The Reality of High Expectations
It was just about a year ago that I did a segment titled High Expectations, Harsh Reality for Student Athletes which began with “I am constantly amazed at the number of young athletes (actually the parents of young athletes) who expect their child to land a college scholarship and when they don’t look to point the finger, usually at a coach.”
I went on to talk about how with college costs on the rise and out of reach for some the pressure was on to get that scholarship which I equated with winning the lottery although the odds of winning that may be better than landing a scholarship. Speaking of which, do you know what the average annual scholarship is for Division 1 or 2 athletes? How about $6,000 which for some could leave them searching for another $40,000 or so each year.
I bring this up again after getting an email from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association that contained a piece aimed at high school athletes and their chances of making the big time. Here were some revealing numbers:
Just about every decent high school athlete dreams that they might make it to the pros and we’ve had some from this area like Todd Frazier, Al & Mark Leiter, Jim Dowd, Keith Elias, Darian Barnes and others. But here’s the reality. .07% of high school athletes will make it as a pro.
Bottom line: put as much time into the classroom as you do on the field. There’s a better chance that will pay off and you’ll make the big time.