The National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) hosted two webinars focused on recruitment for 447 registrants in late April.
 
Registrants from 42 states and two foreign countries logged in to learn about opportunities to compete as a varsity student-athlete in Acrobatics & Tumbling programs at NCATA member institutions.
 
“Our staff is really excited by the turnout and enthusiasm of those who joined,” said NCATA Executive Director Janell Cook.  “With limits on the ways we would typically educate various groups about opportunities to compete in collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling, meeting with so many people virtually is essential to the continued growth of the sport.”
 
The registrant group was reflective of the diverse background of athletes who train and compete in the skill sets of the sport, and those who support them.  Potential student-athletes, parents, youth coaches, high school administrators, and gym owners from artistic gymnastics, club and all-star cheer, acrobatic gymnastics, trampoline & tumbling, gymnastics for all, and high school cheerleading joined the webinar.
 
In addition to receiving guidance on how interested potential student-athletes can engage in the recruiting process, registrants learned about sport history, current student-athlete demographics, and what to expect from a varsity student-athlete experience. 
 
NCATA staff also provided updates on the recent addition of Acrobatics & Tumbling as an emerging sport in NCAA DII and DIII, and the impact of COVID-19 on the planned vote in NCAA DI.  They discussed other COVID-19 impacts on recruiting and answered questions from participants at the conclusion of the presentation.
 
“Potential student-athletes compete in a number of sports and disciplines, so we loved being able to address their unique questions,” said Cook.  “Our staff also understands how daunting the recruiting process can be for potential student-athletes and parents. Our goal is to provide a starting point for them, and for youth coaches or others supporting them, to prepare to be eligible for NCAA or NAIA competition and have an idea of how communication with collegiate programs may occur.”
 
Many NCATA programs are still recruiting for the upcoming fall.  Since March 15, over 60 high school seniors have signed with NCATA programs.  Contact information and links to recruiting questionnaires for NCATA members may be found on each member page on the NCATA website.
 
Future webinar dates are being planned and will be announced on the NCATA social media pages. 
 
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