College Athletics: It’s Okay to say No!
September 2nd, 2008 - byOver the last three years, I would estimate that I have spoken with over 5,000 student athletes and their families. One of the first questions that I tend to ask since it seems to predicate the rest of my conversation is, “How serious is your son or daughter about playing college sports?” The answer is almost always “100% serious.” I suppose this should not surprise me, but I have come to realize that a lot of these student athletes really are nowhere near “100% serious.”
I often feel as though if a student athlete has played a specific sport for a number of years, and played at a relatively high level, they almost feel obligated to want to play at the collegiate level. Note to high school student athletes: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WANT TO PLAY COLLEGE SPORTS.
The reason that I am passionate about working at NCSA with student athletes is because I know how many advantages student athletes will receive from playing collegiate athletics. From preferred scheduling, to an immediate group of friends on campus, to networking opportunities after college, the list of benefits is extremely long. For those who truly want to play at the next level, that experience will prove to change their life in many ways and most of them overwhelmingly positive.
However, if you have competed in high school or club athletics, please understand that you are not required to continue playing in college. The most important goal should be earning a college education whether or not athletics is a part of that. That being said, if you are passionate about playing at the next level then I strongly suggest you begin taking a proactive approach in your recruiting process because it will change your life in many great ways.
