High School Football vs. College Football

Football

Besides the age, height, and weight differences, high school and college football players share many common traits. Most of them have been playing sports since they were young children and are therefore highly dedicated. However, in high school, parents are still intimately involved with their children's playing: they often show up for after-school practices or volunteer at games. Once they reach college, these young players essentially become adults. Often leaving home to attend college, football players no longer rely on parental coaching for extra guidance and support. Rather, their teammates and team coach provide them with the impetus they need to succeed. Furthermore, the stakes get higher in college. Although high school football players do make it to state and national championships and frequently feel the rush of major tournaments, college players are in the position of being recruited into the National Football League. Because many football players aim to play professionally, their careers are at stake each time they play. Many high school football players show such promise and talent that they receive full scholarships to institutes of higher learning. When these scholarship recipients enter college, they are not only expected to perform to their physical capacity on the field: they are also required to fulfill minimum educational requirements. High school students don't experience the same degree of pressure to perform. The differences between high school and college football extend to coaching styles, too. High school coaches are not nearly as intense as college coaches, who are usually under pressure to perform for their own career's sake. Because college football is so popular with the American public and games are often televised, college football coaches can achieve national celebrity and go on to pursue careers with the NFL. Although the game is basically the same, football is experienced, presented, and played differently in high school and in college.

Football in high school can be a basically casual affair, even if varsity teams exhibit incredible players whose talents will eventually land them professional careers. High school football games and even the major tournaments are low-key and don't attract that many spectators, save for students of the schools involved and a sprinkling of parents and teachers. Teams are generally not well-funded; at least, they don't receive nearly the budget that college teams do. However, the players can be fully passionate and involved in the games, dedicated to their teams and to improving their athletic skills. Many of the players have been tossing a football around since they were young kids. Even though high school football is relatively casual, the players, coaches, and parents can sometimes take the game quite seriously. Many adolescent players realize that their performance on the field can equate to a college scholarship and recognition down the line. Parents sometimes become overly involved in their children's game and place inordinate amounts of pressure on them. At this early stage in their sports career, high school players demonstrate an incredible amount of verve. Likewise, coaches can be lively; however, many high school football players and coaches lack passion and enthusiasm, especially in schools that are poorly funded. Moreover, many high school football players don't plan on making the sport into a career and are therefore not completely dedicated to the game.

Because high school football does not carry the high stakes that college football does, the games are not as intense; nor are the players or the coaches. Furthermore, college football is more glamorous than high school football. College football attracts huge crowds at stadiums, especially top teams. Televised games are often as exciting to watch as NFL games, sometimes more so. The players on a college team hope to meet scouts each time they play. Therefore, the level of competition in college football is stiff. Just as high school students hope to receive college scholarships based on athletic ability, so too do college students hope to receive multi-million dollar contracts from an NFL team. The stakes are higher in college than they are in high school but the impetus to perform is identical. Furthermore, coaching styles change in college. College football coaches will generally be more experienced and highly trained than high school coaches. Football players in college will spend more time with their teammates at practices, as football becomes a greater part of their life. Usually, the students will not have their parents to egg them on at games like they did in high school: the coach and their peers act as their main sources of social guidance and support. Therefore, coaching in college is far more demanding and requires a greater degree of psychological care.