When many young athletes hear about sports scholarships, their eyes light up and they immediately think of their new life as a college sports star. However, you may get quite disillusioned if you don’t consider some of the realities of sports scholarships. Indeed, it is important to realize that you have to do the work if you want to meet the demands of a sports scholarship. Not only do you have to put your all into the sport you play, but you also want to put your all into your schoolwork. Here are five things you should know about sports scholarships.
- It’s Not All About the Glamour and the Glitz
Being a sports star – either on the basketball team or baseball team – isn’t really how it’s portrayed on television or in movies. You have to think about all the training you have to do and all the things you have to give up in order to maintain your health and strength.
- You Have to Work Hard for that Scholarship
Just the same, you also have to work hard for your scholarship by applying yourself in class and in school. Indeed, you will be required to maintain a certain GPA if you want to hold on to your scholarship. If you are slipping behind, you may want to hire a tutor to help you with any studying or concepts that you don’t understand. You can also speak to your professors during their office hours.
- It is Important to Maintain a Personal Life
When you play college sports and you have a scholarship to hold on to, you want to make sure that your personal life is your priority. It is critically important that you stay happy and healthy. This means that you want to make friends outside of your sports team and you want to have a regimented schedule for your day. If you don’t take control of your personal life, it can feel like you are losing your identity, which can cause you to slip into depression and anxiety.
- Don’t Get Swayed by the Temptations that Come with Being a Sports Star
When you do spend time with friends in your college, it is important to stay away from some of the typical temptations that can come with being in college. This is especially the case if you are the sports star – everyone will want to be your “friend.” It doesn’t matter if you are attending Northeastern University or Boston University; you want to refrain from anything that could take away from your performance on the field or court.
- Work on Your SchoolworkBecause You May Want to Try Something Else After College
When you graduate from college, you may want to do something else than play sports. For instance, you may want to start a business or you may want to become a lawyer or doctor. In the end, all of these things are possible if you focus on your schoolwork and maintain scalable ambitions in college.