And buyer beware! 'Tis the season of sports camps- football, soccer, softball, baseball, you name the sport, you can find the camp. How do parents know whether forking over a $200 registration is fee is worth the investment?

The Orlando Sentinel has a nice story on the increasingly competitive- and important- culture of summer sports camps.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-collegeinsider2108jun21,0,4856742.story

It appears the growing gap between coaches and student-athletes contact periods has necessitated the impact camps can have on the recruiting process. The key for parents is to understand what goes on during these things, while not overinflating their importance.

http://blog.ncsasports.org/2008/06/17/how-to-avoid-the-camp-related-recruiting-blues/

Continue reading "Summer Camp season in full swing..."

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.

Continue reading "College Athletics? Reality Check 101..."

There are well over 100,000 high school students in this country who also play sports, from prep football to prep tennis. For some, kicking the soccer ball around is nothing more than an after-school activity, a calorie-burning alternative to a job at the mall. For others, it is serious business. Sports is perceived as more than a way to stay in shape, it is a vehicle to a different lifestyle, a meal ticket to a college of their choice, expenses included. 

Or is it?

"The truth is, less than 1 percent of kids in this country get athletic scholarships," said Jack Renkens, a former college basketball coach and president and founder of Recruiting Realities.

Renkens travels the country speaking on issues surrounding the collegiate recruiting process. It is a murky subject, where the lines are blurred between fact and fiction.

Continue reading "College Athletics? Reality Check 101, Part 2"