College Athletics: The Quest for Scholarships
By Michele Blandino
With the cost of a four-year college education rapidly increasing, many young athletes are turning their attention – and efforts – toward securing an athletic scholarship. Indeed, according to Sport-Scholarships, athletic scholarships are available in a total of 29 men’s and women’s sports, including: football, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, golf, cross country and bowling.
What many of these young athletes do not realize, however, is that the competition for available scholarship dollars is fierce.
Stiff Competition
According to the National Collegiate Scouting Association, an average of 72,000 Division 1 athletic scholarships are awarded each year. While this sounds like an appreciable number, it must be evaluated in conjunction with the 6 million student athletes vying for these dollars. Put another way, only 1.2 percent of high school athletes will actually win a Division 1 athletic scholarship.
These are sobering numbers. And, they become even more sobering when one takes the time to realize that in most cases, a scholarship will not be awarded unless the athlete takes matters into their own hands and sell themselves to the recruiter.
Focus and Sacrifice
To be sure, winning an athletic scholarship takes a great deal of dedication and sacrifice. Most student-athletes begin playing their chosen sport in grade school and by the time they reach junior high school, they focus exclusively on that sport. In addition to playing on their school teams, many athletes play for travel teams, regional teams and sometimes even teams located out of state. And, because the season lasts all year, opportunities to participate in other activities are usually quite limited.
The Process
Most recruiting services recommend that the student-athlete begin the process during their sophomore year. During this time, serious thought should be given the schools the student may want to attend. While this list is being compiled, the student should also put together a portfolio of their athletic achievements as well as a highlight video. By the end of the sophomore year, they should send letters to the coaches at the schools they are interested in attending. If the coach is interested in opening a dialogue with the student, he or she will make contact. Remember, the rules governing when a coach may contact a student-athlete vary depending on rules of the athletic association to which the college belongs. As a result, the fact that a reply to the student-athlete’s letter is not received in a timely manner may not necessarily indicate a lack of interest rather it may very well be that the coach is prohibited from contacting the student-athlete.
Grades Matter
What many student-athletes fail to realize is that once the scholarship has been awarded, the work has just begun. Because athletic scholarships are renewed annually, it is critical that the student-athlete pay close attention to their studies. If their grade point average falls below a certain level, it is likely that their scholarship will not be renewed.
For More Information:
The best way to learn about the recruiting process is to visit the websites of the various athletic associations to which colleges belong. Most colleges belong to one of the following three organizations:
