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Actually, there is a lot more academic money available simply because there are thousands of private scholarships and grants available on top of what the institutions are offering and there is no governing body that determines the number (or amount) of scholarships any school is allowed to offer its students. Additionally, states offer programs very similar to the "Palmetto Fellows" and "Life" scholarships that South Carolina has where any student with a decent SAT/ACT score (which, since we're all from the 1600 era of the SAT = ~10-1100), a 3.0, and is in the top 30% (for a large high school, can be up to 168 people) can get up to 5k a year or more. And that's a 3.0 regardless of whether you're college prep or AP/Honors/IB.

Also, you have to consider the fact that most colleges rarely offer full athletic rides; usually they offer partial rides with academic and or need-based aid to fill in the rest. Per the NYT (sorry, don't feel like pulling out the PubMed), the average girls' soccer award covers only 43% of college tuition and ~4000 soccer scholarships were shared between ~9300 student athletes.

"In 2003-4, there was the equivalent of one full N.C.A.A. men’s soccer scholarship available for about every 145 boys who were playing high school soccer four years earlier." -http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/sports/10scholarships.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1

Comparing that to the fact that just with a state scholarship like LIFE, up to 168 students from ONE SCHOOL can earn 5k (using numbers from my graduating class)...your odds of earning money for college are statistically better with doing well academically, and in extracurriculars. Add that guaranteed state scholarship to any of the thousands of private scholarships/grants you can apply for and athletics is only a small piece of the pie. You can get money for being related to a Daughter of the Revolution, or a Shriner, or for knowing someone who's a VFA, for a piece of artwork in a contest, or a speech.

Any way you look at it, if you're looking for straight up money, unless you're one of the 2% of 6.4 million high school athletes...sports aren't the way to go.




I'm not saying athletic money is plentiful, nor am I saying its easy to get. Hardly.

But outside of state provided lottery money that ranges from $2800 to $5k I think.....the above average kid isn't likely to get much more than the $500 VFW Good American scholarship.

Like sports....top notch students have money available. But the kids getting that money are the ones with 4.2 gpa's and 1300 SAT's. And a kid with a 105 IQ isn't going to score 1300 on his SAT regardless of how hard he/she works.

My point isn't a comparison of athletic to academic so much as its a comparison of opportunities for the gifted vs those in the middle of the bell curve.

A player of average athleticism and skill can work his tail off and never make the national team or a regional team. A kid with that 105 IQ....can study their tails off and do really well in school, but still not get the test scores necessary to tap into significant scholarship money.

Kids driven to compete in soccer should play because they love it and want to be the best they can be. Kids should work hard in school as a means of preparing themselves for life and eventually being able to earn a living.

Trying to excel at either for the primary purpose of chasing scholarship money is misguided at best, for most people. Solomon said it best.....meaningless, meaningless.

Typical private school is what......$35,000? $5k lottery money....school grants of $8k. Kid scrounges around and picks up $1500 in minor scholarships. Still looking at $21k in costs.



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