General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Do you support athletic scholarships and college sports? [View all]Lydia Leftcoast
(48,217 posts)hard instead follow the dream of an athletic scholarship leading to the NFL or NBA, something that is statistically less likely than making a living off of art or music, take time away from their studies to perfect their athletic skills.
Having been a college professor myself and having heard plenty of stories from admissions officers over lunch, I know that a kid from a low-income background who studies hard and is an academic star can write his or her own ticket. There are a lot more jobs for people who do well in school, especially in fields like health care and engineering, than there are for professional athletes.
I distinguish students who happen to like to play a sport from dumb jocks whose only dream is being a pro athlete, who view college as an annoyingly boring and difficult obstacle to their pro career, and who have no Plan B for when they fail, as most of them will.