All that excitement! All that talent!

Watching the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament can be fun and inspirational for a young athlete. Following a collegiate team or athlete they admire can fill your child with joy and help them set their own goals to improve their game. They might learn a new move to try on the court. Or become determined to play good defense and take more charges. They might ask for a team jersey for their birthday. And some may be willing to work hard enough to make their dream of joining the team a reality.

What will it take to play college ball?

Almost 500,000 high school players in the U.S. go on to play collegiate sports. Out of 8 million. That’s about 6 percent. But that percentage varies by sport and gender. For men, 3.5% go on to play basketball in college while 12.8% go on to play lacrosse. Just over 4% of women who play high school basketball will play in college and 26.2% of ice hockey players do. Those statistics and more can be found on the NCAA website.

If those odds seem attainable to you, consider that those are players in all three college divisions. The percentage of high school players who go on to play for a Division I basketball team? Men: 1% and Women: 1.3%. 

There are 350 schools in Division I. The NCAA basketball tournament starts with the top 68 teams. A team can dress 15 players, but only provide scholarships to 13 of them. Some of them will get very little playing time. The players we hear the most about are a very few in the big scheme of things.

Athletes who play at that level often have natural abilities, and as I’ve written previously, most have played more than one sport. It requires hard work and determination to earn a college scholarship. And when they arrive at college, even the best players learn that the really hard work is just beginning.

In her book “The Rebounders,” Amanda Ottaway tells her story of being recruited by Division I schools and playing for Davidson College in North Carolina. Anyone dreaming of playing in college—or parents who dream for their children—will get a reality check from Ottaway about what to expect. From injuries to playing time, she makes it clear that anyone seeking solely glamour and prestige is going to be disappointed. But like all endeavors, what an athlete gets out of their experience depends on what they put in, and Ottaway makes that point as well. 

Hard work and big benefits

To play in college requires athleticism and commitment to one’s sport and team beyond anything an athlete experiences up to that point. Individual and team practices, team study and volunteer hours, time with the strength and conditioning coach or athletic trainer—all are part of their daily routine in addition to going to class and earning a degree.

College athletes complete assignments and take exams in advance of road trips. They arrive home from a game at 1:00 a.m. and are expected to be in class seven hours later. And many of them complete difficult degrees with academic honors.

The experience prepares these young adults for the challenges of life and provides skills and knowledge to apply in the workplace. Many create lifelong bonds with teammates and coaches. For those who can make the commitment and have the desire, playing at the college level can be rewarding, and perhaps the highlight of their life.

Read more

Estimated probability of competing in college athletics – NCAA website

Want to play college sports? – NCAA website

Read about Amanda Ottaway

The Rebounders by Amanda Ottaway