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What College Sports Can Do for You
Playing sports in college is more than just playing the sport you love for a few more years. You will be part of something that only a select few are lucky enough to be part of and many are envious of. If you are someone who is fortunate enough to play college athletics, make the most of the opportunity and don’t take one second of it for granted, because it will be over before you know it. The benefits you will gain from college sports will last a lifetime and they will always set you apart.
Speaking as someone who was fortunate enough to have the experience of playing collegiate soccer, I know first-hand how much it positively influenced me. College is a time where you will change greatly as a person and athletics will help you do that and it will also help you for life after college.
As an incoming freshman, there is a good chance that you will not know anyone on your team or at your school, making leaving home pretty scary. Depending on where you go, you may have some friends on the team, recognize some players you competed against in the past, or you could be like me and not know anyone. Fortunately, you will quickly realize that you have nothing to be scared of.
Soccer is a fall sport in college and you will be arriving at school for preseason practices before you even have your first class. This will give you an immediate bond with not only your new teammates, but with the other athletes on campus as well. You will go through preseason workouts with your teammates, team meals, team events and scrimmages and before you know it, you will find yourself coming away from your first few days at college having 20 new friends who will become your family for the next four years.
Once classes get started, being on a strict schedule for soccer will help you become disciplined with your academics. You will quickly find a schedule that works well for you in order to get everything done. Soccer will keep you on schedule throughout each year and will make it more difficult for you to get off track.
Being a collegiate athlete will help you even after college as well. Employers are more likely to hire a former athlete for a position over just an average student. Employers know that athletes have the drive and competitiveness that can make a company successful and those are the people that they want to be working for them. This fact alone will give you an edge over other applicants, which is invaluable.
Appreciate what all of your hard work has given you and where it will lead you in the future. Don’t take it for granted and work hard every day of your four years in college to reach your full potential. You will take that perseverance with you after college which will increase your chances of being successful off the field as well.
About NCSA:
NCSA, the “Official Scouting Organization and Provider of Recruiting Education” for Cal South, is the premier source for matching high school student–athletes with colleges and universities across the country. Visit www.ncsasports.org for more information about NCSA.
