College sports form the backbone of the American sporting production line. So many talented athletes have come through the college divisional system. From football to javelin throwing, young athletes cut their teeth whilst they study.
Consider Applying For A Scholarship
Sporting scholarships provide funding opportunities to the most talented youngsters. If you are thinking of playing the field and searching for scholarship options, websites such as asmscholarships.com can help you.
If you are lucky enough to have already received an offer from an institution, you’ll need to truly knuckle down on the field and in the classroom in order to make the most of your sporting education. Here are some basic tips that will help you prepare for the world of college athletics.
Don’t Let Your Grades Fall
Although your passion may be sport, you are still a student first and foremost, and you should use your opportunity to learn to the fullest of your ability.
Your academic performance has the potential to affect your sporting life. Schools are making a huge investment in your sporting development, but also rely upon students to uphold their academic reputation.
Coaches and administrators will take into account any red flags when favoring students. Poor attendance and academic performance often indicates to coaches that a student won’t have what it takes to become a professional sportsperson.
Be A Representative
As a college athlete, you will be an important representative of your institution. This can be an incredible experience—it is often the first time when a talented athlete can expect to play in front of a huge and partisan crowd.
As Peter Parker famously (and fictionally) said: “With great power comes great responsibility.” You’ll be expected to uphold very strict behavioral codes when representing your institution. Coaches do not tolerate any besmirching of the teams that they work so hard to curate. It can feel like a great deal of weight on a young person’s shoulders, but it should also bring you a great deal of pride.
Try Multiple Sports
According to a recent report by the Women’s Sport Foundation, students who focus entirely on a single sport are more likely to develop unhealthy behaviors. Whilst it certainly isn’t unhealthy to have a central passion that you give your all to, dedicating your entire person to a single goal can lead to feelings of depression and worthlessness when any insurmountable obstacles are reached. The modern sporting culture of “all or nothing” can be seriously detrimental to a student’s health.
Participating in multiple sports can develop a healthier attitude towards achievement.
Plan Beyond Sports
Sports are great and all, but very few college athletes make it into the professional ranks. You’ll need to think beyond sports if you want to make sure you have a back-up plan. Thankfully, many college sports graduates pick up qualifications in sports science and therapy alongside conventional academic and sporting achievements, which means that they can pursue a career in the sporting industry even if they are not an athlete.
