The location of your school is important. No, check that. The location of your school is very important! This is true whether you are a student-athlete or a teacher. You do not want to be miserable because of your location.

There are many things that go into making your school selection. Everyone knows that the mere fact of being offered a scholarship makes your school’s selection a moot point. Most people are going to go where the money is. I know I did, and maybe it really was not the best choice for me, although I have no regrets.

Your choice also may directly affect your success potential.

If you are a teacher or prospective teacher, you need to like your place of work. You will spend too much time there to hate it.

Let us inspect why the location of your school is important. Think about:

• Do you want your family and friends to see you play? If you do, you had better stay close. If this is important to you, I would keep my selection close enough for a one- or two-day drive. Having your friends and family make these trips repeatedly can get costly and can drain people emotionally. Everyone, meaning your friends and family, still must go to work the next day or the Monday after a weekend visit.It is nice to see friendly faces after a game, regardless of the outcome of that game.
• Make sure you are self-aware. Examine your conscience. Forget the glitter of the recruiting process. Where are you going to play and be happy?
• Where do you fit in? Can you smoothly acclimate to the culture and climate of your new school?
• You must be able to find that special niche of people who are like you.
• When you call home, be prepared for some “tough love.” You may need it whether or not you know it.
• Do you have that boyfriend or girlfriend who will be difficult to leave? Know that managing any long-distance relationship is extremely difficult. Will you hurt your chances athletically or academically by trying to manage this relationship? Being in love can distract you from your mission.
• Always be ready to make “half-time” adjustments to your game plan for life (Yergalonis). It is okay to change jobs! You will probably look to change jobs several times in your career. Embrace the change.