Just wanted to take the
time to thank God for this opportunity to inspire and give guidance to my
followers.
I won't speak much.
This is to help those that are lost and looking at college from the wrong
perspective. You have about 9 months
of the recruiting process left. Wake up and regroup.
Here is my offensive coordinator's perspective of recruiting: What should you really be
looking for in a university? Don't let ESPN and TV promotion blur your
understanding of what college actually is for. Listen up.
"Everyone has
dreams and aspirations of playing Division 1 football, as did I. I grew up
going to ACC games, so I understand the appeal. The glamour that you see on
ESPN, 70,000 plus screaming fans, Jumbo Trons in the end zone, a multitude of
cameras filming from every angle. I get it. Since you were kids, I’m sure
you’ve heard, “Dream big” and “Shoot for the moon and if you miss you’ll land
amongst the stars.” Ideally, it would be great for every hard working student
athlete to get a full athletic scholarship to any school of their choice.
Unfortunately, that’s impossible, as scholarships are limited. The big
misconception is that you can only accomplish your dreams if you attend a big
time Division 1 program. My brother played Division 1, and I played and
currently coach Division 3 football at Guilford College. I’ve seen both. There
have been success stories at every level, whether dreams of the NFL or running
a successful business. Everyone has a story. There isn’t one path to
get you to your goals. It’s all about the process and your relentless effort to
be successful. These days, y’all call it the “Grind.”
With that being said,
every year I run into parents or athletes that seem to intentionally overlook smaller colleges
based on various misconceptions and I
often see student-athletes miss out on good opportunities. I’m all for using
sports as a vehicle to get to the next level. However, your collegiate
experience goes beyond the football field. So many athletes/parents lose focus
that the primary goal of going to college is to earn a degree. Each year
athletes miss out on great opportunities on smaller levels because they’re
uneducated about the recruiting process and things to consider. Here at Guilford
College, we believe athletes and their families’ primary focus should be on
Academics, Location, and Football when making a College decision.
Academics
First and foremost, make
sure you take care of business in the classroom in high school starting
freshman year. The better your grades, the more opportunities will arise for
you later on. One of the biggest misconceptions is that Division 3 does not
have scholarships. Although Division 3 schools don’t have athletic scholarships,
they do provide academic scholarships and other forms of financial aid.
When considering
colleges, do your research! Key factors: majors, teach-student ratio, graduation/retention rates, and overall
academic reputation. Personally, I wanted to be at a school that had my best
interest on and off the field. I valued the small classroom size and the
individual attention I received positively affected my grades. Every school is
different, so find the best fit for you. The goal is to graduate and ultimately
find your “passion .”
Location
Location is vital when
looking for a place to call home. My advice is to visit campuses. Check out the
atmosphere. I asked myself several questions. Can I proudly call this home? Is
the food good? Is the campus safe, friendly, clean? Do I prefer a city or small
town? On your visit, it’s all about a feel. You’ll know in your heart if
it’s a place that you can call home.
Football
When it comes to
football, what factors are important to you? Facilities? Winning program?
Coaches? Players? Playing time? Athletic scholarships? Family atmosphere? On
your visit, dig deep to evaluate a program. Come up with a list of
questions that are important to ask the coaches and players. From a coach’s
perspective, we appreciate families that are prepared with questions. It shows that they
care.
People ask me all the
time why I played Division 3. Unlike some of my family/peers, I wasn't offered
a full scholarship to play football after high school, only walk-on
opportunities at the higher levels, so I had decisions to make. Many of you may
be in the same situation and have some of the same questions. Do I want to go
to a D1 school and walk-on or try the D3 route? Do I want to red-shirt & go
to school for 5 years instead of 4 years and, as a result, pay for 5 years
instead of 4? Will I have an opportunity to compete and make an impact if I
walk-on? That’s just to name a few questions to consider. I don’t think
there are right or wrong answers to these questions, but your answers will be
geared towards your personal preferences. I felt I could go to a higher level
and compete, but, honestly, I felt disrespected no one had the faith to take a chance on me. So I sought to use that as motivation, day in and day out. I’m a
competitor and all I wanted was an opportunity to compete. I was confident that
I would be successful if given the opportunity. I have no regrets. At the
end of the day, football is football. You set goals and you work to accomplish
them, you get coached, you play to win, you are taught key life lessons, and you
grind hard to be the best that you can possibly be. NFL stars, doctors, lawyers,
etc. all come from different schools that range from Division 1 to 3. It all
comes down to you. How bad to you want to be successful? Figure out
what’s best for you from an Academic, Location and Football perspective, and
you will find a home. It doesn’t matter where the opportunity lies, it’s about
what you do with that opportunity!"
Excuse me for a bit.
I have to rant and get a few things off of my chest about our generation.
THIS IS WHY OUR ATHLETES ARE LOST AFTER THEY GRADUATE COLLEGE. I'm tired of
seeing athletes getting lost in the sauce after graduation. There is no
reason a college All-American should be working a minimum wage job, holiday shifts at Walmart. On the back of a furniture moving truck. Or throwing boxes at Fed-Ex. WAKE UP. All athletes are natural leaders. We should take over the work force like we take over the field. Use the
system of college and know the final goal of securing your or your child's
future. America uses college degrees like an eligibility check for
getting a job. Knowing that, use the education system. You can't
put a value on a degree. Remember the plan.
Chris Barnette
Guilford College as a player 07'
266 catches for 2953 yards and 30 touchdowns
2X All American
ODAC Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Guilford College as a Coach
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2012 NCAA/NFL Coaches Academy Participant
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