It is so easy to look at the skilled athletes on our fields, and imagine a future which might include a college scholarship.   In this day and age, we want to give our kids every possible opportunity to succeed in whatever they might attempt -- whether it is extra coaching or supplemental tutoring or whatever.

The attached articles from the NY Times (March 2008) address some of the issues regarding college scholarships in sports.

MAIN POINTS:

1.  Most athletic scholarships offer less money  than an academic scholarship, and are shared across many players. 

2.  Many scholarships cover little more than lab fees for a semester or book costs. 

3.  Don't expect to break even on the extra costs for summer camps and club teams.  Time is better spent getting higher grades, as there is much more academic scholarship money.

BOTTOM LINE:  Play because you love it.

See for yourself:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/sports/10scholarships.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/sports/11coaches.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/sports/12lifestyles.html