7th Edition
By Frances and James Killpatrick

Never Say "I Wish I Had"

From Yvonne Kaufman, Women's Basketball Coach, Elizabethtown College

I have a motto I give to my teams: Never have to look at something and say "I wish I had". Be able to look back and say "I did." That is as true for choosing a college and a sports program as it is for anything else in life. Do what feels right for you. If it doesn't feel right and you are not happy, get out. Of course you should not go into the selection process planning to make a mistake. There are some important steps you should take in making your choice. Make a checklist and rate all the schools on the same points:

• Visit the campus if at all possible. Meet the coach face to face. It really helps the coach to associate a name with a face. If you can't visit, a videotape is the next best thing, but keep it short.
• When your high school coach writes to recommend you, try to see that the letter accurately assesses your abilities. Too many are just puff. College coaches don't pay much attention to those.
• Look at academics first. You can only play basketball for four years, but your education is for life.
• By all means watch the team play. Do you like the style of play? The uniforms? Is the coach a yeller and screamer of the quiet type? Could you play for him or her? Be wary of coaches who promise you too much.
• Ask yourself what you really want. Do you need to be a star? Or do you just want to be on a winning team? You should understand that if the team is regularly in the playoffs you may have to wait your turn to play. If being a star right away is important , then you should look elsewhere. On the other hand, some players just want to be part of a team. There are programs for them, too.
• Weigh the financial aid package carefully. Its great to be able to say you are on a basketball scholarship, but a need-based package at a Division III school could amount to more over your four years.
• Then, do what you have to do.

Yvonne Kaufmann's Lady Jays were Division III national champions in 1988-89 and 1981-82.

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