College sports have been an acclaimed part of American heritage and pop culture throughout the twentieth century and continue to hold their importance to this day. Many dream of becoming a professional athlete when they are children and it is a step towards that dream for some; but for others, it is the next level of competition to continue playing at with the knowledge that what they learn while at college will be more important than their athletic prowess. However, the process to become a college athlete is one that can be complicated and usually has more twists than one would expect. So, people end up going into one of three different groups: not playing in college because of lack of desire, not playing in college due to lack of interest from coaches and successfully being recruited and playing in college.
There are many valid reasons as to why one would be swayed away from pursuing college athletics, regardless of which division and commitment level they would participate in. Simply, some lack the innate desire to participate and continue playing which is fairly straightforward. However, for some it is a more calculated choice not to play at the intercollegiate level. For some it can be the safety of the game as it becomes more physical and injury rates in intercollegiate athletics can be higher than during youth games and some of these injuries can leave a lasting impact on quality of life such as debilitating knee injuries or concussions. Another large factor is the potential sacrifice of quality of education. To participate in varsity athletics in college one must sacrifice hours each day to practicing their sport, and that time is taken away from studying and other potential extra-curricular activities. Furthermore, academics can be put even more on the backburner at the division one level when eligibility and results are the primary concern for coaches rather than receiving a degree that will help the student-athlete in life after they graduate. |
Additionally, some people have the desire to play, but fail to either impress college coaches or receive the attention from them to be recruited. This can stem from many personal reasons that do not present the athlete the opportunity to be seen. A potential athlete could have the talent but lacks the financial resources to travel to play in front of college coaches to receive exposure which will drastically decrease their chances of a successful recruiting story. Other factors such as having a stable family with supportive parents have been shown to decrease a student-athlete's chances of being recruited. This is because psychologically the child does not have the support, but also because the parents would not be helping by possibly filming the athlete's sporting events or helping talk to coaches. Also, there is possibility that the aspiring college athlete does not have the skill level to play at the varsity level in college, but would be more fitted for club or intramural, which provides a great environment to continue enjoying their sport.
Finally, there are the student-athletes that have been lucky enough for their recruiting process to have gone well and end up playing for their college or university after graduating from high school. There is skill that goes into that accomplishment but also takes luck in terms of exposure being in the right place at the right time to receive that exposure. However, the choice of which division to play in still looms large for the student athlete. Division one offers the highest level of competition in college, but with that comes a larger time commitment which can be daunting. Another large aspect which must be taken into account is financial aid. Only division one and two are allowed by the NCAA to provide financial aid based on athletic abilities, so one might veer away from division three for purely financial reasons as well(Medic). A free or discounted education based on athletic merit is appealing on its own, but there is also the addition of having status as an athlete who can receive the lucrative full ride to an academic institution, which is very uncommon(The Chronicle of Higher Education). Another consideration for a student athlete is the facilities. After all, they will be spending a significant amount of time over the next four years using them, so naturally one would want them to be top notch(Schneider). Additionally, which coaches and programs ultimately offer the best holistic package including location, academics, financial aid, level of competition for the individual will play a large role in deciding which school the student athlete will pick. Ultimately, it is a holistic approach for them and must determine which aspects are most important for them, but either way should be fortunate that they can play varsity sports in college at all. |