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[quote=Anonymous]We went through things with a daughter who played soccer -- now in grad school.  It will differ based on sport.

Div 1:  Max 20 hours per week for practices, games and travel.  But not including "volunteered" time.  That would be weightroom, stretching, film, seeing trainers primarily.  Every school we looked at (3 seriously) required basically all athletes participate in clocked study hours during the season, and grade monitoring out of season (required study table if grades were not at a prescribed level.  3.0 or better for women's soccer although most team gpas were well north of that).  All schools had specialized tutors available for athletes in their study area basically from 9-9 Monday through Saturday.

Certain majors are not very realistic for an athlete -- these include sciences with a decent amount of lab work particularly where labs are done in specific sequences and may not be available in the non-season terms.  A class may have 10 labs over the term.  Students might be able to miss 1 lab and still qualify but 2 or more and they would need to retake.  Athletes in season may well have to miss multiple labs due to game/travel requirements.  So -- those classes are non-starters in season.  The question then becomes whether you can take the lab classes in off-season terms?  Is there specific  sequencing required (Chem Lab 101-102 for example), and could you even take classes out of the standard sequence?  (Chem 101 in Winter/Spring - when everyone else took it in Fall/Winter).  In a big school often there will be a chance to take intro weeder lab courses through-out the year.  The question really becomes what is the schedule like when you are taking Jr. and Sr. level courses.

Additionally -- you have the question of when classes are offered versus practice times.  You know the practice times and they are scheduled so that the bulk of class times are available.   But, again, specific classes like labs, music, theater, may well require participation during those times when practices/games are scheduled.  As an aside -- like majors with lots of labs, music, theater and art majors also are really discouraged from playing sports because of the time requirements.  My daughter was considering an art/teaching degree as a possilbe major going into college, and basically every coach told her -- nicely -- that's unlikely; and it would be.  Art would require way too many hours in studios creating projects.  An art class may be 3 credits and essentially require 100 hours of studio time.  Music is similar in that it requires way too much practice time.  You can't do those things on a plane or bus.

Out of season Div 1 allows 8 hours of schedule practice time.  But, again, you will have many, many hours of volunteer time for fitness, training room and film.

Div 3 is really about the same in season, but the allowed required hours disappear out of season.  No required hours are allowed and coach/player contact is very limited.  The discussion of it being easier in season though is frankly wrong.  Coaches for Div 3 programs do that for their living.  They are not easier on players because it is Div. 3.  They will get fired if they do not produce.  But, one often key component is that they also have to produce kids who attend the school so if they were complete jerks that message would get out, and kids would go elsewhere.  D-3 programs as a whole are mostly liberal arts schools which can mean that science majors are more difficult to find.  Also, in that these are smaller schools, it can mean that sequenced classes are offered in sequence.  Miss out on Chem 201  because you can't do the lab work in season -- well you have to wait until next Fall -- wait that's also in season.

Competitive Div 3 programs also have lots of "volunteer" time but practices are run by captains.  Still -- fitness and weight training is monitored.

Finally, one other big calculation that is "overlooked" by coaches is the time it takes to get ready for practices/games and to get ready after practices/games.  Practices start at X.  You have to be on the field ready to go at X.  That means before X you need to make sure that you have eaten something far enough in advance so you can be good through a hard practice.  You have gotten to the practice facility, changed, done whatever taping and stretching you need to do -- anything the trainer might require too -- and are on the practice field.  After practice you need to shower/change, and deal with any injuries, icing, and/dor work with the trainers.

With a Div 1 -- your sport is who you are and what you do.  Div 3 your sport is the same, except that in the offseason you have time to do some other more standard student stuff.

Finally -- want to see how the numbers work in real life?
Go to the website of any college team you are considering a possibility.  Write down the names of all the seniors on the current team.  Now, go back 4 years and pull up the team.  How many freshman were there 4 years ago -- compare.  A very good ratio would be over 50% survived on the team to their senior year.  Do that for a few years if the head coach is the same.  You will get a very good idea how many players stick with a program.

Why so much attrition?  Partial scholarships and the amount of effort required of players when they are not playing.  It is a ton of work.  Head coaches are not always nice.  You are not paying them.  They are paying you. 
 If you are not producing they want to get someone who will produce.  Players are not always friends or even friendly - particularly older kids to younger kid.  Keep in mind, "There is no I in team", but there are two in playing time.

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