College Athletic Scholarships – What Coaches Want in Recruits
College athletes have to maintain a number of obligations outside of the obligations that solely come from being on a sports team. Therefore coaches want recruits who can manage the obligations from being on the team in addition to the obligations that come from being a college student. While most coaches will not forgo recruiting a talented athlete because of a lack of education, it is an essential part of what coaches want in a recruit because it affects every level of an athlete’s ability to perform. Both on and off the field, the well educated student is a good and safe investment for the coach.
The importance of education does not necessarily only relate to the recruit’s intelligence or athletic ability, but it also confers the ability for an athlete to effectively play any role on the team. The educated athlete can is smart enough to appreciate the complexities of the game and make intelligent decisions that reflect the coach’s goals whether that involves them being the star player or not. In addition to being intelligent on the field, an educated recruit also means that the coach does not have to worry about the athlete’s academic performance that might affect their eligibility to play a sport.
Overall an educated player is a safer investment. While the most intelligent athletes will usually get recruited for their intelligence over their athletic ability, athletics can be a useful tool for an intelligent athlete to go to a school that would normally be out of their reach for whatever reason. In that case, education is even more important as it is the athlete’s primary focus. When it comes to college and sports, education is a component that is fundamental for every level of success. While education is important to coaches for recruits, it is not the end of a coach’s consideration for a recruit.
