College Athletics? Reality Check 101...

There is an ongoing ad campaign by the NCAA that at the end of each advertisement, has a punchline that's hard to ignore-

"Most NCAA student-athletes will graduate in something other that sports"

If you are a high school student-athlete with dreams of playing your sport in college, here's a bit of advice. You may want to inject a few facts into your ambition, even if it may permanently ground it.

A recent NY Times article cited the gowing divide between the culture of reality in college athletics and the expectations of those who want to participate. An analysis of NCAA data reveals the average college athletic scholarship is just north of $8,700. With the average cost of a public education in Illinois close to $20,000 per year, private upwards of $30,000, those who play and their parents need to get real.

AND FAST.

Take the case of Mike Emerick. A 2006 graduate of Warren High School, Emerick was an honor roll student and varsity volleyball player. While his friends enrolled in brand-name colleges, Emerick chose the decidedly off-the-radar Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri, because it gave him the opportunity to continue to play the sport he loved.

"I didn't know anyone going in," said Emerick, who will be a junior this fall. "As an athlete, you just don't know what to expect."

Over the next 20 months, from August 2006 through this past May, Emerick experienced emotions ranging from excitement, to anxiety to downright dispair.

It is a cautionary tale for anyone thinking about playing collegiate athletics.

Coming Monday in Part Two, we'll have more of Mike's story.