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I was reading the thread on cheer and a few people mentioned parents with kids involved in competitive sports could invest all the money they spend on travel sports instead of chasing college scholarships. As a parent of athletes I never had my kids participate in sports or camps or anything sports related because I thought it would get them a scholarship. I just let them do things that they like and they like sports.
At some point, usually junior year in HS, the kids do need to think about whether they want to play in college, as well as what level. If your child is good enough to compete for a scholarship that is the time to start thinking about scholarships. Before that, sports is just something to do. The best players at age 10 are not always the best players at age 16.
Anyway-do those of you who have kids that participate in competitive sports consider scholarship opportunities for your young child or are you just letting them play because they like it?
Around here, the school sports teams are so competitive that only the very elite could even consider athletic scholarships, and oftentimes they are for very small colleges.
We are not that talented athletically anyway, just recreational level, and my kids don't want to attend small colleges.
Now, if I had a child like Missy Franklin, it might be a different story.
But how do you know whether you do or not? If your child is good at a sport at the recreational level and wants to try out for the travel team do you say no just because you don't think she will get a scholarship? Every Olympic star and scholarship athlete was a kid once.
My son played youth football with a young man who is on scholarship at Iowa State. He wasn't a great youth football player. He like playing though and his parents paid for him to attend camps and clinics. I don't think they were counting on a scholarship when they did this. They just let him go because he liked it.
Around here, the school sports teams are so competitive that only the very elite could even consider athletic scholarships, and oftentimes they are for very small colleges.
We are not that talented athletically anyway, just recreational level, and my kids don't want to attend small colleges.
But how do the elite get elite? Most of the elite are just good players who develop their talent to the max.
If your kids were really good at a sport and wanted to try out for the travel team would you tell them no just because you don't think they will get a scholarship? My kids have competed in sports at the competitive level and hardly any parents really think about scholarships for younger kids. It starts to surface in 8th grade when it is time to pick high schools but before that most parents I know have their kids play competitive sports because the kids like the sport, not because of college scholarships.
Both... and I hate to say it, but some colleges look at sports achievements clear back to junior high. If you have any inkling that your child may be good enough to be granted a sports scholarship, you should keep records (awards, video, etc...) of them playing for as many years as you can. My son plays sports because he is competitive and enjoys it... however, I have made him aware that his ability to accel on the basketball court or on the golf course can lead to him getting a college education. At this point, he is only looking at colleges that offer the sports he plays and are willing to talk about scholarships.
It started with enjoyment... it progressed to being about enjoyment PLUS making good financial decisions.
But how do you know whether you do or not? If your child is good at a sport at the recreational level and wants to try out for the travel team do you say no just because you don't think she will get a scholarship? Every Olympic star and scholarship athlete was a kid once.
My son played youth football with a young man who is on scholarship at Iowa State. He wasn't a great youth football player. He like playing though and his parents paid for him to attend camps and clinics. I don't think they were counting on a scholarship when they did this. They just let him go because he liked it.
You can usually tell somewhat early on. If your child trips while running away from the soccer ball and they have been playing soccer for 3 years, there isn't a good chance they will be getting a soccer scholarship. If your kid can barely make it to the other end of the pool, they probably won't be an Olympic swimmer.
As long as they are having fun while they do it, I see no harm in it. Of course there will be the occasional late bloomer like the kid in your story, but you can usually tell early on if they have any talent for it. Let them play if you can afford it. Just don't count on that scholarship.
But how do the elite get elite? Most of the elite are just good players who develop their talent to the max.
If your kids were really good at a sport and wanted to try out for the travel team would you tell them no just because you don't think they will get a scholarship? My kids have competed in sports at the competitive level and hardly any parents really think about scholarships for younger kids. It starts to surface in 8th grade when it is time to pick high schools but before that most parents I know have their kids play competitive sports because the kids like the sport, not because of college scholarships.
We play sports every season, and if a kid does not like the sport we try another one. We are a football/track/basketball family. We've tried baseball and soccer. Neither captured my kids' attention, but my teens still play pickup soccer with friends on weekends.
I actually paid hundreds of dollars on a hitting coach for my oldest kids when they tried baseball. They were 9. It did not help them. If they had had more talent and drive for those sports, we would have pursued it. But I think the key to the elite level has to be a combination of natural drive and some talent, along with a supportive family and access to trainers.
Now my youngest (3rd grade) was a 10-lb baby, is built like a hoss and LOVES football. He has already played full-contact football since age 5, and we will let him go till he wants to stop.
From what I have seen with my older boys, real training happens in high school. In our area there are pro training facilities galore, and if you want a coach for your 7-year-old and have the $$, you can get it. We have friends whose son is a great basketball player. He plays year-round for multiple teams, but has no time for other things. Based on other players I've seen just in our county, he would not be drafted in the first round.
I don't think elite status is worth that kind of sacrifice. I mean, the US women's gymnasts basically have to leave home and live with Bela Karolyi while training at the ranch. I don't know if that's something I honestly would want to encourage.
In our house, sports were child driven. If they wanted to try out for travel teams, and were willing to make the commitment in time, we supported them. Throughout their middle and high school years, they were successful at the sports they chose to focus on, sometimes they even were standouts. We never wanted them to pursue college sports though. In our view, college was for studying and focusing on a career. They still play, but at the intramural level, and miss games and practices when their workloads are too heavy.
Middle son's high school football team went to the state championship. Some of the players on his team were offered scholarships, including one boy who set some state records for rushing. Not one of them is still playing football, three years later. The son of a good friend had a scholarship this year to a college in NY, also for football. He left the team before the season ended, and is transferring to another school next semester. I asked why, and he told me he hated the football program. He felt that nobody wanted to be friends, because everybody was fighting for the same positions on the team. The girl down the street who played on multiple travel soccer teams? The same thing. She played one season in college, then gave up her scholarship.
Another friend's son is graduating hs this year, and he has been in the papers all fall, voted 1st team, athlete of the week, etc. His coach sent out a highlights tape, and he got several schools interested in having him play for them. But, his SAT scores are awful, and his grades aren't much better. He can't academically qualify for any of them. His parents were counting on his getting a scholarship, and at this point, they have no idea what he will do next year.
I think it takes a really exceptional athlete, one who wants to eventually go pro, to warrant extreme involvement in sports at a young age. And the parents have to be realistic too, since such a small minority truly have the talent to make it.
Our DD wasn't interested in sports so it wasn't an issue. DS would have played pretty much anything and everything if we'd have allowed it. He played for fun and we nixed the travel teams. Sports are very competitive in our area and we weren't interested in the commitment the travel teams required. The time or the money. And frequently the super competitive attitude wasn't where we were comfortable. I absolutely saw kids whose parents forked out good amounts of money for their kids to play in the most competitive leagues and travel teams as well as attending high profile summer camps. Some of these families had the money but some were struggling to do this for multiple kids. More than once I heard parents discussing the possibility of scholarships down the road as justification for the expense Our HS has sent a fair number of kids to D1 schools to play sports. Some of these kids also had excellent academics as well however. I also have seen kids burnt out after HS or playing 1 season at a D2 or lower before deciding it was time to move on. If money is tight, sports isn't where I'd be spending.
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