strength training. How many days per week should lacrosse players train. What exercises should lacrosse players focus on. How to structure lacrosse strength training workouts.

The Foundations of Lacrosse Strength Training

Lacrosse is a sport that demands a unique blend of strength, speed, and endurance. To excel on the field, players must develop a comprehensive strength training program tailored to the specific demands of the game. This guide will explore the essential components of lacrosse strength training, from when to start to how to structure your workouts for maximum effectiveness.

When to Begin Strength Training for Lacrosse

Contrary to outdated beliefs, strength training does not stunt growth in young athletes. In fact, the Mayo Clinic recommends that children as young as 7 or 8 can begin strength training under proper supervision. However, the ideal age to start depends on the individual athlete’s mental maturity and focus.

For youth athletes considering strength training, parents should ask themselves:

• Can the athlete listen and follow directions?
• Can the athlete stay focused on a single task?
• Can the athlete remain engaged throughout a training session?

If the answer to all these questions is yes, then the young lacrosse player may be ready to begin a basic strength training program.

Foundational Exercises for Youth Lacrosse Players

Youth athletes should focus on mastering basic bodyweight exercises before progressing to more complex movements. Some essential exercises include:

• Push-ups
• Pull-ups
• Bodyweight squats
• Lunges
• Sit-ups

These exercises lay the groundwork for proper form and technique, which will translate to more advanced exercises as the athlete progresses. The primary focus at this stage should be on perfecting technique rather than increasing strength.

Structuring an Effective Lacrosse Strength Training Program

As lacrosse players transition into high school and beyond, their strength training program should evolve to meet the increasing demands of the sport. Let’s explore the key components of an effective lacrosse strength training regimen.

Training Frequency: How Often Should Lacrosse Players Lift?

High school lacrosse players should aim to strength train 3 to 4 days per week. The choice between 3 or 4 days depends on individual schedules and preferences. Both approaches can be effective when properly implemented.

A 3-day program typically focuses on full-body workouts, while a 4-day split allows for more targeted training of specific muscle groups. Regardless of the chosen frequency, consistency is key to seeing results.

Periodization: Adapting Your Training Throughout the Year

To optimize performance and prevent burnout, lacrosse players should adjust their training focus throughout the year. This approach, known as periodization, involves dividing the training year into distinct phases.

Phase I: Early Off-Season / Post-Season

Immediately following the season, players should focus on recovery and injury prevention. This phase typically lasts 2-3 weeks and includes:

• Active recovery workouts
• Foam rolling
• Stretching
• Range of motion exercises
• Pre-hab movements

Phase II: Off-Season

Once players have fully recovered from the season, the focus shifts to building strength and power. This phase, which typically spans the summer months, is characterized by:

• Higher training volume (sets and reps)
• Emphasis on strength and hypertrophy
• Reduced focus on conditioning

During this phase, players lay the foundation for the upcoming season by developing raw strength and muscle mass.

Essential Exercises for Lacrosse Strength Training

To develop the strength and power necessary for lacrosse, players should focus on compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups simultaneously. These exercises mimic the movements required on the field and provide the greatest return on investment in terms of strength gains.

Lower Body Exercises

Lower body strength is crucial for generating explosive power, changing direction quickly, and maintaining a strong defensive stance. Key lower body exercises for lacrosse players include:

• Squats (back squats, front squats, goblet squats)
• Deadlifts (conventional, Romanian, single-leg)
• Lunges (forward, reverse, lateral)
• Step-ups
• Box jumps

Upper Body Exercises

Upper body strength is essential for shooting, passing, and fending off opponents. Lacrosse players should incorporate the following upper body exercises into their training program:

• Bench press (barbell and dumbbell variations)
• Pull-ups and chin-ups
• Rows (barbell, dumbbell, and cable variations)
• Overhead press
• Push-ups

Core Exercises

A strong core is the foundation of all athletic movements in lacrosse. It provides stability, improves balance, and enhances overall performance. Essential core exercises for lacrosse players include:

• Planks (front, side, and dynamic variations)
• Russian twists
• Medicine ball rotational throws
• Pallof press
• Cable woodchoppers

Developing Sport-Specific Power for Lacrosse

While building overall strength is important, lacrosse players must also focus on developing explosive power specific to the demands of the sport. This involves incorporating plyometric exercises and Olympic lifting variations into their training program.

Plyometric Exercises for Lacrosse

Plyometric exercises help develop the quick, explosive movements required in lacrosse. Some effective plyometric exercises for lacrosse players include:

• Box jumps
• Depth jumps
• Lateral bounds
• Medicine ball throws
• Hurdle hops

These exercises should be performed with proper technique and adequate rest between sets to maximize their effectiveness and minimize the risk of injury.

Olympic Lifting Variations

Olympic lifting movements and their variations are excellent for developing total-body power. While mastering the full Olympic lifts requires significant time and coaching, lacrosse players can benefit from simplified variations such as:

• Power cleans
• Hang cleans
• Push jerks
• Dumbbell snatches

These exercises should be introduced gradually and performed under the supervision of a qualified strength coach to ensure proper technique and safety.

Incorporating Mobility and Flexibility Training

Lacrosse players require a high degree of mobility and flexibility to perform at their best and reduce the risk of injury. Incorporating regular mobility and flexibility work into your strength training program is essential for long-term success.

Dynamic Warm-Up Routines

Before each strength training session, lacrosse players should perform a dynamic warm-up to prepare their bodies for the workout ahead. A comprehensive dynamic warm-up routine might include:

• Leg swings (forward/backward and side-to-side)
• Walking lunges with a twist
• Arm circles
• Hip rotations
• Bodyweight squats
• High knees and butt kicks

Post-Workout Stretching

After each strength training session, it’s important to perform static stretches to improve flexibility and aid in recovery. Key areas to focus on include:

• Hip flexors
• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Calves
• Chest and shoulders
• Lower back

Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds, focusing on breathing deeply and relaxing into the stretch.

Nutrition and Recovery for Lacrosse Strength Training

Proper nutrition and recovery are crucial components of any successful strength training program. Lacrosse players must fuel their bodies appropriately to support muscle growth, repair, and overall performance.

Nutritional Considerations for Lacrosse Players

To support their strength training efforts, lacrosse players should focus on consuming a balanced diet that includes:

• Adequate protein for muscle repair and growth (1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight)
• Complex carbohydrates for energy and recovery
• Healthy fats for hormone production and overall health
• Plenty of fruits and vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
• Proper hydration (aim for clear or light yellow urine)

Recovery Strategies for Optimal Performance

Effective recovery is essential for making consistent progress in your strength training program. Lacrosse players should incorporate the following recovery strategies into their routine:

• Adequate sleep (8-10 hours per night for young athletes)
• Active recovery sessions (light jogging, swimming, or cycling)
• Foam rolling and self-myofascial release techniques
• Contrast therapy (alternating hot and cold treatments)
• Proper nutrition and hydration

Adapting Your Strength Training Program for In-Season Performance

As the lacrosse season approaches, players must adjust their strength training program to maintain their gains while prioritizing on-field performance. This typically involves reducing training volume and frequency while maintaining intensity.

In-Season Training Modifications

During the competitive season, lacrosse players should aim to strength train 1-2 times per week, focusing on:

• Maintaining strength with lower volume, higher intensity workouts
• Emphasizing explosive movements and power development
• Incorporating sport-specific movements and drills
• Prioritizing recovery and injury prevention

Balancing Strength Training and On-Field Practice

To avoid overtraining and ensure optimal performance, lacrosse players must carefully balance their strength training with on-field practice and games. This may involve:

• Scheduling strength training sessions on non-practice days or lighter practice days
• Adjusting workout intensity based on the week’s game schedule
• Focusing on quality over quantity in strength training sessions
• Communicating regularly with coaches to ensure proper recovery and performance

By following these guidelines and adapting their strength training program throughout the year, lacrosse players can develop the strength, power, and conditioning necessary to excel on the field. Remember that consistency, proper technique, and adequate recovery are key to long-term success in any strength training program.

Lacrosse Strength Training (Complete Guide) – Horton Barbell

I’ve been working as a sports performance coach with college athletes for almost twenty years, both as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and as a Sports Scientist. I’ve also been fortunate over that time to work with some of the best minds in Strength and Conditioning for lacrosse.

In this Lacrosse Strength Training Guide, my goal is to provide you with an outline of everything you should be doing both in the off-season and in-season to maximize your performance on the field.

I’m going to discuss when you should start strength training, how many days per week to train, what exercises to focus on and even how to structure your workouts.

First things first, what’s the best age to start strength training?

When Should I Start Strength Training For Lacrosse?

There is a long-held myth by many in the general public that lifting weights will stunt your growth. However, study after study and report after report over the years has completely debunked this myth. The Mayo Clinic even recommends that children as young as 7 or 8 can begin strength training.

In my opinion, youth athletes can begin lifting weights once they have the mental maturity and focus needed to strength train safely. For some athletes, this might be 7 or 8 years old. For others, it might be later.

Can the athlete listen and follow directions? Can the athlete stay focused on a single task? Can the athlete stay engaged throughout a training session?

These are the questions that I would have parents ask themselves about their youth athlete(s). If the answers to all 3 are yes, then you could consider strength training. If not, I would suggest waiting a little bit longer.

What Exercises Should a Youth Athlete Begin With?

Youth athletes, regardless of sport, should stick with the basics. Learning proper technique and form should be the only focus at this age. Exercises like Push-Ups, Pull-Ups, Bodyweight Squats, Lunges and Sit-Ups are all strength training exercises that don’t even require a piece of equipment.

Those simple bodyweight movement patterns will translate over to exercises like Goblet Squats and Dumbbell Bench Press when the athlete is ready.

Again, I can’t emphasize this enough. Technique should be the only priority. Strength will come as a natural byproduct at this age. But, the movements they learn at 7 to 10 years old will carry with them for a lifetime.

Once a lacrosse player reaches high school, we can start to get into more advanced training techniques that I’m going to dive into now.

Off-Season Lacrosse Strength Training

The tips and advice that I’m going to go through now will apply to most lacrosse players from high school and even transitioning into college. But, keep in mind there are always exceptions to all rules and situations.

Days Per Week

High school lacrosse players should be strength training 3 to 4 days per week.

Whether to strength train 3 or 4 days per week really comes down to schedule and personal preferences. One isn’t necessarily “better” than the other.

Personally, I prefer a schedule of lifting 4 days per week, but I know of some very successful college strength programs that lift 3 days per week during certain portions of the off-season and have great success.

The lifts for a 3 day-per-week program tend to be more total body lifts and are slightly longer (each individual workout) than 4 day-per-week schedules that are often more segmented and slightly shorter.

Ultimately, you just need to decide which lifting schedule fits your overall schedule better.

Phase I – Early Off-Season/Post Season

What should your lacrosse strength training program be focusing on? Well, in my opinion, it depends on the time of the year.

The first phase is the first few weeks directly after the season. Players need a couple of weeks either completely off or with minimal work to help recover both mentally and physically from the grueling lacrosse season.

Active recovery workouts that include activities like foam rolling, stretching, range of motion exercises and pre-hab type movements should be the most prevalent during this time period.

Phase II – Off-Season

When the season wraps up in late spring*, the next soccer season is months away, so conditioning doesn’t need to be a priority at this time. This makes spring and summer a great time to develop strength.

*When your season ends may be different depending on your level/league, but the same overall principles will still apply.

The strength training program should reflect that.

Overall volume (sets and reps) can be higher to help promote strength and hypertrophy. You’re basically building a new foundation for each athlete that they’ll be able to utilize throughout the off-season and going into the next year.

Coach’s Note: Off-season goals will be dependent on the individual and/or team as well. For example, a men’s freshman lacrosse player who needs to add 15 pounds of muscle and barely squats 100 pounds should have different training priorities than a senior who is at his desired bodyweight and squats twice his bodyweight. These are just general guidelines.

Phase III – Late Off-Season/Pre-Season

Phase III, or the Pre-Season phase, is typically 6 to 8 weeks from the official start of camp.

Strength training priorities shift as the off-season progresses. Now, with the season getting closer, conditioning will play a larger part in our overall strength and conditioning plan.

In the weight room, the strength training plan will also shift. The strength and hypertrophy focus of the early off-season will shift to a focus on power. The sets of six to ten reps (on the big compound movements) will be few and far between and sets of 3, 2 and even singles will play a much larger role.

In-Season Soccer Lacrosse Training

One of the biggest mistakes a lacrosse player can make is to stop strength training once the season starts. This is due to multiple factors.

First and foremost, reducing your risk of injury is one of the primary benefits of strength training. However, you can start to lose strength after only a couple of weeks of not training. Strength training during the season will keep your strength levels up and lower your risk of injury.

Second, championships are won at the end of the season, not at the beginning. Not strength training during the season means you will be at your weakest of the entire year when it’s time to play for a ring.

Finally, strength training during the season will help you get a jump start on your next off-season. Instead of spending months just getting back the strength you lost, you’ll be able to start making new gains immediately. Over the course of a 4-year career (or longer including high school and college), the difference this can make is staggering.

Days Per Week

How many days a week you should train in-season depends on the game schedule and the amount of playing time you’re getting on gameday.

Schedule

Lacrosse can have a somewhat chaotic and inconsistent schedule. Depending on the level you’re playing, the games per week and the days on which you’re playing can vary – sometimes wildly.

It’s important to look at the schedule and plan out ahead of time when you’re going to workout (and how).

A break in the schedule might mean you can get two or even three days of training in. Playing 3 games in 8 days? Your workouts might only consist of an active recovery session or two.

Playing Time

If you’re starting or playing significant minutes off the bench, then your priority should obviously be on maximizing your performance each and every game.

However, if you’re not seeing minutes on the field or even redshirting, then I would strongly suggest continuing to emphasize your physical development.

I like to have at least one extra lifting session with this group of players per week so that they can continue to improve even though they’re missing out on those game minutes.

In-Season Priorities

During the season, our strength training priorities shift again. Our time in the weight room is more limited during the season, especially with the players playing significant minutes.

We want to maximize that time with mobility work and knee, ankle and shoulder work to help keep joints healthy and functioning well. But, we will also use that time to continue developing strength. We want to maintain (or even gain) strength during the season.

We do this by lowering the overall volume but maintaining the intensity (percentages used) of what would be typical of the off-season.

So, for example, instead of 5 sets of 5 reps for Back Squat at 75%, we may do 4 sets of 3 reps at 75%. This allows us to keep our strength but reduce the amount of ‘wear and tear’ on the body.

What are the Best Exercises for Lacrosse Players?

I like to think about exercise selection broken down into four different categories:

• Olympic Lifts for Power Development
• Compound Lifts for Strength Development
• Supplemental Lifts for Hypertrophy
• Core Work for Core Strength and Stability

Now, Olympic Lifts do not work just power development and Compound movements do not just work strength development – it’s simply their main emphasis.

Coach’s Tip: Regardless of how “good” an exercise is, you should only do exercises that you are technically proficient at. This goes for both coaches and players. If you don’t know how to do an exercise, don’t try to coach it and don’t try to do it. There are always alternatives for ANY exercise. There is no need to get yourself hurt trying to do an exercise you don’t know how to do.

Olympic Lifts

I am a big proponent of the Olympic lifts for lacrosse players. Olympic Lifts include the lifts themselves and all their variations. Power Clean, Hang Clean, Hang Snatch, Clean Pulls, Push Presses and Power Jerks are just some of the Olympic movements I like to include in my programming.

Each has its own proper teaching progression. I start simple and continue to add more complexity as players progress. This allows us to minimize the amount of time spent coaching and maximizing the amount of time spent training.

For example, when freshmen first arrive on campus, we do not start with a full Clean right away. Instead, we start with a Trap Bar Deadlift and a Front Squat. Those movements lay the foundation for being able to properly setup and pull weight from the floor and receive the bar in a front rack position.

After a few weeks, I’ll introduce a Hang Power Snatch and a Clean Pull. A lacrosse player in my program won’t do a full Clean (starting from the floor and catching in a full Front Squat) until after a full year in the program.

And, by the way, you can get plenty strong doing exercises like Trap Bar Deadlifts and Front Squats – they’re definitely not just for learning technique. This brings me to the second type of exercise that should be a part of your lacrosse strength training, Compound Lifts.

Compound Lifts

Compound Lifts are exercises that involve multiple joints and multiple muscle groups. These are exercises like Squats, Deadlifts, Pull-Ups and Bench Press.

If you’re serious about developing strength then Compound Lifts should be a staple in your strength training program. However, no different than Olympic Lifts, you should only do exercises that you know how to do correctly. Trying to Deadlift heavy weight with poor technique is a recipe for injury.

Olympic Lifts and Compound Lifts should take up around 80% (or more) of the time spent in the weight room. These are the exercises that are going to give you the most “bang for your buck”. These are also the exercises that look like actual athletic movements that are performed on a lacrosse field.

If you’re spending most of your time in the weight room over in the dumbbell area doing curls and flexing in the mirror, trust me, you’re getting outworked.

Supplemental Lifts

These are your single-joint exercises. Lateral Raises, Dumbbell Curls and Tricep Extensions fall into this category. Don’t get me wrong, some of these exercises are the most fun to do, but they should be exactly what their name says – supplemental.

A few sets of Supplemental Lifts are a good way to help develop extra hypertrophy at the end of a workout.

Core Work for Lacrosse

Photo Credit (Srdjan Randjelovic / shutterstock.com)

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. I think (maybe I’m wrong, who knows) all of us know at this point that having a strong core is important.

Just don’t get bogged down doing Crunches every day and checking the box for Core Work. Training your core comes in many different forms.

Weighted exercises like Weighted Sit-ups and Cable Crunches can build strength by adding extra resistance. Exercises like Planks and Stir The Pot will emphasize and improve core stability. Many medicine ball exercises like Side Throws can add rotational core work as well as develop power.

Hopefully, you get the point I’m trying to make. Challenging your core in different ways is vastly superior to laying on your back and doing bodyweight core exercises every day.

What Order Should Exercises Go In?

Properly organizing your workouts is a big component of maximizing the effectiveness of every set and every rep. Exercises should be ordered in pretty much the same order I just put them in – Olympic Lifts, Compound Lifts, Supplemental Lifts and then Core Work.

In general, exercise order should follow two main rules:

• Fast Movements –> Slow Movements
• Multi-Joint Movements –> Single Joint Movements

Explosive exercises should be done toward the beginning of the workout when the body, particularly the CNS (Central Nervous System), is fresh. This will ensure that you get the most out of these power-developing movements.

Doing these types of lifts while fresh will also help to reduce injury. Fatigue can be the enemy of technique, so doing the most technical lifts while freshest only makes sense.

After your power movements should be the Compound Multi-Joint exercises. Exercises like Back Squats and Bench Press need multiple muscle groups firing at full strength to get the most out of each movement. Smoking your triceps at the beginning of a workout will create a weak link in your Bench Press, therefore reducing its effectiveness.

Final Thoughts

Simply showing up in the weight room and working hard will only get you so far. Yes, you’ll be one step ahead of the players that just show up and check a box and two steps ahead of the players that don’t show up at all.

However, to really get an advantage over your top competition, you should be trying to maximize your training every day. Choosing the right days to train, selecting the right exercises with the correct amount of sets and reps and organizing it all together.

If it all seems like a lot to manage, I understand. It’s the same feeling I get when I look under the hood of my car. I know the engine makes the car go, but if you asked me to point out the manifold I’d be in trouble.

My suggestion would be to find a quality strength and conditioning coach and/or program to help guide you through this process.

Finally, if you need a strength and conditioning program, I have them available in my shop. They are the same types of programs that I use when training lacrosse athletes myself.

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Wycombe Abbey Private School – Boarding Schools in the UK

Photo gallery

Founded

1896

Programs

GCSE, A-level

Age

11-18 years

Accommodation 90 003

Residence

Wycombe Abbey is the UK’s top girls’ boarding school. It was founded in 1896 by Frances Dove, who actively fought for equal opportunities for girls in the Victorian era. Wycombe Abbey is famous for its high academic performance, which is primarily based on the girls’ love of learning.

The school ranks at the top of the rankings every year, and the final exam scores are always among the best in the UK. Girls perform in different disciplines, achieving excellent results in exams. The results of the GCSE and A-Level courses in 2018 were outstanding, 95.2% of all students on the GCSE course received A * -A grades. On the A-Level course, 84.3% received A * -A grades.

Students are provided with unlimited opportunities on the grounds of the school, located on 170 acres of green areas, which are saturated with the tranquility of rural life. Nearby is the city of High Wycombe, where girls go on weekends to go to the movies, go shopping and take a break from classes. From the school you can easily get to London, and the path to Heathrow Airport is only 30 minutes.

The secret of the school’s success lies in the fact that the girls live near the school and are in constant interaction both with each other and with the school staff. School policy is aimed at stimulating and inspiring girls during the school day, allowing them to reveal their talents and abilities. In the school community, each of the students is perceived as an individual.

The school has about 650 students.

Director (as of 2023)

Joe Duncan, Education – University of St. Andrews, MA in English Literature; University of Cambridge (postgraduate certificate with the right to conduct teaching activities).

Famous high school graduates

• Penelope Fitzgerald, poetess, writer (“Bookshop”, “Blue Flower”).

• Sally Phillips, theater, film and television actress (“Bridget Jones’s Diary” films, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”).

• Sonya Walger, television actress (TV series Lost, Remember What Will Be).

• Lady Nicholas Windsor, member of the British Royal Family.

Key factors

• Wycombe Abbey is an outstanding school by any criteria, including high academic performance. The school has a long tradition of academic excellence and is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top schools in examinations.

• The school has an impressive sports reputation. In 2015/2016, the school achieved 16 national finals in eight different sports, as well as international, regional and local success. Since 2017, it has been ranked in the top 10 independent schools in the UK for sports by School Sport Magazine, ranking eighth overall and being the third best school for girls nationwide.

• Students enter the world’s leading universities with the highest passing scores. Among them: universities Oxbridge, Russell Group, prestigious schools of art, theater and music, Harvard University, Stanford, Princeton, etc.

• The school organizes an internship for its students. Every girl in the school is a member of Futurewise, which offers a variety of courses spanning professions from law and medicine to journalism and media.

Equipment

The school has a functional Davis sports complex, which includes: an indoor 25-meter swimming pool with 6 lanes, water polo halls, a multi-purpose sports hall, a climbing wall, a dance studio, a fitness center, 4 squash courts, a fencing hall.

The school also has five lacrosse courts, an athletics track, three English lapta fields, a full-fledged football field, indoor and outdoor netball courts, and 20 tennis courts.

The school has its own center for the visual arts, which includes a student theater, as well as a special center for the study of modern foreign languages.

Program

GCSE

A two-year general secondary education certificate program. Mandatory for studying 6 subjects, 4 subjects are studied by choice.

A-level

A two-year university preparation program. Students choose 4 or 5 subjects for in-depth study. The school has support in English for girls for whom English is not their first language; this includes IELTS and IGCSE tuition for students who join the Sixth Form without a GCSE English qualification.
More about the A-level program

Accommodation

On the territory of the school there is a separate comfortable house for girls of 11 years old: thanks to living here, they can get used to the academic environment of the new school, to life away from home and relatives, quickly adapt and find new friends. The remaining 9 houses are intended for students aged 12-17: each accommodates 45 people, the residents are divided according to age.

Sports

Pupils are given the opportunity to try out various sports with a specialized coach. Every year, trips are organized for female students to a tennis tournament in Florida. Among the available sports are rock climbing, basketball, badminton, water polo, horseback riding, golf, judo, karate, kickboxing, pilates, squash, fencing, tennis, rowing, lacrosse. The school lacrosse team is recognized as one of the best in the UK.

Extracurricular activities

Optional extracurricular activities include: various academic societies, visual arts, photography, various dance groups, ballet, drama, music and participation in various orchestras and groups, and many others.

Weekly social events such as DVD nights, birthday parties and smoothies are held in the houses. There are also many fun activities in each house, such as a “House Party” or family outings to movies, restaurants, and boat trips throughout the semester.

There is a lot of competition between houses. The girls learn to work as a team, overcome differences, develop resilience, and ultimately deepen friendships. For every girl there is competition for a home, whether it be a sports competition at the end of each semester, a music competition, a debating competition, etc.

Weekend activities include activities such as zumba classes, spa days, trips to Thorpe Park, a tour of the Warner Bros and Harry Potter film studios, skiing in the Snow Zone, shopping in London, singing in Oxford and orienteering in the countryside.

Cost, 2022-2023

£14,700 per semester.
There are 3 semesters in the academic year.

Included in the price

Additional charge

• Registration fee – £350

• Deposit – £14,700

• Extra lessons

• Air travel

• Transfers to/from airport

• Visa

• Educational company services

• Selection of a guardian, which is a requirement of the British school

Paradise Education London services and costs

How to choose a school

About secondary education in the UK

how to get – EducationUSA Russia

Student sports are a popular spectacle, a source of pride, a source of income and one of the factors of prestige for universities in the United States. It’s no surprise that more than a thousand American colleges and universities offer a variety of financial support options for talented athletes who play for college teams. In this article, we will talk about how to get a higher education in the USA for free with a sports scholarship, what sports have such opportunities, and how the admission process is built.

Higher education in the US is paid, but many universities are willing to partially or even fully compensate talented and/or needy students. One of such support tools is a sports scholarship.

Let’s make a reservation right away that less than 2% of high school athletes receive sports scholarships. However, the total allocated amount is rather big, more than $2.7 billion per year. Sports scholarships can be obtained at more than 1,000 universities that are members of university sports associations. At the same time, many universities also offer other options for choosing financial assistance to promising applicants-athletes if they cannot provide them with a full sports scholarship.

Which universities can offer sports scholarships?

Student sports associations supervise sports competitions between universities. They also determine the requirements for student athletes admitted to competitions, for sports scholarships and other types of financial support that universities can give to their student athletes.

College Athletic Associations:

1. The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) unites 1,100 universities and supports 24 sports.
2. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has 249 member organizations and supports 17 sports.
3. National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) unites 525 community colleges, supports 16 sports.

There are 3 divisions for each discipline of the Association. A university, a member of the Association, may be included in different divisions in different disciplines. The division into divisions depends on the budget allocated by the educational institution for this sport. On the website of each association, you can find information about which universities are included in them, in which disciplines and in which division.

Types of sports scholarships

There are 2 types of sports scholarships in the USA:

• Full-ride scholarship (full-ride scholarship) covers the cost of tuition, accommodation, meals, study materials and sometimes medical insurance.
• Partial scholarship (partial scholarship) covers only the cost of training – in whole or in part.

Only Division I colleges and universities can pay full athletic scholarships. There are 363 NCAA Division I universities in the United States – they have the largest sports budgets and provide the most scholarships compared to other division levels. Universities of the II Division can pay only a partial sports scholarship.

Ivy League and Division III universities do not provide athletic scholarships, but may provide financial support on other grounds such as need-based. For those who are determined to enter the most prestigious programs of the NCAA Division I and II, it makes sense to take a closer look at the Division III. According to the NCAA, 80% of Division III athletes receive some form of financial aid from universities.

In which sports are sports scholarships awarded?

Student athletes have the most opportunities in the most popular and spectator sports that bring the most revenue to universities. These are American football and basketball for men and basketball, gymnastics, volleyball and tennis for women. The NCAA calls these sports “headcount”.

Other sports are called equivalency. Priority equivalent sports are baseball, rowing, skiing, fencing, golf, gymnastics, running, lacrosse, etc.

Division I equivalent sports for men include baseball, shooting, skiing, cross country running, track and field, football, fencing, swimming, golf, tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, hockey, water polo, lacrosse and wrestling. For Division I women, equivalent sports include bowling, lacrosse, rowing, cross country, track and field, skiing, fencing, soccer, field hockey, softball, golf, swimming, ice hockey, and water polo. All Division II and NAIA sports are equivalent sports.

For equivalent sports, the coach himself distributes the amount of his scholarship fund among the wards. He can distribute them to the most promising athletes equally or in different shares, or even give 90% of the total amount to the most star player in order to pay for his education as much as possible.

Those who play an important role in the team, such as a baseball or softball pitcher, are more likely to increase scholarships in equivalent sports. And in some cases, you can find the best offer in another division.

In some cases, the coach and the administration of the university may offer the student the option of additional assistance: a partial sports scholarship plus other support offered by the university, for example, as a student in need or for his academic merit.

How long is the sports scholarship?

Sports scholarships are most often issued only for a year, extremely rarely – for all 4 years of a bachelor’s degree. Every year, the coach evaluates his wards and makes a new decision on issuing a sports scholarship. He can either increase the size of the scholarship, reduce it, or even withdraw it altogether.

A student may lose his scholarship if he is injured, performs poorly in competitions, has a bad relationship with a coach, or because of poor academic performance or a bad reputation in a university or team.
At the same time, the coach may also revise the amount of assistance upwards if the athlete has shown good results, involvement, passion or has taken a more important role in the team.

Requirements for student athletes

Each association has its own requirements for athletes. The level of education and academic performance, the results of standardized tests (SAT) and foreign language tests (TOEFL) are assessed.

Associations have special selection centers – Eligibility Center. All athletes planning to participate in competitions from their university must be registered by the Association, which includes their university. Registration is required for all student athletes, not just those who want to receive a sports scholarship.
Associations charge a fee for consideration of the application and may well refuse if the package of documents is incomplete or the student does not meet all the requirements.

How to get a sports scholarship?

It is best to start preparing for admission to an American university two years before graduation. Then you will have enough time to find suitable options, create your sports resume, make friends with coaches, improve your knowledge of English and other subjects to the required level, successfully pass the required tests (TOEFL / IELTS, SAT / ACT) and complete all the necessary documentation.

Here are some important steps in preparing for admission to an American university with the help of an athletic scholarship.

Make a list of suitable universities.

At the first stage, study the websites of associations, look at the level of games and the results of sports competitions of universities in the sport of interest. Evaluate in advance which division you can apply for.

Association websites have a search for universities that you should consider for admission if you want to compete in student competitions and get a scholarship. When selecting, take into account not only the athletic achievements of student teams in your sport, but also other factors – location and suitable undergraduate programs.

List about 50 universities.

Check your eligibility for University Sports Associations.

Review all Association requirements, whether you qualify and what you need to do to meet them.

Associations set the number of core high school subjects student-athletes must take, the minimum GPA in those subjects, the minimum SAT/ACT and TOEFL/IELTS test scores for international students. Due to Covid, both universities and the Association temporarily canceled the requirement to take SAT / ACT tests, but in the future they may return it.

Assess your athletic level

This is quite a challenge. So, American students specially attend sports camps in order to better determine their capabilities. But in another country, you can contact your coaches or other sports specialists.

Create a sports resume

Sports resume should include:

• Video highlights or skills;
• Sports statistics;
• Certificate of the current level of education and academic progress, knowledge of the language.

The good reputation of an athlete is of great importance. Coaches and members of the admissions committee will definitely look through the social networks of applicants. Check all your social media accounts to make sure you don’t have any inappropriate or questionable content.

Contact and keep in touch with university coaches

On the websites of universities you can find contacts of head coaches, assistant coaches and recruitment coordinators: phone numbers and e-mail. NSCA recommends contacting coaches via email for the first time. Design your letter so that it stands out. In the subject, briefly indicate your graduation year, sports position, location, achievement. In the letter, provide links to the video and give all possible data so that the trainer can conduct an initial assessment.

Do not send mass mailing to coaches, send each letter separately. It will be a plus to indicate why you are interested in the team of this university. Do not write during the competition. If you receive letters with clarifying questions in response, try to answer as quickly as possible.

In any case, experts advise in about two weeks to contact in person, by phone, with the coaches to whom you sent your resume and clarify whether they are interested. They receive hundreds of emails every week and may well miss yours. When calling, be sure to consider time zones.

The selection process is quite lengthy. In the process of communicating with coaches, you will understand who is interested and who is not and shorten the list of promising universities. Not all trainers’ offers are accompanied by a scholarship. A coach may offer you Preferred Walk-On status – a guaranteed place on the team, but not an athletic scholarship.

But even a verbal offer of a scholarship by trainers is also not a guarantee of a scholarship. The decisive document is the National Letter of Intent (NLI, National Letter of Intent. Each of the Associations has its own versions of such a letter.

Prepare documents

Collect and prepare all documents for the university and associations. The package of documents may differ depending on the requirements of a particular institution.

Academic performance is confirmed by a transcript of a certificate of secondary education or completion of the previous academic level (translated and certified). This document includes a list of subjects studied, indicating the number of hours and grades for each quarter (semester or half year). NAIA and NJCAA require foreign applicants to confirm their level of education through the InCred service.