In the whole dynamic of college athletic scholarships and recruiting, there seems to be a “blurred” view of what the end result should be…………Depending on what your role is in the process, that end result could be quite diverse.  If you’re the athlete, you would think it is getting to play your sport at that next higher level!  For other athletes, it might be the “stepping-stone” into the pros!  A parent, seeing your child go to college…..FREE!  A high school coach, getting a good reputation in placing talent within the collegiate system!  The college coach, obviously, getting the talent to win the elusive championship!

In all of the craziness that accompanies this process, more and more seem to be forgetting the end result for going to college should be “graduating with a degree”!  Like the NCAA commercial on TV points out, a certain amount of collegiate athletes go on to be professionals in something other than thier sport!  Of course, graduation and getting degrees don’t seem to be as exciting as being on ESPN every Saturday or signing big money contracts……The media and society seems to have lost their vision on what going to college “and” getting a scholarship should truly be about.  Being able to trade sports for education is a great privilege!

The person that this whole process should truly be about is the student-athlete…..THEY are the ones that have to deliver the grades and the skills in competition in order to maintain that scholarship.  THEY are the ones that are shaping their future.  THEY are the ones that will have to find their career once out of college, be it in sports or something else.  THEY are the ones that had to work hard, be dedicated and score high on their exams during high school in order to be considered a valid recruit!  So, THEY are the ones that should be mostly considered during the whole process of recruiting, etc.

It’s great that the student-athlete can go to college for free, or at least with some financial aid.  For some, it is the “only” way they can get into college!  For the parents that don’t have the financial means to get their kids into college, this is a blessing!  With that said, try to conceal the urgency of that situation.  Your kids don’t need to have that extra pressure on them while going through the process.  Although, they probably understand that more than you might realize.  It’s a good thing to discuss it early on with your child, but don’t be obsessive about it………

The high school coaches involved can have a variety of agendas going.  I’m not going to get into all of that, as most of you already know exactly what I’m talking about……Let’s just agree that there are good coaches out there with the student-athlete’s best interest on their minds and then there are some not-so-good coaches with only “their” own benefits on their minds.  You just have to be careful and try to work with the coaches the best way you can, but DO NOT put all of your eggs in that basket!  Both parents and athletes need to assume there is no help and take time to connect with colleges on their own.  Too often do we hear “the coach, school or athletic department let us down” or “they didn’t do what they said they would”……….Again, assume they won’t help, do things on your own and if they end up being involved with the promotion of the athlete, then that’s an added benefit!

As far as college coaches go, well, it’s their job to recruit the talent to make their teams champions, period.  Now, along with that job comes a lot of side responsibilities, like making sure your athletes attend class, abide by the college’s rules, maintain a certain level of character when representing the college and the team, etc.  College coaches also find themselves playing the role of parent, teacher, friend, therapist and a few others……Most have good intentions for your child, but don’t be naive to think that the ultimate winning is not the goal!

When it comes right down to it, the college scholarship is for the high school student-athlete and THEY are the ones that should be supported, guided and rewarded during the process.  The decisions need to be discussed, not just about what school will make offers, but which one best fits their immediate goals for playing their sport “and” their future graduation.   Parents need to be open-minded and listen to what their child wants as well.  Ultimately, you want whats best for the student-athlete, so they will be happy and thrive well in their chosen college environment.  At the same time, the student-athlete needs to understand that their parents have life experience that can be helpful in making these types of decisions. 

So remember, as you step through the confusing process of recruiting and scholarship hunting, just be sure that you understand it is the student-athlete’s scholarship and that is is to be a “reward” for their sacrifice, hard work and determination!  It is to be a path of greater learning and life changing experiences in and out of athletic competition!  Keep it “fun” and definitely keep it real!

* For more high school athletics and college recruiting / scholarship assistance, visit:  http://www.viewmysport.com/