Sports

Professional Sports Schools and Ivy League

Many high school athletes choose a college based on the likelihood that the one they choose will increase their chances for a professional career. Similarly, many high school students choose a school based on the likelihood that it will help them rise to the top of their chosen field after completing their studies.

You may have heard that less than 2 percent of college athletes ever play at any professional level. The most recent probability study shows that only 1.5% of college football players will ever briefly play for a professional team at any level, and the probability for men’s basketball players is just 1.1%.

The last year they studied the real numbers was 2012, and the real numbers are very close to the odds listed above: 1.7% for soccer and 1.2% for men’s basketball. The only male or female sport with a greater than 2% probability of briefly joining a professional team is baseball.

Remember the numbers above are just for being part of a team that pays you to play for any length of time, sometimes that equates to less than one game. The chances of you having a career of more than five years at the professional level are astronomically lower still.

Similarly, high school students who choose Ivy League schools to help them rise to the top of their field are likely to face a similar fate. It’s true that the top of the class in Ivy League schools tend to get the best offers upon graduation, but once you get past the top two or three in each field, most will find that they would have been better at. the peak of his studies. field in a state school.

Just because you are the best graduate in your field at the best university in that field does not mean that you will be the most desirable candidate for those who hire. Similarly, the best top team player in college football last year was only the twelfth player selected in the NFL draft and the third player chosen at his position. Additionally, the best player on the best college basketball team was the 15th player selected in the NBA draft this year and the fourth player selected at his position.

Similarly, there’s a reason that Paul George, who was the star player for an average Indiana Pacers team last season, is likely to make more than $ 100 million when he becomes a free agent next year, and Shaun Livingston, who was the sixth best player. over champion Golden State Warriors, he just signed a $ 24 million contract. It is not the team or the school you are associated with that matters, it is what you do with what you have, wherever you are.

Top of the class at Harvard can get the best deals just like the top Golden State Warriors player (Steph Curry) does, but once you get to the sixth best of the class at Harvard, it’s probably best that they are top of. class. the Indiana University class.

Also, it is common in athletics or academia for people to go to places where there is a lot of competition and lose self-confidence early on. This usually leads to very capable people changing positions, changing specialties, languishing there, or quitting altogether.

If these same people had gone to a school with less competition, they probably would have had time to grow in themselves and perhaps surpass the achievements of those who initially outperformed them in the more competitive school. Not everyone grows at the same rate, and untold numbers of students and athletes who could have reached great heights are lost each year for these reasons.

Many students and parents lose sight of the fact that it is not where you start (or go to college), but where you end, that matters. The cream rises to the top and over time it doesn’t matter so much where you went to school as what you accomplish once out of school.

As I advise college quarterbacks who are considering coming out after their sophomore year in college, if you don’t think you have what it takes to make a career as an NFL quarterback, then by all means , you should leave early and take the money and run. Similarly, I would advise students who do not believe in themselves to go to the best school they can get into. But if you really want to be a star in your field and are willing to push yourself to achieve your goals, go to a school where you feel most comfortable and have fun while you are there.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *