High School Sports vs. College

High school sports vs. college sports

With the possible exception of the most challenging high schools in the nation, most students experience more freedom and also more responsibility regarding their academic choices and behavior in college. However, this is not necessarily true of high school sports vs. college sports. In some areas of the country, such as the South, an entire community may become focused on the performance of a high school football team; in the Midwest, the same is true for high school basketball. In contrast, some sports in college may be extremely casual, intramural affairs such as an ultimate Frisbee team. The difficulty level of high school sports depends on the type of sport and intensity of competition at the school.

Both high school and college sports can be extremely competitive. Elite high school athletes often go to summer sports clinics over the summer and subject themselves to grueling practices with the hopes of winning a college scholarship. High-level college athletes often want to retain their sports scholarships, and are under a great deal of pressure from coaches and alumni to succeed. The pressure they feel may be greater than what high school athletes feel because the finances as well as the reputation of the school are at stake. A school with a successful college basketball or football team can command more applications, boost its selectivity, and also draw more alumni donations. High schools are not as dependent upon the performance of their teams to remain solvent.

Although more money is at stake in college sports, increasing the tension for athletes when they play, the payoff is often much greater. Star athletes can garner the attention of professional sports leagues such as the NFL and the NBA. Success in college means keeping valuable athletic scholarships for high tuition bills. And it can also mean garnering national attention for the athlete's feats, which can translate into success even off the courts, in business, provided that the athletes also get reasonable grades. For the most elite college athletes, grades are often less of a concern -- unlike high school athletes who want to play in college; they do not have to graduate to realize their life's dream of gaining professional status.

But this dream is available to only very few college athletes. While many talented high school players in various sports do receive financial assistance upon transitioning to college, not many are able to take their careers to a professional level. It is important to remember that many college athletes do not play sports with a wide spectator following. High school athletes in sports like crew and lacrosse may win scholarships or at least win admission to a more competitive college than they might otherwise, were they not an athlete, based upon their grades and test scores. But only a select few sports can offer an athlete a stable professional career, post-college, regardless of the level at which the athlete may play. A top shot-putter cannot have the same level of professional aspirations as a potential candidate for the NBA.