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[quote=Anonymous]Being a college athlete in a sport where professional options are limited (every sport really, but try telling that to a 18 year old basketball player) has many benefits and some serious negatives.

For now - Athletes at D1 and D2 have the potential for athletic scholarships.  A few sports are required to offer only “full” scholarships (football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, women’s tennis).  Other sports divide up scholarships among the team.  The division need not be equal.  Most schools do not “fully fund” all scholarships.  For example, a Division 1 school can offer up to 9.9 scholarships for men’s soccer, but the coach might only be allowed by the school to offer a total of 4.  Colleges have to comply with Title IX on scholarships and stay on budget.

Now - we are at the start of a different athletic experience with NIL money.  What that makes college sports look like 10 years from now will be interesting.  Yes, football and mens basketball will see money, but, for example, my undergrad college has $7000 in NIL money for everyone on the women’s soccer team.  It will change the experience and incentives in every sport.

Once you are on a team - the non- scholarship benefits would typically be things like class scheduling preferences, study room and tutoring assistance (though common for all undergrads but easy to get access for athletes).  Other benefits are more logistical and practical - specific dorm and food options which will have proximity to athletic locations, and practicality for athlete schedules.  Eg, the regular cafeterias might stop serving at 7:00 and if your team’s practices are not over until 8 what do you do?  Have the cafeteria in the athletic dorm area stay open for athletes.  Also - food options and portions may differ than regular fare.  Mind you - we are still talking cafeteria food, but they might, for example, always have a broiled chicken option.

One benefit that most if not all athletes quickly grow to love is clothes, or more specifically laundry.  Ever wonder why athletes at your college are always wearing team sweats or team shirts?  Showing off?  Nope.  They just do not have to launder them.  They can bag them in the Locker room and they will reappear a day or two later in their locker.  Washed.  That does not happen with non-team gear.

Downsides - significant.  That is why so many kids quit along the way.  The biggest thing is that college team sport atmosphere is very different than that on teams kids have been on as kids.  Start with the fact that the head coach is not your friend, or even friendly.  Why?  They make their decisions based on what they think is best for the team - which will, in turn, be best for them.  Your job as an athlete is to make sure you are working hard so you continue to have the coach thinking he/she needs to have you play - compete.  This set up means your competitors include your teammates.  If you are playing - that means someone else on the team is not playing.  It changes the relationships.

Also - think back to high school days - did Seniors mix much with freshmen even if they were on the same team?  That returns in college.  Upperclassmen are at different life stages than underclassmen.  Also, they see underclassmen as competitors for playing time.  On the field it won’t matter at all.  Off the field they won’t be mean or unsupportive, but they mostly won’t be very helpful or inclusive either.

It is a ton of time and effort.  Way way more than before college.  For D1 competitive programs it is a full time job, and then you go to school.  Really.  In season a D1 athlete can be required to commit 25 hours a week to the sport.  But that does not include travel.  That also does not include time to get to and from practices, change for practice, and all the “volunteer” time doing things like watching game film, working out, and doing non-supervised rehab.  It is way to much effort if you do not play.  So - playing time very quickly becomes more important than winning.  Don’t get playing time?  You will quit.  Most do in the non-full scholarship sports.

And - even at big schools - playing a sport very much limits your academic options.  Yes - there are work around at MIT.  But, in the vast majority of schools the arts and lab sciences are out.  You miss too much time traveling for sports.  And, eventually, at the Junior and Senior levels the need to take sequenced classes puts serious restrictions on majors.

Still - there are post grad benefits.  My kids soccer coach who, in 4 years, did not speak to her more than 60 minutes collectively, became a great reference for her.  It also gets you interviews.  If you saw a resume from a new grad float across your desk and it otherwise met your standards (gpa, etc) you are going to give them an interview.  With women in particular, it helps in business dealing with “team” issues and with guys.  It is why so many women executives played college sports.

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