Student-athletes who compete in the NCAA Division II have five years to complete their four years of athletic eligibility. Some student-athletes complete their four years consecutively, others redshirt.
According to NCAA.org, “redshirting” is a season in which a student athlete does not play against outside competition, ultimately elongating his or her period of eligibility. During this period, athletes still practice and train with the team, extending their training process and maximizing their success.
Redshirting is no new phenomenon. Every year, a large number of student-athletes nationwide willfully bow out of competition season and grab a seat on the bench.
For many, such as junior forward Corey Langerveld, this isn’t an easy decision since many of them have played their entire lives.
“I’ve played basketball, actually on a team, since I was in third grade,“ Langerveld said. “So the idea of not being able to play in games for an entire year was really weird. It was a tough decision to make and was tough to sit through during game days.”
Although redshirting isn’t an easy decision for players to make, many know that it will make them a better player and give them more playing time in the long run.
Coming into college, many athletes choose to redshirt their freshmen year, with the understanding that they won’t get any playing time. At APU, many players compete their freshman year and redshirt sophomore year, some even redshirt their junior year.
“Definitely having a year before redshirting, where I got a taste of all the excitement, helped me,” junior forward Will Ward said.
Ward further touched on why the process of redshirting after having a year of playing time is efficient. “It gave me a new perspective. I was lucky enough to get playing time my freshman year, and then when I redshirted, I was able to see what the coaches were seeing that I wouldn’t have noticed if I was on the court.”
APU’s unusually high rate of redshirting may be a leading factor in the team’s success. Having a year or more of playing time, pre-redshirt, allows players to understand the areas in which they can improve.
“Over the course of 10 years, it’s been a huge competitive advantage for our program to be able to develop the students that we have,” head basketball coach Justin Leslie said.
Although the decision is difficult, APU players realize the importance of taking the time to train.
“Looking back, I know that it was the best thing for me,” Langerveld said. “I feel like I got a lot better, I became more confident, adjusted to the game and had a year to focus on how I could better myself.”
Having athletes maximize their potential and become the best players they can be is one of the biggest goals for Coach Leslie.
Eight players on the Cougars’ roster have redshirted, and three more are currently doing so.
“There is no shortcut to success; it’s time and it’s work ethic. Redshirting helps develop that,” Leslie said.