How likely is your son or daughter to play their sport after high school? In the appendices of our Coach and Parent manuals we include these statistics not to discourage young people from playing their sport, but to put play in perspective. Sports are meant to be played for enjoyment. Competition is fun, but if athletes are motivated by "playing at the next level" then they do a disservice to their teammates and the spirit of competition. If we encourage athletes to participate in sports in order to gain a reward, then sports become work not play. For a longer reflection see our post, "Playing Sports to Pay for College."
The links provided to the NCAA statistics in our coach and parent manuals has changed. Check out the new links at:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/academics+and+athletes/education+and+research/probability+of+competing
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/academics+and+athletes/education+and+research/probability+of+competing/methodology+-+prob+of+competing
