On Sports.... Choices

Hello all,

I was listening to a podcast while driving yesterday and something was said that me think. I was listening to Ivan Maisel interview Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany on the ESPNU College Football podcast.  You can listen here if you'd like. 

At one point, Delany made the stated that  less than 1/2 of 1% of college athletes have the opportunity to go pro. He and Maisel were discussing cost of attendance and aid grants. It was by no means their topic of discussion and something that Delany was matter-of-fact about. That number was stunning to me. As I was thinking about it, it drove home the point that college athletes need to be realistic. 

How? By making a good choice when going through the recruiting process. Choosing a program solely based on athletics would be overlooking a key aspect of the process. Academics do matter. Does that mean that someone should only look at Ivy League schools? By no means! Instead, when assessing a program, I believe the potential student-athlete needs to review the academic programs offered. What courses are offered? Is there an area to major that's interesting? Could a career be made with it?

With Delany's numbers, less than 1% will advance on to the next level. Preparation matters, even if someone is the best athlete in a sport. Sometime occurrences happen outside of our control (injuries, accidents, illnesses, etc). It's good to have a plan B. Go for your dreams, but have a backup. Want a cliché? Don't put all your eggs in one basket. The scholarship pays for the education so thought should go into choosing the education too. It's a benefit that I am afraid is often overlooked by student-athletes.

Choices do matter.