Why Finding the Right Balance Between Athletics and Academics Supports Student Development

Sports occupy a prominent place in American schools and family life for decades. According to a 2013 article in The Atlantic, the sociologist James Coleman made an interesting point when observing the typical American high school in 1961: “The examination of the trophies reveals a curious fact: The gold and silver cups, with rare exceptions, symbolize victory in athletic contests, not scholastic ones.”

In this regard, not much has changed. Many of today’s parents in the U.S. aren’t afraid to push their children when it comes to athletics, and yet don’t find it necessary to enforce strict standards or invest financially when it comes to academics. This intense focus on extracurricular sports culture—sometimes starting as early as grade school—is often pursued in the name of winning college scholarships even though it can lead to poor academic performance. 

In the long term, families who invest equally in both sports activities and academic pursuits set their students up for success in multiple areas of life...especially opportunities for academic college scholarships down the line.

In Sylvan’s home state of Maryland, lacrosse is a hugely popular and competitive sport. Parents will enroll their children as early as the age of 4 and invest heavily in camps, extra coaching and tournaments with the ultimate goal of winning a full-ride lacrosse scholarship. Participation in sports can be valuable for children for so many other reasons, but to focus solely on college recruiting can distract from that. Financially, these parents would be wiser to invest in supplemental education programs such as tutoring or SAT prep classes if their aim is scholarship money. 

When closely examined, the odds of winning an NCAA sports scholarship are minimal. Only about 2% of high school athletes win sports scholarships every year at NCAA colleges and for those who do, the average scholarship is less than $11,000. The NCAA sets a limit on what teams can offer, and most college teams are splitting their scholarship money among dozens of players. 

Sports are not the only avenue for students to gain access to college scholarship funds. The opportunity for successful high school students to win an academic scholarship to college is significant. From an investment standpoint, parents should not only encourage success in athletics but should also prioritize supplemental and enrichment education such as one-on-one tutoring and SAT or ACT prep classes.

Each year, more than 1.7 million private scholarships and fellowships are awarded, with a total value of more than $7.4 billion. According to research, students with above-average SAT and ACT test scores are more likely to win private scholarships, with 12.9% of students with an SAT score of 1,000 or more winning private scholarships, compared with 7.8% of students with an SAT score under 1,000. 

There’s no doubt that sports build foundational life skills, including teamwork, perseverance, and a focus on health and exercise. But this emphasis on extracurriculars can sometimes detract from academic pursuits. There are only so many hours in the day and far too often kids struggle in school because they are traveling or preoccupied with last night’s game. 

When schools or parents emphasize athletics over academics, it sends the wrong message to kids. Sports certainly have their benefits, but the athletic path may end suddenly, while the real-world economy rewards those with fluent math, science and reading skills. Students will play a sport for a few years, but they’ll be an adult who needs to support themselves their entire lives. 

What is the right path? Studies have shown that some 70% of kids drop out of organized sports by their early teens, a major reason being that they find it too stressful. For some students, the pressure of college acceptance can also become a burden. Therefore, fostering a healthy balance of support for both school and sports can help keep priorities straight and result in greater success in both fields. 

Parents play a significant role in helping students thrive in both their academic and extracurricular pursuits. While an activity like lacrosse camp serves an important purpose, investing in supplemental education fosters long-term student success when it comes to college scholarships and ensures that they will have a brighter future ahead. Now that is something any parent would cheer for.