Athletes find college sports scholarships elusive - Feb 08, 2009

By GUS OSTRUM • Courier-Post Staff

Do you think gaining a full athletic scholarship to an NCAA Division I college -- the dream of many high school athletes and their families -- is in your future?

If so, you'd better have a backup plan.

Those dreams are more elusive because of the brutal competition for scholarships on the NCAA Division I and II levels and a new obstacle -- the struggling U.S. economy.

Many South Jersey athletes and their families will experience a proud day Wednesday -- National Signing Day, when standouts across the country announce their college choices.

But make no mistake. Grabbing a slice of the $821.1 million scholarship money available in men's sports and $625.4 million in women's athletics nationally will be more difficult than ever, say many local and national experts.

A primary reason is that college sports budgets everywhere are being cut because of the loss of sponsorship dollars and ticket revenue, which, in some cases, has led to athletic programs being dropped. Hence, fewer opportunities will be available.

According to Carl Hoffman, owner of Collegiate S.T.A.R.S., a national recruiting service headquartered in Bucks County, Pa., today's high school athletes better be prepared for a bumpy ride if they want to play college sports.

"You must be proactive in your approach to playing athletics in college, including being a good student, developing your athletics skills and looking at every alternative available to you," Hoffman said.

Recruiting facts

Even before the U.S. went into a deep recession, the prospects of gaining a full ride to a Division I school weren't good for most athletes.

Some 400,000 athletes play college sports at NCAA schools, but becoming one of them is difficult.

According to the NCAA, the percentage of high school athletes moving on to compete in NCAA sports programs is low. In men's basketball, for example, of the 549,500 who had been high school athletes, only 15,700 -- or 2.9 percent -- were playing college ball by the time they were seniors.

In his capacity as a consultant, Hoffman recently delivered this bad news to about 65 high school softball players attending a seminar on college sports at Sportz Central in Bellmawr.

"The kids and their parents never want to hear the sobering news, but I'd rather deliver this information right up front," Hoffman said.

Recruiting goals

Depending on the program, from NCAA Division I down to Division III, college coaches have different recruiting goals.

On the Division I level, the athletes being recruited are cream-of-the-crop performers on the field and academically.

"If you haven't received dozens of correspondences in the mail by the time your freshman year in high school is over, you're not on a Division I radar screen, and you won't be getting that scholarship," Hoffman told the gathering.

For those fortunate to have such athletic and academic talent, the attention can be overwhelming.

Chelsea Ley, a junior at Kingsway Regional High School in Swedesboro and one of the state's top cross country runners, is well-known among Division I coaches nationwide. She already has received nearly 100 letters of interest.

"It's absolutely mind-boggling. I have no idea how I'm going to proceed with this," she said recently. "I'll decide with my family what the best fits are and take it from there."

Don't give up

High school players looking to play collegiately with doubts about whether their talents are of Division I quality shouldn't give up.

On the Division III level, including South Jersey schools such as Rowan University, Rutgers University-Camden and The College of New Jersey, no scholarship money is offered per NCAA mandates. Yet the opportunities to compete on a college team readily are available.

If a Division III school seems a perfect fit for athletes and their coaches, that makes the recruiting process a different ballgame, Rowan men's basketball coach Joe Cassidy said.

"We're looking for the best available pool of athletes -- usually local kids -- who want to be at a state college and have the means to pay for tuition, room and board," Cassidy said.

Quite simply, it's best to check out as many colleges as possible to find the right fit for you.