Shaila
Is it worth it to play sports in college?
I've been playing softball for a long time now and now that graduation is right around the corner I've been seriously debating whether or not I should play for college. I know there is usually a scholarship that comes with playing a sport for college, but softball isn't one of the sports that will provide a big scholarship. Also, I don't know if it's every university, but the university I will be attending says that if I do play for them then any school scholarships I got will be taken away and replaced with the sport scholarship no matter the amount. I've also been hearing that playing sports for college is pretty time consuming with 6:00 A.M. runs and long evening practices. Taking everything into account, would it really be worth it to play for college if it isn't a main sport like football that can potentially get you a full ride through school? #Sports #Life-Debates
3 answers
Scott Himes
Scott’s Answer
The question you ask is really one which comes down to personal desire, and drive. I think the real question is do you find value in playing the sport moving forward? If you find value in playing softball, then yes it's worth playing it in college. However, what happens to your sports scholarships if you decide after 2 years it's not of value to you anymore and it's time to move on? Do you now have to forfeit them? Can you now get academic scholarships or are those lost too?
As a young athlete, I use to love to run track. I was good at long distance, and I had great coaches. Then one year it was no longer fun. I never ran track again. I didn't miss it at all. I was free from the burden I had felt at the end of the previous season. I moved on to other opportunities which I couldn't do when I was in sports.
So really you need to ask yourself, "Do I want to play softball in college?" If the answer is Yes, then it's worth it to play. If the answer is No, then it's not worth it to continue.
Joey Parisi
Joey’s Answer
There were several benefits to me by swimming in college. First, was that I had an immediate group of friends of all ages that were there to help me through my Freshman year as well as show me the ropes of school faster than my other Freshman friends who didn't play any sports. Second, mentioning in my interview that I was the captain of the swim team my senior year definitely set me apart from others that were interviewing. It allowed me to establish myself as a leader and give some real-world examples of difficulties I faced and how I overcame them, which is a prime interview question. Lastly, the free equipment isn't bad either.
Having said all that, you definitely have to sacrifice free time and energy in practicing and playing and weight training but all that hard work is DEFINITELY worth it in the end.
John Bleday
John’s Answer
Hi Shaila,
I think it is important to consider whether you will enjoy your sport, but without knowing this, I will say that I found playing sports in college to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I was a division 1 college track and field athlete for all four years and I was able to balance a heavy practice schedule and class load. I found the challenge of being on a team very rewarding. Additionally, I made some of the best friends of my life from being on a team in college. Being on a team gives you a family at school and a group that you immediately have something in common with. All of this is not to say that there will not be difficult and challenging times, but if you are able to stay in a routine and stay organized I believe that it is an incredibly rewarding decision. However, it is important to make sure that you are a student first. Ultimately, people attend college for many reasons, but the primary reason should be to further yourself as a student. If you feel that you will not be able to balance sports and studies, there is no shame in focusing on academics. I hope this helps!
Cheers,
John