Becoming a leading sports person is a dream for many young people. Think of the money, the fame and the adoration. But the path to athletic stardom is littered with failures. So how can you make the most of your skills?
If you want to achieve sporting excellence, you’ll need talent, drive, determination and most importantly, the time to practice. However, knowing that so few can make it to the top, it’s also wise to make sure you get an education too. One of the best ways of combining the two is to get on a sport scholarship programme.
Sports scholarships
Athletic scholarships are study bursaries provided by colleges or universities to allow an individual to study at the institution based mainly on their skills as an athlete. They are common in the United States, but less so in other countries.
Students on sports scholarships will still be expected to maintain successful grades and achieve academic success – scholarships are sometimes only awarded to the top 10% of a class – but their focus will be on succeeding at and improving their sporting skills. The student will have the necessary training and facilities to do so at the university.
Sports academies
Another option is delve deeper into the sports world and head to a sporting academy. There are two types of sporting academy:
- Sport academies that select you after trials
- Sport academies that you pay to attend
Many colleges run sport academies in various sports, selecting students on the basis of their skill. These types of sports academies are similar to sport scholarships, but you will normally still have to pay for your tuition.
The alternative is to attend a sporting academy which takes on all skill levels. You can train with top coaches to improve your skills, while also attending academic programmes. These types of sports academies tend to be run by private institutions, such as:
- Club Med Sports Academy