What is a Walk-On Athlete?

What exactly is a walk-on athlete? Well, I'm not exactly sure when the walk-on process began, but I can explain what it is and how it works. A walk-on athlete can try and compete in any college athletics ranging from football to rodeo. Walk-on status simply refers to a player who comes to try out for a collegiate team that has not been invited or has not been given a scholarship. Every collegiate team will have a 2-4 week session before the actual start of the season for training,learning and just getting to know each other. At the end of this session there is a walk-on session which usually takes 2-5 days. During this process the coaching staff grades players on talent, ambition and a variety of specific skills. Once the walk-on period ends the coaching staff gets together and decides who they might want to stick around and play on the team.

Walk-ons are usually guys or girls that played high school sports at a small school and didn't get noticed on a national or even regional level. If these athletes know they have what it takes they go walk-on somewhere and make the team. There have been numerous athletes over the years that have walked on to a program and made it very big. Usually after the first year a walk-on makes it they are rewarded with some sort of a scholarship. With major programs walking-on is much more challenging than a smaller program or even a division 2 or 3 school. If you've ever seen the movie Rudy, that is basically what the whole thing is about.

Once a walk-on has made the team they get all the same treatment that any other player would get. They are a normal part of the team and unless you remember or know otherwise the walk-on term will gradually go away. If a walk-on player excels at his sport he can make him or herself more popular by re-attaching the walk-on status. Walk-on players that excel are generally looked upon as a great underdog story and bring much more attention to themselves.

Next time you see an athlete that has walked-on to a collegiate team make sure you know that they probably have not had an easy road. Their heart is usually bigger than most and their motivation is through the roof. Just appreciate the sacrifices that they have gone through to be where they're at.