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Go to College for the College!                Feedback Welcome!

  For those of you on the college search who are focusing on just the sports program you will play at listen to this story.

        A close family friend has a sister who was played one year of Division I basketball at a highly rated university (academically) in New York State.  She was a 6' 1" forward and was on full scholarship, all expenses paid (close to $30,000 annually).  As the season progressed she earned more playing time and things looked bright for her sophomore season.  Unfortunately she decided that there would be no second season as an athlete or a student.  Why?  Why did she walk away from a free education at a world renowned school?  Below are some reasons.  Perhaps you can learn from them

1.  She did not like the school- basketball or not, this student athlete did not really like the atmosphere of the school.  She went there because the basketball coach really wanted her, did  a good job of selling the school and program and offered her a full ride.  Being from a large family, this girl could have gone to almost any school for free.  The lure of the Division I scholarship created a lot of pressure to accept. Family, friends, coache's all will try to persuade you.

2.  Basketball stopped being fun- many athletes are frustrated by the "business" like atmosphere of college athletics.  In a sense the school does own you. After all they will not spend $30,000 on you and allow you to skip practice and come to games when it suits you.  You lose some control of your life and schedule when you are on a team.  Understand this before you go to school. 

The commitment and expectation levels a program has for its athletes differs from school to school.  Find out the requirements before you choose a school.  Even a student on full academic scholarship is expected to maintain certain grades or produce research.

3.  Felt isolated from the rest of the student body and the college experience-  for this particular athlete, having most of her time pre-accounted for, frustrated her.  If you are keen on the total college experience please keep in mind that being an athlete does not always allow for it.

4.  Could have played at a lower level school athletically and maintained the academic quality she wanted- Sometimes the lure of Division I blinds people to the fact that Division II or III might still be the best option.  Why?  You have a greater chance of playing right away, and, depending on the program, the time demands could be less.  While college selection often comes down to money, this athlete could have found the same offer many other places.

5.  Would not have been happy without the sport.  As mentioned earlier, this athlete would not have chosen the school just for school. Without basketball she would not have enrolled.  Forget not liking the program; what if she tore her knee up or the school suddenly dropped the program.  Then what?  Chose a school where you will be happy without the sport you play.