Things You Should Know About Sports Scholarships

BY MELISSA BURNS

 

Many young people dream of getting sports scholarship, play their favorite sport, and later become rich and famous. However, before you start dreaming big, it is important to check out the realities about these awards. The following are some important things you should know about sports scholarships.

• The odds of getting big sports scholarship are very minimal. A stunning fact is that only one percent of high school sports athletes get these scholarships to continue at good universities and colleges. The odds are terrible so even odds converter cannot help you get such scholarship because luck is very much involved in this matter. Even those that get these scholarships later end up a bit disappointed knowing that the amount received is not as high as they expected.
• Full sports scholarships are very rare to find. They cover only the biggest and most popular sports. Also these scholarships are usually very small. All other sports beyond the most popular ones are regarded as equivalency sports. The main athletic association dictates how much money can be spent on a program and coaches can slice and divide these awards as they wish, which often leads to very small scholarships.
• Do not fall for sweet words and flattery. Usually coaches tell young athletes that the university they work for has a lot of scholarship money to give out, but often that is not the case. They will say or do anything to attract a young prospect, so take everything that is said with a dose of doubt.
• Verbal commitment to a sports program does not mean anything. There are many coaches that tell young high school athletes that they want them badly for their team. Then these kids can say they commit verbally, but that is not a guarantee that they will end up at that university. The coach can easily change his opinion and say that they do not want the young athlete later. Then you cannot do anything about it.
• Playing sports at college requires hard work, strong commitment and discipline. Many college athletes do not have enough time to do anything else in their young lives besides sports. The hours they spend on training and playing are often insane. The rigorous regime is not for everyone and many students find it very difficult to balance between sports and their studies.
• Videos of you playing sports are not very helpful. This is a sad fact, but close to the truth. Coaches do not want to watch hours and hours of lengthy videos of high school athletes performing sports. Yes, they are checking videos of top athletes, but only for a minute or two. If you send a ten minute video of your sports skills to the coach, chances are high that the coach will not see it fully. A much better thing to do is post your video on YouTube and if you are that good then someone will likely notice you and approach you.

Knowing what’s vital to focus on increases your chances of getting that scholarship you’ve been eyeing for a while. Being persistent and dedicated to building your young sports career is the way to go, however, don’t be unrealistic. Pay attention to how others are getting their sports scholarships and learn from them.

Nothing is impossible but before getting all of your hopes up, make sure you truly do your best while playing because with or without that scholarship, you want to grow up to become a respected sports professional.

Melissa Burns graduated from the faculty of Journalism of Iowa State University. Nowadays she is an entrepreneur and independent journalist.