Sports crazed parents should be investing in education

By General Education Advice

Latest headline on my twitter feed:

“Youth baseball brawl among parents goes viral as police search for suspects

Police in Lakewood, Colorado, are still investigating those involved in a fight that broke out at a youth baseball game. Footage of the incident has gone national and, according to reports, the altercation broke out after disagreements with the teenage umpire and there were multiple injuries.”

I love sports and particularly did when I was younger.  My children are all athletes.  With my son, I took some pride in his days as a top soccer and tennis player.  I, too, was tempted to have him join travel teams and get extra coaching.  But, through my work as an educational counselor, I was able to see the folly of such time/spending/energy for most parents.  There are exceptions and I do not mean to offend those who have already spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours immersed in the American craziness for youth sports.

I have written about Connecticut sports parents who believe that sports scholarships are abundant.  But it is worth repeating: small town Connecticut athletes are delusional about national competition.

Most of Connecticut’s all-state football, basketball, and baseball standouts would have a hard time making honorable mention in California, Texas, and Florida, among other large sports crazed states.  DI scholarships are reserved for the best athletes in the country, not the best athletes in Connecticut,  let alone the small towns along the Connecticut coast.

On the other hand, I have seen enormous scholarship success for Connecticut students with top SAT and ACT test scores, particularly in the last 5 years.  Colleges – particularly private ones – are desperate to maintain their student populations. They also need to look “not desperate”! To do so, they need to attract a student body that looks impressive.  Unquestionably, the easiest way to do so: give scholarships to those with top test scores.

If you are concerned about paying for college, follow the money. Test scores lead to college dollars.