<p>In some cases the bigger the program the better the situation for the student. Two acquaintances of mine with Ds at Big 12 and Pac 10 schools on full ride scholarships (tuition + r&B + books +$300/mt). They are allowed 5 years to graduate and are encouraged to take one fewer course than the typical student during their sport’s season. The schools also provide great academic support. I believe these student athletes are the beneficiaries of poor graduation stats in the major sports at their institutions. Any effort these major institutions initiated to support the athletes in the major sports was also offered to athletes in the minor sports. Both students are doing well academically and have completed 3 years competing at the D1 level.</p>
<p>My D took one set of hoodies to school and plans to bring those home and take a different set back at Christmas break! Besides each sport hoodie from every conceiveable sport & each special team, there are all the tourney t-shirts, plus all hoodies from universities to which D was admitted and visited- she wouldn’t visit until she got in!</p>
<p>Susan- skiiing is definitely the worst for being expensive in every way, I cannot think of anything that is any worse in terms of the basic gear and the cost for the lift passes is a nasty addition!! It does kinda seem like the school ought to be providing the practice venue for their varsity sports…I wonder what the most common trend is for skiiing? I wonder are there other sports where the kids pay a fee for the priviledge to be on the “field” of play? And the school doesn’t absorb the race fees? In USS swimming we used to pay entry fees, but man, it adds insult to injury to have to pay for multiple ski passes!!!</p>
<p>path 1 - is that $300 mt…$300 a month? is that to compensate them for not working a part-time job? is it considered a stipend? is it spending money? </p>
<p>susan and somemom - don’t forget the tickets prices the parents pay to attend their kids sporting events…if it’s possible for them to attend. seems like national events have BIG dollar ticket prices. </p>
<p>somemom-are you making plans yet to make the big quilt out of all the t-shirts? my friend is starting one for her d, now a college freshman. years worth of t-shirts from her club and school sports. will be very cool!</p>
<p>Yes, before D left for uni, she went through her drawers and we stuffed a pillow case full of old sport shirts she no longer “needs” I am thinking I can arrange it by next summer!</p>
<p>D’s financial aid package included
grants, loans & work study.($2K)
She was very fortunate to have
outside scholarships (Dollars for Scholars
$2K and Catholic Charity Scholarship $1K)
so she did not need to work part time @
a school sponsored job. She is a professional
Mary Kay Cosmetics Sales Consultant at
which she earns part time income while attending
school. Has posters all over campus to drum
up new business. Funny story in that the
basketball coach, a lady commented to D about
the posters she had seen on campus. She jokingly
informed D that if she (Coach) were to receive
some free cosmetic samples, D’s playing time
might go up. If she didn’t receive any… playing
time might go down. I hope she was joking.</p>
<p>SomeMom, for sure, ski racing is an expensive sport, no doubt about it. I don’t quite get why we have to pay for the passes or her ski race membership to race and do wonder if other teams pay such things, plus the “uniform” like we do. I guess the budget is tight and we have been told to pay for these things, even more than last year. Lots was on short notice. I think fundraising would have been nice but my D was the ONLY one who had an interest in that. </p>
<p>As far as other sports, I can think of another that was costly…horseback riding. My kids did it and competed when much younger but eventually gave it up. But the costs could truly soar if you owned your own horse and we did not. And as I said, to be a top ski racer, you usually attend a ski race academy for high school but my child did not. We still spent a small fortune on training, but nowhere near those who attended such schools and traveled and trained in Europe and such. </p>
<p>That quilt idea sounds cool. </p>
<p>My D does have a bunch of team hoodies from all her sports in both high school and now college. </p>
<p>The part about the parents paying to watch, is true too. I did not add THAT in. But for my D’s races, we had to travel in HS and often one or both of us bought a ski pass at whichever ski area the race was at in order to watch. That added up alot as we had season passes at our home mountain. So I stopped buying day passes to see her races but got snowshoes and I hike up the ski trail now to watch all her races. For her college races, which I saw many of last year, we luckily live in New England and were able to leave VERY early in the morning and make day trips to the races. I think once my hubby did an overnight. I could not see them all because last winter my OTHER D was auditioning at 8 colleges during ski season so every weekend I was either traveling to a college audition with one child or to see a college ski race for the other. This year I can see more races. Nationals are in Maine and so that would cost me for lodging, so it never ends. Last year, when my D got into Nationals, it was a big deal to her and a dream. She had never even skied out west before. It was in Idaho. Her grandparents treated me to a trip to go see her in it and I went. I had a very nice time as it was summer like and I got to ski one day with my D but otherwise watched the races. Unfortunately, she crashed and she never crashes when she skis but that is part of the sport but thankfully she was not injured (physically). </p>
<p>One fun thing at races that I did not expect was that all the families came, just like in high school and then all the families communicated via email (we are doing that right now for this year again) to bring a full spread of lunch food for the team and so it was like a nice buffet in the lodge with all the college kids and their parents at every race! I just did not realize that would also happen in college and it was rather nice. I went to one out of town soccer game this fall and one other family from my D’s team was there (it was an away game) but we did travel four hours each way just to see it. But one thing that is really cool for me is that though my D’s school is four hours away and we never see her (this semester she was only home for Thanksgiving and we saw her in Oct. at her sister’s college Parent Weekend where she met up with us), but in winter, her races are often in NH, VT, or MA and we live in VT and so we CAN make a day trip to see her in her events and thus see her a little bit more often even if most of her time is with the team. She still has lunch with them and us so it is a nice time. One thing I can say, standing on a mountain watching your kids race is a VERY VERY VERY cold proposition. And of course, praying all the while as they careeen down the mountain at break neck speeds that they do NOT get hurt. I witness injuries at many races and it is hard on my nerves. My D is fearless however. And does not get cold either, LOL. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>Hmm, let’s begin a list of sports which are crazy to watch:</p>
<p>Skiing: expensive & cold & travel involved</p>
<p>Gymnastics: travel, expensive, 90 seconds of competition time, but you’re gone the entire weekend!</p>
<p>Swimming: same 90+ seconds for an all day or all weekend meet- and possibly more expensive uniforms- per square inch of fabric ;)</p>
<p>Susan: I got to watch my D play in her first university game, it was only a scrimmage, so pretty low key, but very rewarding emotionally… …any parent who has taken the roller coaster ride of nurturing an athlete through the years, hoping for no injuries, watching the politics unfold (much worse in some sports & some locations than in others) and trying to help your child find their passion and then hoping you’ve done right by them…well, to see your S or D compete in their sport at university is such a wonderful reward.</p>
<p>I was smart enough to not have it work out for my girls to be equestrians! I already made my personal fortune ( :eek: ) breeding hunter-jumpers and knew exactly how important it was to avoid that trap! One of my Ds rode for a few years and every one kept telling her she should get a horse, yeah, all those people who wanted me to board with them!</p>
<p>w/volleyball - you are tied to gym basically the entire day. be sure you have seat pad and a back rest.</p>
<p>w/basketball - you can leave the gym between games and shop and/or go out to eat.</p>
<p>both are indoor…so climate controlled.</p>
<p>w/soccer - it can get VERY hot…a spring sport for h.s. varsity</p>
<p>w/track - same thing - spring sport - VERY hot at times.</p>
<p>w/tumbling - tied to the gym - nearly the whole day. expensive competition leos. last gym made even us buy practice leos and shorts.</p>
<p>w/baseball - VERY hot is always a possibility…day games, night games. </p>
<p>w/football - in the fall, sometimes HOT and then sometimes VERY cold. day games, night games.</p>
<p>Here, soccer is more of a fall sport and it is usually not hot but can be very cold or rain or snow yes, soccer in the snow. </p>
<p>I have to laugh with the part about traveling for a 90 second event. Most ski races are quite a bit shorter than that, LOL. Usually they are under a minute in length. Lots of travel, lots of time, lots of money. Yep, 60 seconds. Then, last year when I went to Nationals, that was a major trip across the country…my D crashed a few gates into the course, say maybe 10 seconds? Poof, over! (though of course, I loved cheering her teammates on and her team did so well) I recall when she was in ninth grade and went to the state championships for varsity ski team, a kid who rarely has fallen in a race…I hated to miss this big deal as I never miss stuff but my other kid was performing at the Kennedy Center and I had to go with her to rehearse and then hubby and the ski D were gonna join us there but anyway I missed States that year and anxiously awaited her call in DC and when I got it, she told me that a couple gates into the course, her ski released…so there are technical malfunctions, and again, a few seconds, ka put. Thankfully she has never been injured. And while I’m at it…I’ll tell you one funny story…when she was in a ski race at age ten, on our home mountain, she is like bombing down the course and lo and behold, everyone on the sidelines is shouting, “did you see that?” and this was SO odd but a deer ran across the wide open ski trail coming from the woods on the side and ran right across the race course just two gates ahead of where my D was careening down the course. Most people would like slow down, be distracted, whatever. She kept skiing and won the race and it was like a thrill to win and all but everyone was laughing how she kept racing and often when there is some interference, people will shout “racer in course” to tell someone to get out of the way but this was like “deer in course!” </p>
<p>Somemom, I can appreciate the thrill of seeing your D in her first college event. One thing that was hard about the kids going off to college is that we have been at every sport event, theater production, recital, concert, dance show, etc. and now it is not part of our daily routine (believe it or not, my hubby can’t give it up so he keeps wanting to go to all these high school, or even younger, events when our kids are not in them any more!). It is hard sometimes to think of the kids in something and not be there to see it. Two nights ago, my younger one was in a concert and it felt weird to think she was on stage and we were not in the audience. We still will try to see major events but it is not like we are at everything like before. </p>
<p>And like, well, we actually get to eat dinner at dinner time too, LOL.</p>
<p>Susan:</p>
<p>That 90 seconds was the total for all 4 gymnastics events!</p>
<p>It is weird that the ultimate supportive parent-carpooling, feeding groups, cheering on all kids, etc., has to then go cold turkey and not even see most of the games/events! I suppose it is part of our maturation process 
I am glad I have one more at home, for a more pleasant transition away from that intense parent of the “passionate one” daily life! My last one’s a bit more mellow, I am learning to embrace my mellow side ;)</p>
<p>Thanks for the many parents who have shared insights into college athletic commitment. I have to get my D to read this thread, although I think she realizes the time commitment to some degree (probably not the whole picture yet.)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/special_packages/all_columnists/13377938.htm[/url]”>http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/special_packages/all_columnists/13377938.htm</a></p>
<p>Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer has a column
relative to the course load of a student-athlete
at Swarthmore College compared to the academic
work load of #1 ranked USC’s quarterback, Matt Leinart.</p>
<p>Why should it be any sort of problem if a guy gets ahead of schedule and coasts to the finish? This is looking for a problem where there is none. Worry about the players that are not ready to graduate in five full years.</p>
<p>That’s an interesting article. Thanks for sharing it. I think sometimes, though not on THIS thread, there have been threads about student athletes that ASSUME they all got into college due to athletics and all have easy courseloads or are not such hot students, etc. But truly, on many selective college campuses, there are kids like that boy from Swat, or even my own kid. She also won Academic All American and I was very happy for her because it really is recognizing that these kids are students first, very good students, achievers, but they happen to also play sports well. My D is not a recruited athlete. Athletics were also a MAJOR interest and activity area of hers but she is a student first and foremost and has managed to excel as a student, who happens to also do sports. There really ARE these types of athletes on some college campuses. My D’s teammates seem to be of this sort and a few won Academic All American in fact. I enjoyed reading about that fine young ambitious man at Swat. In fact, I took special interest as he is a soccer goalie and so is my daughter. </p>
<p>I realize there is this “other side” to college athletics such as is described with the USC quarterback. I’m not naive about some big time sport teams. That side of the college athlete is the one often depicted on CC and elsewhere as indicative of all college athletes but I believe there is this other side such as the one of the Swat kid, my kid, and several other kids on CC. </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>barrons,</p>
<p>Are you serious?</p>
<p>One college course does not
constitute the lay persons
idea of a college student-athlete.</p>
<p>Ball room dancing… give me a
break. Probably couldn’t get
into basketweaving. All spots
reserved for basketweaving majors.</p>
<p>The NCAA has to fix that problem.</p>
<p>I’m with Barrons on this. </p>
<p>Leinart has completed all his “academic” requirements. He needs 2-3 units. If my son needs 2-3 units, I would tell him to look at ballroom dancing. it might become an activity my kid will enjoy for the rest of his life.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/mar03/folk_dancing.html[/url]”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/mar03/folk_dancing.html</a></p>
<p>To compare a Heisman Trophy winner with a division 3 soccer goalie…</p>
<p>The problem is that Matt Leinart
is the classic example of a professional
athlete playing college ball. I am sure
he could have completed those needed
credits last year and graduated. This is
what gives the NCAA a bad rep.</p>
<p>You are eligible to play for 4 years. If you go to school for 4 1/2 so you can play 4 years…what difference does it make?</p>
<p>
There are plenty examples in DI football and basketball of academics gone amuck because of sports but Matt Leinart is the anti-case. He is only taking one course because he could have graduated early … full-time big-time football player who blew through USC with great grades … this only appears to be an issue because he is so far ahead of his academic schedule. </p>
<p>There are lots of truly sad cases … I remember a couple court cases of kids who had used all 5 years of athletic eligibility, had stayed eligible to play during those years, dropped out when their eligibility ran out, and then eventually it came out that they were functionally illeterate after 5 years of staying eligible for sports in college. Again, big-time football and basketball drive most of these cases.</p>
<p>Lost in this discussion is the fact that NCAA athletes, other than football and basketball players, on average have better GPAs than the average student at their school. These students are not shown on TV and they are not celebreties … they are students working for (good) grades, representing their school, and working hard at their ECs. These are the lion’s share of college athletes.</p>
<p>3togo, based on what you just shared about this young man at USC, I do take back some of the comparison I said in my post using him as an example. My post compared/contrasted however, the two types of college athletes. He just may not be the right example based on what you just said about his great grades and how he could have graduated early, etc.</p>