Originally Posted by Anonymous
You sound like you're coming from the front line and your experience is very valuable. Are you? Can you share your background with us?
With many years of experience on the athletic college recruitment scene in both soccer and lacrosse, the experiences that we share here on BOTC are based on real-life student-athlete placements. Personally, I have been involved in the placement of more than 40 student-athletes for Varsity Collegiate Sports. Note that we cover many of these topics on the BOTC Lacrosse College Recruitment Forum. We have also been hosting a similar dialogue for the last three years on our sister site, Back of the Net, dealing with Soccer College Recruitment.

Originally Posted by Anonymous
If what you say is true, it would seem at least ethical that the coach be very clear that the scholarship offer had performance risk and was contingent and adjusted annually based on the coach's annual comparsion against her teammates. How does a family budget for that?
Guarding against the risk of a decreased athletic stipend is a very difficult proposition. Often with an academic scholarship, the student can tell based on grading trends that an award is at risk. Similar with a grant that might come from a financially challenged source.

In the athletic space, keeping good communication with the coach is critical. Each student-athlete should be having a sit-down with their college coach at the close of each season to understand the upcoming year's financial package along with any augmentation (or decreases) in funding. This provides some period (May through August) wherein the family can craft a plan to cover any financial shortfalls. Remember this is the exception more than the rule.

Originally Posted by Anonymous
What if the kid wanted to pursue an academic or music scholarship at an Ivy League school instead, but made her school decision based on the perception of a strong sports offer? That lack of disclosure could be damaging.
First rule : Ivy League schools do not provide merit awards. Second rule : Ivy League schools do not provide music scholarships at an undergraduate level for an entering student.

Now, with those misconceptions swept aside, let's come to the issue at hand. Ultimately, the student-athlete will be making the choice as to whether Varsity Collegiate Sports will be part of their four year experience or not. That question usually is answered first by the student-athlete before the money question is addressed. BOTC Industries strongly recommends that student-athletes look at their college prospects from a financial and academic perspective first and foremost. A sports injury could completely change your ability to participate in athletic competition, but academic success is a primary reason that you are at a University to start.