By now you’ve probably seen one of the NCAA’s commercials about college athletes going pro in something other than sports. It’s a tough reality for many collegiate athletes to grasp, but what about the significant number of high school athletes that think they will land a D1 scholarship?
Once upon a time I was going to be the starting shortstop for Texas A&M and after we won National Title I’d lead the Atlanta Braves to a handful of World Series. Aren’t we cute when we’re kids?
By the time I was a junior in high school I realized that Texas A&M was unlikely and I started accepting the notion that I would either be a role player/walk-on as a freshman at a D1 school or someone with a chance to start at a smaller university.
For many athletes that is a tough pill to swallow. Chances are you have invested 10-12 years in honing your craft, and most good athletes have some semblance of ego, which can often translate to a delicate pridefulness; however, what most need to realize (left-handed pitchers throwing 95mph need not read beyond this point) is that going to a small school doesn’t have to be a reluctant alternative. It can be the destination. Here’s why:
More Playing Time & Ability to Develop
It’s tough to make the transition from Great White to gold fish. Hitting .500 your senior year to shagging balls, carrying equipment and taking cuts with the 3rd string if there’s any time left at the end of BP can be a discouraging experience for many young athletes. It’s unfortunate, but it’s often the way the system works. Maybe you never overcome that transition, or maybe your skills begin to dull because you have trouble finding time (or discipline) to get in the cage on your own time.
There are tons of talented athletes that just get lost in the shuffle. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you work your tail off and you think you have finally earned a starting spot as an upper classmen when the freshman phenom inks a full ride to your school.
What if you attended a D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO?
Now the chances that you enter an environment where you can legitimately compete for a starting job is significantly higher. Now maybe you platoon your freshman year and start your entire sophomore campaign. Now you’re not a leper only good for carrying equipment, but you’re someone the coaches invest time in helping get better because you are contributing right off the bat.
At a smaller school you’d be a shark, and if you have a Great White-worthy season you can always transfer to that school of your dreams. Chances are they’ll call you.
Smaller classes equals more face time with professors and more personal attention
Being a college athlete is, despite what others may tell you, more than just playing your sport. It’s about being a student first. How many athletes kick off their freshman campaign in Biology 101 with 600 students in an auditorium? Most people don’t realize how hard it is to maintain solid grades when you’re at practice before most people wake up and then the second you get out of class until dinner. That’s before road trips ever start.
In a class of hundreds your teacher doesn’t know you exist, and if they do, they’re hard pressed to find any personal time for you. You might get some face time with a graduate teaching assistant if you’re lucky. This isn’t an environment conducive to making great grades, and you need to do well in school to ensure you’re eligible to play.
Smaller classes enable you to get to know your professors. They enable you to ask questions in class and have them answered. It’s easier to get to know the people in your class for homework help and study groups. Classes at smaller school’s are similar to your high school classes making the transition much easier and giving you the opportunity to succeed out of the gate instead of having to play catch up in the years to come.
Fewer distractions
Let’s fact facts. Bigger schools have more cute co-eds, more parties, and bigger towns with more opportunities to get in trouble. Even students that aren’t athletes often struggle making the adjustment their freshman year attending frat parties on Wednesday, Happy Hour on Thursday, and the campus concert on Friday.
Sure, the smaller universities have plenty of opportunities to get in trouble also, but which town offers more opportunities Austin, Texas or Alpine, Texas (Sul Ross State)? With fewer distractions there’s more time to focus on what you should’ve come to college for in the first place: your studies and your sport.
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There’s nothing wrong with aspiring for D1 dominance, but high school athletes should be aware of all of their options. For every D1 college star there’s countless other student athletes who want to continue playing sports while obtaining a solid education and these are three reasons why a small school can be an awesome destination. I’m sure I missed some other great reasons to please use the comments section to share your own reasons and/or experiences why a small school can be a great option.
