It is important for athletes and their parents to do some research on the school’s academic programs and athletic history,, create a target list of their favorite schools and start contacting the coaches.

The athletes, their parents, their teachers and their coaches can all be involved in the decision making process.

Student-athletes should always have a list of questions ready to ask coaches, from what type of majors are offered (or popular with athletes on the team) to how often and how far away the team travels to games and events.

Schools which cater to international students would be more understanding of non-US students needs and would be better equipped to assist international students.

If your child accepts a scholarship to any country which requires a travel visa from citizens of Trinidad & Tobago, your child WILL need a visa. The schools usually assist with documentation to attain a student visa. These visas have stipulations attached which must be properly adhered to.

The NCAA is the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It’s the major governing body for intercollegiate athletics. More than 1200 colleges and universities are members of the NCAA. It’s a “non-profit” organization that brings in roughly one billion dollars in revenue each year.

Generally speaking, NCAA divisions separate schools by the level of competition and the resources of their athletic departments. Most collegiate sporting events you see on television, from March Madness to the College World Series, are competitions between Division I schools.

Division I offers the highest level of competition and Division I schools’ athletic departments have the biggest budgets. Division III is the lowest level of competition in the NCAA, and Division III schools also tend to have the smallest athletic department budgets.

Some schools require that student-athletes (or all students) live on campus for at least one, if not four years. Others allow students to live off campus or have apartment-style housing available. Most colleges have dormitory residences with accommodation for 2 or more students in each room of the dormitory. Some universities may have dormitories which are exclusive to student-athletes, but generally, they reside amongst other non-athlete students. There are multiple combinations of living arrangements and each school’s offerings must be examined for a better understanding of it.

In 2014, the NCAA made it mandatory for D1 programs to provide student-athletes with unlimited meals and snacks, but those same rules don’t always apply to D2, D3 or NAIA programs. Make sure to ask whether student-athletes are on the same meal plan as their non-athlete peers, as well as what types of dining options are available. Some schools have even started to offer specialty athletic nutrition facilities – complete with chefs and dieticians – to help their athletes reach peak performance.

The athlete should not exceed the work limits of her visa when seeking employment in the USA. F-1 and J-1 visa holders are not allowed to undertake paid or unpaid work off-campus at any time, but can work on campus up to 20 hours a week during the term time or 40 hours a week between semesters.

Most athletes who represent Trinidad & Tobago at regional and international events, will be in the sight of recruiting scouts and coaches, especially if their times and distances are within the qualifying range of the schools. The recruiting process is a two-way street however. Even though coaches are evaluating student-athletes, it’s also up to the whole family to evaluate a potential school or program. The DLF can assist in this regard.