Collegiate Athletics

During the college search and application process sports should be only part of your decision. You are choosing a college, not a team. Think about all the factors that go into that choice, such as location, size, academic offerings and student life. You should look for a college you can thrive in even if you stop playing sports.

PROBABILITY OF COMPETING BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), "Many boys and girls grow up dreaming of playing sports in college and beyond. But of the nearly 8 million students currently participating in high school athletics in the United States, only 480,000 (6%) of them will compete at NCAA schools with only 2% receiving scholarships. And of that group, only a fraction will realize their goal of becoming a professional or Olympic athlete."

Even if college athletes do not move on to professional or Olympic levels, "the experiences of college athletics and the life lessons they learn along the way will help them as they pursue careers in other fields. Education is a vital part of the college athletics experience, and student-athletes graduate at higher rates than their peers in the student body."

Check out the links below for charts on the probability of competing in athletics in college and professionally:

• Estimated probability of competing in college athletics

• Estimated probability of competing in professional athletics

Above information from ​http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/research/probability-competing-beyond-high-school

ELIGIBILITY FOR COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

Athletes must prove eligibility to play. The NCAA and the NAIA are the governing associations of collegiate athletics. Students must register with the association with which the college they intend to play is associated. Students do not have to register for both. There is an $80.00 fee for NCAA registration and an $80.00 fee for NAIA registration. If students qualify for free or reduced lunch, then fee waivers are available in the Leilehua High School's College & Career Center (CCC) in HH101.

Learning the difference between the two associations will help you understand how many scholarships are available, where scholarships come from, and the restrictions of some scholarships. The amount and type of scholarship you can receive will depend upon many things including, which association the college is affiliated with and in which division within that association your college plays. Visit the CCC if you need help determining your eligibility to play or if you need help registering.