Is College Sports the Path to the Pros?

<h1>Is College Sports the Path to the Pros?</h1>Author: <a title="Penny Hastings" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/penny-hastings/27904.htm">Penny Hastings</a> High school student-athletes sometimes say they dream of playing professional sports after college. These kids usually are high school students who haven't even applied to college yet. They are often highly regarded prep athletes in their school and community, but playing at the college level is still in the future. Now, I'm not one to squash anyone's dreams. We all know of pros who were college sports standouts, following stellar careers in high school. But,  according to the National College Athletic Association, the percentage of NCAA student-athletes who become professional athletes is miniscule. See the stats: men's basketball-1.2%; women's basketball-1.0%; football-1.8%; men's ice hockey-3.7%; men's soccer-1.7%. Baseball has the highest odds at 9.4%. What all this means is that in choosing your college, getting an education should be your top priority. Your first instinct might be to go wherever you can get an athletic scholarship and play your sport, but you need to look at the entire picture. For most of you, according to NCAA president, Myles Brand, "Your years in college will most likely be the peak of your athletic experience. A college degree, however, lasts a lifetime. So go for the education first." So, approach your college search by making a list of the colleges that best meet your academic requirements and then narrow your focus to schools that offer scholarships in your sport. In that way you will have the best chance of getting into a college that's right for you, play your sport and graduate with a future...it might even be in professional sports!About the Author: Journalist, publisher, author Penny Hastings lives in Santa Rosa, California, and is the co-author, with her son, Todd Caven, of "How To Win A Sports Scholarship" and author of Sports For Her: A Reference Guide for Teenage Girls. She has written numerous articles for newspapers and magazines. She is the owner/publisher of Redwood Creek Publishing. <a href="http://www.winasportsscholarship.com" target="_blank">www.winasportsscholarship.com</a>Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/is-college-sports-the-path-to-the-pros-915241.html" title="Is College Sports the Path to the Pros?">Is College Sports the Path to the Pros?</a>

High school student-athletes sometimes say they dream of playing professional sports after college. These kids usually are high school students who haven't even applied to college yet. They are often highly regarded prep athletes in their school and community, but playing at the college level is still in the future.

Now, I'm not one to squash anyone's dreams. We all know of pros who were college sports standouts, following stellar careers in high school. But, according to the National College Athletic Association, the percentage of NCAA student-athletes who become professional athletes is miniscule.

See the stats: men's basketball-1.2%; women's basketball-1.0%; football-1.8%; men's ice hockey-3.7%; men's soccer-1.7%. Baseball has the highest odds at 9.4%.

What all this means is that in choosing your college, getting an education should be your top priority. Your first instinct might be to go wherever you can get an athletic scholarship and play your sport, but you need to look at the entire picture. For most of you, according to NCAA president, Myles Brand, "Your years in college will most likely be the peak of your athletic experience. A college degree, however, lasts a lifetime. So go for the education first."

So, approach your college search by making a list of the colleges that best meet your academic requirements and then narrow your focus to schools that offer scholarships in your sport. In that way you will have the best chance of getting into a college that's right for you, play your sport and graduate with a future...it might even be in professional sports!

Journalist, publisher, author Penny Hastings lives in Santa Rosa, California, and is the co-author, with her son, Todd Caven, of "How To Win A Sports Scholarship" and author of Sports For Her: A Reference Guide for Teenage Girls. She has written numerous articles for newspapers and magazines. She is the owner/publisher of Redwood Creek Publishing. www.winasportsscholarship.com

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Article Tags: college sports, professional sports, college-bound student-athletes, ncaa, myles brand, college degree, how to win a sports scholarship, penny hastings, todd caven

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