College sports/ scholarships- how to (with little/none high school experience)?

[TheLisa]

I was talking to a public-school mom, and the subject of sports came up. My idea is that ds13 might go to high school to play football or whatever, maybe junior and senior year. My friend said no, that to play football in college you need to play in the kiddie leagues, then play ALL 4 YEARS of high school football.... Another mom chimed in and said that you also need all the CONDITIONING that the players do for those 4 years.

 

I guess I have some research to do, but I'll start here by asking for your experiences. Does anyone know a homeschooler who played college football/basketball, or other sports, with little to no high school experience? Or got a scholarship?

 

I don't know if ds really wants to play, but I don't want to close the option for him! He is athletic and does well in the sports he has tried. He hasn't liked anything well enough to stick with, but sometimes it is the coaches and refs who discourage him (like getting blasted for missing a game to go on a Scout camp-out).

 

I'm also worried about him getting hurt by starting too early. So he hasn't even tried football yet.

[snickelfritz]

An article in our local paper last year compared the likelihood of getting college scholarships. For a "generally athletic" person, there is a better chance of getting scholarships outside of the mainstream. Instead of football or baseball, think rowing, rugby, lacrosse, etc... With Title 9, girls have an even better chance at those "different" sports.

 

I talked to a friend today and her 6 year old starts 3 day a week football practices next week. But when school starts they do drop down to only having 2 practices a week. Plus games. At 6.:confused:

[Spy Car]

Like all sports, football is a game of acquired skills, combined with natural abilities.

 

I played with boys who did not play youth football and still "made" the High School team, but they were at a supreme disadvantage to those of us (including myself) who grew up playing Pop Warner football.

 

And to think you could "start" playing in a Junior year and hope to get a football scholarship strikes me as extremely unlikely, even if you son is unusually gifted athletically. This is too late to start IMO.

 

Just getting fully used to executing plays while wearing "pads" and a helmet takes a season or two.

 

How old is your son?

 

IMO, youth football (despite its reputation) is really not that dangerous. My experience is that friends, team-mates, and family members have been injured far worse in basketball and soccer than playing football.

 

I would not hesitate to let a boy who REALLY WANTS TO PLAY join a youth football team. But I would also not advise anyone playing football that is not burning with the desire to play. This is not a game you want to play half-heartedly.

HTH

 

Bill

[abbeyej]

In addition to looking at the sport itself, I would begin looking at requirements for NCAA eligibility *now*. You want to make sure you're not missing *anything* along the way that would stand between your son and scholarship eligibility.

[AmyB]

My daughter trains under an Olympic coach, at an Olympic training facility, and she has never been able to get a scholarship or sponsorship. Companies are stretched to the limit in terms of sponsorship, and the scholarships go to the people who are well-connected in the sports field.

 

She has been training since she was quite young. She has changed sports twice. For the first few years, it was just fun, but then she chose a tough coach when she was 10. The training is cumulative. By the time these kids are in high school, they are GOOD! She trains six hours a day, then comes home and does strengthening exercises, mental training, training diary, ices her muscles, and goes to bed. If she is home in the afternoon, she sleeps. In other words, training takes up her entire day, and part of mine since I do the secretarial work, logistics and diet. Occasionally she is required to take a week off and just chill out. Sometimes she is required to do a half-schedule. Sports isn't something you enter into half-heartedly if you want a scholarship.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

It is highly unlikely, even if a kid starts playing football at age 6 (when they start here), and plays all the way through high school, that he will get a football scholarship.

 

Not saying that if your son started now and then played 4 years of high school ball, and was a good player, he couldn't *play* football in college if he's good.

[teachermom2834]

I've not BTDT yet but I have a gifted athlete (the kind of kid that can pick up anything quickly and ultra competitive).

 

Not to sound harsh but I think a better question than whether or not one can get a college scholarship just starting football in jr. year is whether or not he can make the high school team just starting in jr. year. My kids are younger but I have been around sports alot and I just can't see starting any sport (particularly one as popular as football) that late in the game. In fact, many talented football players sign with schools before their senior year.

 

I'm not saying that you have to start at 5 yo for football but I have heard that jr. high is the time to start football. Or even freshman year when there are other new kids and there is a frosh or jv team to play on and learn. Even then the learning curve is huge. My 10 yo is just starting and though it isn't too late he is going to have a ton of catching up to do.

 

Now, if you are in a really small school district that is less competitive your son might better be able to go out and play jr. year but if that is the case I don't believe many will go on from a small, less competitive school and get college scholarships. He might be able to play on a small college team which doesn't give scholarships. Although I believe if he has good grades some schools will be able to find more academic money than they would for a non-athlete.

 

I don't mean to sound harsh but I live in a HUGE state championship football district and there are only one or two players every year that go on to college scholarships and they are usually small, partial scholarship deals.

 

On another note, just to point out how competitive things are out there in kids sports- if you're son has not found anything he is interested in enough to stick with he might not be interested enough to train the way is necessary. You mentioned missing a game for a scouting trip. IMO, that is just fine. IMO, that is age appropriate. IMO, trips like that are experiences not to be missed for ball games that they will play hundreds of. However, to my competitive kids they could not bear to miss games (even at age 8) for those other activites. I think that kind of commitment is what is required from most kids that are going to "make it".

 

Our stance with our kids is to study hard and play sports to be healthy in body and mind and to learn life skills. Plan on academics in college and if you are able to play a sport that will be icing on the cake. Scholarships in popular sports are just too competitive to be banking on.

 

Sorry to go on so long. We are a sports family and get into these discussions all the time and I am opinionated.

 

Good luck.

Marie

[NCMom]

Our stance with our kids is to study hard and play sports to be healthy in body and mind and to learn life skills. Plan on academics in college and if you are able to play a sport that will be icing on the cake. Scholarships in popular sports are just too competitive to be banking on.

 

 

I so agree! My middle is wanting to swim in college but the hard truth is that there are a lot of great athletes and few scholarships.

 

I'm not sure about other sports but I know that in swimming the conditioning and muscle memory is best started early on. My dd also plays tennis and soccer, just rec league for fun :) and there also, the ones who started playing earlier, who have had good coaching on foundational skills, have the advantage.

 

I kinda have to agree about the commitment thing too. My younger dd just swims for fun, she doesn't mind missing practice or meets, lol. My dd 12 would swim 24/7 if allowed and it shows. :001_smile:

 

Georgia

[plansrme]

If your son can play football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, even swim, well enough to compete on an intramural team, it can be a lot of fun and a great way to get to know people. I played 2 years of high school volleyball on a bad team in a dinky little school, but I could hold my own in intramurals and had a lot of fun playing.

 

Terri