<p>"The calculator in Chris Eissler’s mind is running. Numbers are being crunched. The addition key is getting a workout. There was the Nike Blue Chip gathering in Maryland, and the recruiting camp to Massachusetts. The Bulldog Bash at Yale University. The Sonoma Shootout in California. The Under Armor National Championships in Maryland.</p>
<p>There was also the price tag.</p>
<p>‘This summer alone,’ Eissler says, 'and I’m embarrassed to say it, we probably spent around $12,000.</p>
<p>‘But was the money worth it? Absolutely. A few years ago, we would have hoped he could simply play in college. We have spent a small fortune getting him to this point, but it paid off in a big way.’</p>
<p>It doesn’t pay for most families chasing the dream of an athletic scholarship…"</p>
<p>"A standard definition: An athletic scholarship is an award of financial aid given to an individual based predominantly on their ability to play a sport.</p>
<p>What that doesn’t say: Just 2 percent of high school athletes nationally receive one."</p>
<p>Great article! The one theme that bothered me was that all these kids are participating in sports for the brass ring, a college scholarship. Given the statistic quoted above, I hope that is not the case. My daughter is one of the lucky ones, we feel like we have won the lottery and are truly grateful. Many years of hard work, both athletically and academically, put her in a position to be recruitable. But it was a crap shoot and we knew it from day one. We knew that the money we spent on her various athletic endeavors would be much better spent on a college fund, if college funding was the goal. But that never was the goal for us and I hope it is not the goal for the multitudes of young athletes in this country.</p>
<p>I’m pretty firmly convinced that the money relatives spent on getting 2 of their children D1 full rides was pretty much equal to the value of those scholarships. Expensive private lessons, nutritionists/personal trainers, plus the cost of flying these kids all over the country for tournaments (plus the mother, when the kids were of an age that the mother had to go along, plus household help for the younger sibling left behind). Most of the other kids in this sport also seemed to be the product of very well to do fathers and at-home mothers who had the time to drive and chauffeur and follow them all over the country. It was a big shell game as far as I was concerned, given that these were people who could easily afford any college they wanted.</p>
<p>Don’t forget the big business of putting together media packages. DVD’s of game footage, edited for plays, smartly packaged and mass produced to send to recruiters is something these parents want. I’ve worked with coaches on a few for top athletes coming out of our school. I was amazed at the phone calls I got from parents of athletes once word got out I did these. Due to time I only did a few a year by referral from the coach. For other families I was happy to sit down with them and talk about software they could use to reasonably do it themselves if they had the time and desire. Some families are willing to pull out all the stops just so their student can play.</p>
<p>In the case I’m referring to, there was a huge ego and status component. One parent had a jacket which said " D1 Athletes" and listed the kids’ names, sports and schools. Personally, I saw it as a blessing that my kids could make decisions on where they wanted to go based on where they wanted to go instead of who was going to give them the most money. Again, this was a family that could have paid for any college full fare without missing a beat. Like I said – shell game.</p>
<p>This was posted this morning in the athletic recruits forum. I am reposting what I posted there.</p>
<p>"A standard definition: An athletic scholarship is an award of financial aid given to an individual based predominantly on their ability to play a sport.</p>
<p>What that doesn’t say: Just 2 percent of high school athletes nationally receive one."</p>
<p>Great article! The one theme that bothered me was that all these kids are participating in sports for the brass ring, a college scholarship. Given the statistic quoted above, I hope that is not the case. My daughter is one of the lucky ones, we feel like we have won the lottery and are truly grateful. Many years of hard work, both athletically and academically, put her in a position to be recruitable. But it was a crap shoot and we knew it from day one. We knew that the money we spent on her various athletic endeavors would be much better spent on a college fund, if college funding was the goal. But that never was the goal for us and I hope it is not the goal for the multitudes of young athletes in this country.</p>
<p>I cringed for the family that spent $10,000 per year for the soccer playing daughter so she could get a scholarship to ‘Graceland College an NAIA soccer power.’</p>
<p>We see many students from Graceland and similar schools applying for admission to our state flagship to get a second degree. Why? And this comes directly from some of those students…‘employers are telling me that they don’t hire from places like Graceland.’ Ouch.</p>
<p>But there’s another reason to pursue athletics beside scholarships. Athletics can help a good student (but not truly outstanding) get into an outstanding (maybe Ivy) school, even if not on a scholarship. We’ve seen it happen many times. Those schools don’t have great athletic teams, but they still need athletes. If your child is a good soccer, football, or baseball player, plus has good grades and a decent SAT score (1300-1400), but not good enough to get in the regular way under most circumstances, he or she may have a shot to get in through athletics. That’s something to work for if your student wants to go to one of those schools and you can afford to pay.</p>
<p>Non athletes/non URMs/non legacies, have a 3-4% rate of acceptance at the more selective IVY league schools. Putting yourself into the athlete group hugely increases the chance of admission. If there is some possibility, it may make sense to go the extra mile. Granted, admission to an IVY college does not change one’s life, but if that is one’s goal and one has the economic resources, it is a shame not to push for it.</p>
<p>If you’re spending a lot in order to secure a scholarship it’s not likely to be worth it as it takes lots of time, lots of money, there’s too much pressure on the kid, the success yield is low – in short, a perfect recipe for building some family resentment. I’ve seen it many times. Conversely, if you’re really honest about your chances of success and you’re doing it because your kid loves it and it doesn’t cause the family any hardship, why not? Our family has had a great time with the whole process. Like so many things, it all depends on your attitude and expectations.</p>
<p>Time and time again, it is a proven and absolute fact that the Ivies (and even more so, Stanford) ADORE athletes. The Ivies have tons of teams to fill, everything from softball to squash, and although they don’t give out “athletic” scholarships, their academic scholarships for athletes work just fine, thank you, and in the same way. An underground admissions book took apart the Ivies and found that you do at least as well in the admissions process if you are at least a “State” - ranked player than if you are a Intel finalist. You can have ok standardized tests and an ok average but, if you are a ranked player, you will increase your chances by MULTIPLES vs. the rest of the pool. Again, not just “helpful,” but MASSIVELY BENEFICIAL (“caps” deliberately added), and especially so in the marquee sports of football, lacrosse, soccer.</p>
<p>My daughter is currently a D1 athlete. While there are plenty of misguided parents who are dreaming of athletic scholarship money when they support their children’s expensive sports endeavors, I don’t think the potential of a future scholarship even comes close to being an adequate motivator for the athlete himself. The time, effort and sacrifice required for a student to reach Div 1 scholarship level is usually such that more incentive is required than possible, (not even definite), future $. Continuing to participate in a sport they love, and/or enjoying the attention and status accorded for their athletic success would have to enter in the equation for most people.</p>
<p>And once the student arrives on campus to play, no amount of money is going to keep that kid getting up for those early morning practices, when they’re dead tired, for 4 years. Read the thread on how things are going for the freshman athetes and you will notice a common theme: exhaustion. When I last spoke to my D Friday evening, she said she was completely exhausted from all the rough workouts that week and was going to take a nap. This is not an easy life, and there is precious little glamour involved outside of Div 1 football and men’s basketball, and only then at certain schools. The kid has to want to do it. </p>
<p>It should also be noted that when the time comes, athletes may end up turning down scholarships or better scholarships in exchange for a more competitive playing opportunity and better training, and/or a better academic opportunity. My D did. It’s not about the money for her or us. Thankfully, we spent little more than the regular cost of new shoes for D, since it’s a very cheap sport. D left behind a more costly sport because of the nasty politics, and she is very glad she did. The college pay-offs for the girls with whom D played travel soccer were scarce and paltry. Definitely not worth the cost of travel, private training, camps, etc. if money was the objective.</p>
<p>Finally, around here there’s a Graceland equivalent that offers area athletes some money. But they have been finding out their diploma from that school means little.</p>
<p>“… and although they don’t give out “athletic” scholarships, their academic scholarships for athletes work just fine, thank you,…”</p>
<p>Ivy League schools give NO merit scholarships, academic or athletic. They offer only need based aid. The above statement is absolutely incorrect.</p>
<p>It seems there is a serious misconception from most parents that there are all these D1 full-ride scholarships out there. The truth is, most college teams (outside of Football and Basketball) don’t get a lot of scholarship money to hand out. When they do get money, its often divided among several athletes, so each might get a half scholarship, etc.</p>
<p>The reality is, in any sport “other”, an athlete needs to be one of the best players in the country to get a full ride. I was an athlete for a major D1 program (won the NCAA championship when I was a senior in HS) and they only had enough scholarships for roughly one third of the roster. A few of them went to international or US National team athletes, and the rest were divided.</p>
<p>I will say this though, all the money my parents spent on said sport, and my coach’s connections, helped me get to the best program in the country, and the perfect school for me. I had to take out loans to help my parents pay for the OOS tuition, but it was well worth the experience now that I am pursuing coaching.</p>
<p>I agree with posts 12-15 that striving to get into a better school through the vehicle of athletics can pay off quite well. However, it’s risky business if doing so jeopardizes the student’s academic performance. Injuries happen, and nationally the athletes keep getting better, stronger, and faster and so the kid might not ever reach the bar. As to the latter point, a high school coach approached the coach of D’s university team to ask about what the recruiting standards were for high school athletes. The coach’s response made all but the youngest team members cringe, since none of the upperclassmen would have been recruited under the current standards. The sport has grown so much in competitive level and will continue to grow. Be aware of what is required. Being the best at your high school, the best in your conference, or even the best in certain states might not be enough.</p>
<p>Yes. This is precisely what I see as the disadvantage - the relatives I mentioned HAD to continue training and participating at these high levels to “maintain their scholarships” at their D1 schools, when they could have just enjoyed a normal college experience and not had that pressure from parents who could have SO EASILY paid for those colleges. Because there was “prestige” associated with getting a D1 athletic scholarship in the eyes of the parents. Maybe they enjoyed it, maybe they didn’t - but it violates what I see as the core point of an athletic scholarship, which is to help students who otherwise wouldn’t have a lot of chance to pay for college. Sorry, a well-to-do family spending $150,000 to get a $160,000 scholarship and then constraining your kids’ choices to only those schools that will recognize that athletic talent seems to take away from the core purpose of college, which is academics last time I checked.</p>