College athletics and your child

[creditcardfree]

My best friend's daughter was a gymnast since age 3. Her daughter was not recruited for any schools, but ended up at a private D3 school in Minnesota. I'm not sure what scholarships if any were given. She basically recorded herself doing her routines and sent them to various D3 and D2 colleges. At least two called her back and wanted her to visit. The D3 school she picked does compete with D2 schools.

I have a niece that is a current 9th grade volleyball player. Her dad keeps posting recognitions she is getting on FB, so it will be interesting to see if she gets offers soon.

[creditcardfree]

what are some D3 schools? Is this the same for say band scholarships?

My daughter is at D1 school and in the marching band. There is no scholarship recruitment. The band is very competitive. Members just want to be a part of it. It's over 300, and they have at least 500 try out each year. Now she did get a leadership scholarship of $600 after her junior year. I did see that a private Methodist college in our last town was offering payment for participation in their marching band. It may have been close to $1000. These schools are small and need to recruit all they can to get a band together. And being private there are more funds to give out for this kind of thing.

[TexasHusker]

Our society places an outrageous emphasis on athletics. There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which is particularly good, but because of it, colleges put a great deal more of their resources into athletics. A typical Division 1 athletics program spends from $50 to $100 million per year on their programs. Only the top 30 or so programs in the country actually post a profit in the endeavor.

Following that fact, band and performing arts scholarships are quite modest compared to athletics scholarships. Playing a mean trumpet might be worth a few hundred dollars, but if you can dunk a basketball in the paint while you're double teamed, you might get your whole education paid for.

[james.hendrickson]

Our society places an outrageous emphasis on athletics. There are a variety of reasons for this, none of which is particularly good, but because of it, colleges put a great deal more of their resources into athletics. A typical Division 1 athletics program spends from $50 to $100 million per year on their programs. Only the top 30 or so programs in the country actually post a profit in the endeavor.

Following that fact, band and performing arts scholarships are quite modest compared to athletics scholarships. Playing a mean trumpet might be worth a few hundred dollars, but if you can dunk a basketball in the paint while you're double teamed, you might get your whole education paid for.

This is why many people feel college athletes should be paid - they bring in an out sized amount of revenue to the school and receive comparatively little in return.

[Thrif-t]

My DD ran track at a D1 school, and since she was a mid-distance runner they had her doing cross country too. IT WAS TOO MUCH!! She is a biomedical engineering major and had to commit no less than 30 hours a week to her sport. She quit after 2 years because it was just too much to keep up with everything year round. I wish we would've looked at D3 or D2 schools for her. She still loves running and I know she misses doing it competitively but frankly that was just nuts and not worth it. She was going to school to get an education and become employable, she was never going to be a professional athlete.

Our other DD goes to a different D1 school and they are starting a lacrosse program so since she played a few years in high school she was recruited for the club team, they get a little housing scholarship for their efforts and it's a totally different experience for her, kinda like being on a high school team since it's still a club team.

My nephew went to a D3 school for football and I thought the same thing, it's going to be more laid back. Nope, he had a crazy schedule too. I didn't realize D3 took up as much time but he between 20-25 hours a week to commit to his sport too.

If you're someone who has to spend a great deal of time studying to keep your grades up, playing a sport can be a struggle because of the time commitment.

[disneysteve]

This is why many people feel college athletes should be paid - they bring in an out sized amount of revenue to the school and receive comparatively little in return.

I don't know. If a student athlete gets a free ride, that's a pretty nice return. Many schools are now well over 50K/year so if you get to attend at no cost, you've been "paid" over 200K over 4 years. Not too shabby. And you get a degree as well.

[TexasHusker]

This is why many people feel college athletes should be paid - they bring in an out sized amount of revenue to the school and receive comparatively little in return.

Very, very few universities actually make a profit off of athletics. Perhaps 20 to 30 out of thousands of schools. So a percent of a percent. And in that percent of a percent, profitability is derived mostly from football. With the possible exception of basketball here and there, the rest of the sports operate at a loss.

So the idea of compensating athletes further is a little silly when you look at the real numbers.

[disneysteve]

Very, very few universities actually make a profit off of athletics. Perhaps 20 to 30 out of thousands of schools.

That being the case, why do they spend so much money on it? Where’s the return on that investment?

[TexasHusker]

That is a very good question that I ask myself all the time. I believe the entire concept of scholarship athletics is deeply flawed. And that is coming from a college football junkie.

Misplaced values is my short answer.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Don't sports programs get donations from alumni?

[disneysteve]

Very, very few universities actually make a profit off of athletics.

I do wonder how they measure this, though. If they just look at ticket sales and merchandising and ad revenue, that might be true. But how do you measure reputation and publicity? How many students choose a college because it has high profile sports teams, even though they themselves aren't athletes? Name recognition has value even if it's hard to assign a number to.

[TexasHusker]

I do wonder how they measure this, though. If they just look at ticket sales and merchandising and ad revenue, that might be true. But how do you measure reputation and publicity? How many students choose a college because it has high profile sports teams, even though they themselves aren't athletes? Name recognition has value even if it's hard to assign a number to.

Without question. But it is a "tail wagging the dog" situation: Universities are taxing their students many $ millions per year in fees to fund these "advertising" programs, and you will see maybe a few thousand folks in the stands, most of them not even students.

Let's take University of Connecticut as an example: For 2016-17, total athletic expenditures were $83 million and change. But in terms of revenues - TV, tickets, merchandising, and concessions, UConn only brought in $41 million. The current students at UConn sprang for the other $42 million, in one year! That's $1615 per year per student. Pretty hefty taxes.

Let's look at another school, James Madison. For 2016-17, total athletic expenditures were $48 million, but the athletic department only brought in $9 million. The students picked up the other $39 million. Spread amongst their 22,667 students, each student is paying $1720 per year.

Of course, federally subsidized student loans are paying for most of these fees, and the student will be paying for the teams for the next couple of decades, with interest. The average 4-year graduate will owe over $6000 in loans just for the ball teams. Win one for the Gipper!

http://projects.huffingtonpost.com/ncaa/sports-at-any-cost

[~bs]

back when i was a college kid, full sized whoppers were $1 and the patties were nicer and veggies fresher and non gmo. not the skinny slab of pink estrogen meat they serve up today.

I agree that they need to raise the student fees higher to pay for athletics. I mean, that's the whole point of going to college right?

[TexasHusker]

back when i was a college kid, full sized whoppers were $1 and the patties were nicer and veggies fresher and non gmo. not the skinny slab of pink estrogen meat they serve up today.

I agree that they need to raise the student fees higher to pay for athletics. I mean, that's the whole point of going to college right?

Who was the coach that said "we are trying to build a university that the football team can be proud of."

[Smallsteps]

I think this is getting a bit crazy
I remember when my son played sports in leagues ( YMCA and others) formed for youth. As parents of a 7-10 year olds it was suppose to be Fun and teaching kids teamwork and discipline to practice. Nope so many turned into some sort of boot-camp to create some super athlete.

What it becomes is a set of over zealous parents convinced that their little one is the next great one.
So they scream at volunteer coaches and referees, pull kids moving team to team because " that team had the audacity to let AVERAGE kids play. I mean really".

The pressure even on individual sports I have seen many cases cause many issues.
One of what I had hoped would be my best friend was pushed too hard by her parents. she cracked and acted up began doing drugs and ruined her life to where I could not even recognize her.
Not only did she give up a sport, at one point she loved, but her defiance of the constant pressure ended up very badly.

Parents are becoming marketing agents selling their kids talent to the highest bidder. So now not chosen by 9th grade you are now washed up. that is just SAD.