What Are The Chances My Child Will Get A Sports Scholarship To College?
Posted: Wednesday, July 23, 2008
by Laura Trahan
In today’s society, we start our kids out young in sports in hope of one day bringing home the big money in the form of a college scholarship.
We line the soccer fields, travel across the country for baseball, volleyball, softball or whatever sport our child is interested in at the time for competitions.
Our child spends the majority of time going from practice to practice, team to team, select league to select league. Why do we do this? Why do we spend endless money, resources and vacations? Is it for the love of the sports? No, we have hopes of one day our child bringing home that scholarship money to help pay for college.
What did they do to get those scholarships and signing bonuses? Well, they were talented players. Talent can only get you so far. Most had agents, but again certain agents can get you so far. They did play for multiple teams at a time, attend lessons from private instructors, had a resume of experience dating back to the age of three, but compared to the competition all that was the same for every player. So how did they become the chosen recipient? I believe it was all about being at the right place at the right time.
According to a study completed by the New York Times and published in March of 2008, expectations of parents and athletes differ greatly from the financial and cultural realities of college athletics.
After reviewing the data and interviewing various college officials, the New York Times found some disturbing statistics for those parents spending thousands in hopes for gaining that scholarship.
Excluding the glamour sports of football and basketball, the average NCAA athletic scholarship is nowhere near a full ride to college, amounting to $8,707. In sports like baseball or track and field, the number is routinely as low as $2,000. Even when football and basketball are included, the average is $10,409.
Tuition and room and board at an NCAA institution often costs between $20,000 and $50,000 a year.
Other stats collected in the last NCAA 2003-04 study include:
- Men received 57 percent of all scholarship money, but in 11 of the 14 sports with men’s and women’s teams, the women’s teams averaged higher amounts per athlete.
- On average, the best paying sport was neither football nor men’s or women’s basketball. It was men’s ice hockey at $21,755. Next was women’s ice hockey with $20,540.
- The lowest overall average scholarship total was in men’s riflery at $3,608 and the lowest for women was in bowling with $4,899. Baseball was the second lowest men’s sport with $5,806.
With all of this, how does your child become one of the lucky ones who does bring home the money? In the times article, one kid who did achieve scholarship money tells about how he can pinpoint the exact moment he won the hearts of the recruiters. It was in one game. He scored a few goals and had some great plays. He said he often wonders what would have happened if he had a bad game that day. That is what it comes down to.
The kids I told you about above. The scouts came out several years before I was reporting on this team. The coach knew somebody and wanted this one kid looked at. Every year, they keep coming back because that first year, another kid caught their eye. They came back to watch him the next year and the same thing has been happening over and over.
It comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Yes, these select leagues can provide you that exposure, but in the end it is a game of chance.
Is your child going to perform at the right level at the right time? Is that coach going to like your attitude as a parent? Does your kid have that right attitude-are they coachable?
As parents you have to weigh the cost of all the expenses to decide if it is worth the chance of the return payout. The best advice I can give is to stress the academics. Academics can pay more or just as much as a sport scholarship ever did. In the end, be prepared and prepare your kid for the amount of work that it will take to even keep that scholarship.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Great article, Laura! It is much harder for boys to get the athletic scholarships than girls;much more competition. One of my daughters went to college on a double scholarship: softball and art. She went to a private school; they typically offer a better deal. Between the two scholarships she had about 1/2 of her college covered. At that time, as an infielder, the going rate was about 30% for a scholarship. Pitchers could look forward to a full ride, catchers about 50% and outfielders about 20% unless they could hit extremely well. Signing that letter of intent was a pinnacle for her.Thanks for all the information. So much has changed since my kids were college age, and I figure it will continue to change in the future.Lorrie-Thanks for the information! I did not know that about private colleges. It is continually changing! Thanks so much for commenting!
hi laura,s---, i never thought about scholarships when my kids were playing sports.but then again, none wanted to go to college, my daughter got a 2 1/2 year degree, and my son passed, and i have one left, but he'll go to a votech probably.i hope you have an urn sized change container :)thanks for a good article,my best,sueSue-thanks for commenting! I really do not worry about the scholarship issue. I think God will provide and my son is so bright, I know he will do well. It is just crazy that the competition starts so young! thanks so much for commenting and sharing your life with us daily!-Laura
Interesting article, Laura. My feeling is that if the child is talented and motivated to play a sport, wants to constantly improve and play a notch up each time he/she gets the chance, then the next big hurdle to attract the college coach is to be as talented and motivated in the classroom. According to the book, How To Win A Sports Scholarship, College coaches say when they first see or hear about a possible recruit, they check out their academic statistics (GPA and SAT/ACT scores) FIRST. If they show they are college material, then they begin looking at them seriously to be part of their program. Too many kids focus on the sport and neglect the studies. Poor decision if they want to play a collegiate sport with a sports scholarship.Penny-Thanks for all the wisdom and information! I will have to check that book out! Thanks for commenting!
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