Many parents believe that specializing and investing thousands of dollars a year in their child’s chosen sport will lead to a scholarship. Does it happen? Of course, but despite the small chance of getting an athletic scholarship, many parents are confident their child will be one of the few who do.

This week let’s put aside all other aspects of kids’ sports and focus on dollars.

The money we invest in any activity — like gardening, a small business, or writing — may or may not lead to a positive financial return. One big storm can destroy the flowers you were going to sell at the farmers’ market. A bad location can hurt sales for a retail store. And writers can spend hundreds of dollars honing their craft and never get a book deal.

But what about youth sports? With over $3 billion in scholarship money awarded annually, investing in a child’s sport may seem like a good way to fund a college education. 

If a child is a gifted athlete, and their parents have the money to spend on years of club sports, and possibly recruiting services, doesn’t that mean they’re more likely to get a college scholarship than kids that don’t participate in AAU events as they grow up? Yes, it’s more likely, because to get recruited, you have to be seen.

But does checking all those boxes guarantee a child will get an athletic scholarship? Definitely not.

According to the NCAA website:

• More than $3.6 billion in athletic scholarships is awarded annually to over 180,000 Division I and II athletes

• Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships

• Full scholarships cover tuition and fees, room, board, and course-related books. Most student-athletes who receive athletic scholarships receive an amount covering a portion of these costs.

• Many athletic scholarships are combined with academic scholarships, NCAA financial aid programs and need-based aid like Federal Pell Grants to help cover costs

• Nearly 8 million kids participate in high school sports.

• About 2% of high school athletes get athletic scholarships

 Let those last two sink in.

 More to know:

• There are 363 Division I and 313 Division II schools.

• There is an average of 18 sports at Division I schools and 15 sports at Division II schools.

• Scholarship dollars are not distributed equally across sports.

Most scholarship money goes to football and basketball. How much scholarship money a student athlete actually receives depends on the school, the sport, and many other factors.

But $3.6 billion is such a big number, many parents think there’s a good chance their child will get a piece of that pie.

Maybe it’s time for a reality check

Researchers at San Diego State University conducted studies to learn about the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of parents of youth sports basketball and baseball players about specialization, financial investment, and scholarships.

Key takeaways from the basketball study:

• Despite having a realistic understanding of the limited scholarships available, parents were optimistic that their child would receive a basketball scholarship.

• Parents widely believed that the potential benefits of specialization outweighed the risks of injury.

Key takeaways from the baseball study:

• Despite having a realistic understanding of the limited number of college baseball scholarships available, parents were optimistic that their child would receive a scholarship.

• While almost 50% of high school parents believed that specialization increases the risk of injury, an even higher proportion of parents believed that specialization greatly increases the ability of their child to make a college baseball team.

Knowing there is an increased risk of injury and a limited number of scholarships, many parents invest time and money in specialized sports because they believe their child will be in the 2% that get an athletic scholarship.

And if they get a scholarship? Then the investment paid off, right?

Costs and scholarship dollars

Dr. David R. Bell understands that many parents and young athletes believe specialization will lead to a scholarship. He also knows they are chasing fewer dollars than they think they are.

Bell is an associate professor of kinesiology at University of Wisconsin–Madison and director of the Wisconsin Injury in Sport Laboratory. His primary research interest is identifying risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries in children, with a special focus on sport specialization (more on that topic next time.)

In a 2022 presentation at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association conference, Bell presented a soccer scholarship example. Soccer is a great sport in that many children can participate, and it can provide great enjoyment and exercise for those who do. Soccer is a common sport for men and women at colleges across the country and 5.6% of boys and 7.2% of girls who play in high school go on to play in college.

Will a soccer scholarship pay off? Bell presented these numbers:

• Estimated cost of attending UW–Madison for four years = $120,000

• Average four-year athletic scholarship for soccer at a Division I school = $76,000

• Total cost of participating in club soccer year-round for 6 years (including fees, uniforms, gas, food, hotels, etc.) = $60,000

In this scenario, the return on investment is $16,000 and the athlete has $44,000 in college costs to cover in other ways.

If the athlete plays at a Division II school, where the average 4-year scholarship for soccer is $24,000, the family will be $36,000 in the hole.

My take: If the primary motivation to get a scholarship is to help with college costs, a family would be further ahead if the money spent on club sports was invested and the athlete got a part-time job.

In addition to the financial costs of specializing and playing club sports, there are many opportunity costs. In 50 Years in the Bleachers, I talk about the opportunity costs our family wasn’t willing to pay: having less time to spend with family, and loss of time for the other activities our daughters were interested in that would bring joy, friendship, or new skills.

There are many factors for parents to weigh when choosing how and when their child will participate in sports. Gaining a scholarship doesn’t equal success and doesn’t always lead to happiness. Sometimes the real benefit is in growing the flowers, learning how to better run a business, or writing because you love to.

Starting early and playing year-round includes many financial and opportunity costs. It can also take a toll on young bodies and minds. More on that next time.

 Read More

• Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Parents of Youth Basketball Players Regarding Sport Specialization and College Scholarship Availability; Eric G. Post,*† PhD, ATC, Michael D. Rosenthal,‡ DSc, PT, ATC, Hayley J. Root,§ PhD, MPH, ATC, and Mitchell J. Rauh, PhD, PT, MPH

• Attitudes and Beliefs towards Sport Specialization, College Scholarships, and Financial Investment among High School Baseball Parents; Eric G Post, Michael D Rosenthal, Mitchell J Rauh 

• NCAA -- Estimated Probability of Competing in College Athletics

• NCAA -- Scholarships

• David Bell, PhD, University of Wisconsin–Madison

photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash