It was just about a year ago that I did a segment titled High Expectations, Harsh Reality for Student Athletes which began with “I am constantly amazed at the number of young athletes (actually the parents of young athletes) who expect their child to land a college scholarship and when they don’t look to point the finger, usually at a coach.”

Gary Nova of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights warms up during a game at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway.
Gary Nova of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights warms up during a game at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
loading...

I went on to talk about how with college costs on the rise and out of reach for some the pressure was on to get that scholarship which I equated with winning the lottery although the odds of winning that may be better than landing a scholarship. Speaking of which, do you know what the average annual scholarship is for Division 1 or 2 athletes? How about $6,000 which for some could leave them searching for another $40,000 or so each year.

I bring this up again after getting an email from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association that contained a piece aimed at high school athletes and their chances of making the big time. Here were some revealing numbers:

  • Of the over 4.3 million male high school athletes 1.9% will compete on the Division 1 level in college, 1.4% at Division 2 and 2.3% at Division 3 which does not provide athletic scholarships.

  • On the female side, 2.1% of nearly 2.9 million high school athletes will advance to Division 1 in college, 1.4% at Division 2 and 2.3% on the Division 3 level.

  • It doesn’t get easier for college athletes who plan on having a pro career as
    28% of NCAA student athletes will get drafted by one of the major pro sports leagues. In terms of the big three sports, 0.1% will get picked by the NFL, 0.64% by a major league baseball team and 0.04% by the NBA.
    Todd Frazier
    Todd Frazier (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
    loading...

    Just about every decent high school athlete dreams that they might make it to the pros and we’ve had some from this area like Todd Frazier, Al & Mark Leiter, Jim Dowd, Keith Elias, Darian Barnes and others. But here’s the reality.  .07% of high school athletes will make it as a pro.

    Bottom line: put as much time into the classroom as you do on the field. There’s a better chance that will pay off and you’ll make the big time.

    More From Beach Radio