Common Myths | Reality Check |
Kids must play on Travel Teams to play in High School. | No – Many programs actually narrow the learning experiences of kids, undermine overall development and frequently cause burnout. |
Specialization at a young age will increase the likelihood of long-term, high-level success. | With some very rare exceptions, such as women’s gymnastics and figure skating, early specialization is not the way to go. It more often leads to injuries, burnout and dropping out. |
Most world class and professional athletes specialized in one sport at a young age. | Not so. 7 out of 10 Olympic athletes and 30 out of 32 NFL first round picks in 2017 were multi-sport athletes in high school. |
Private instruction is necessary to be successful at the high school level. | Private instruction can help, but is not always necessary nor a guarantee of success. The quality of instruction is what matters. |
If you work hard, getting an athletic scholarship is a reasonable goal for most high school athletes. | The odds are not in your favor. Fewer than 3% of high school athletes get an athletic scholarship to a Division I school. |
Signing a professional contract is a realistic goal for many athletes. | This is an even longer shot. Less than ½ of 1% of high school athletes will get an opportunity to play a professional sports. |
Athletic Scholarships cover the cost of attending college. | Think again. The average athletic scholarship is less than $10,000 per year. |
The more games you play, the more you improve. | Skill Improvement for young developing athletes, occurs mostly during practice, not during games. Follow the suggested 3:1 practice to game ratio. |