Q: I'm very curious as to what we should start doing to improve my son's chances for an athletic scholarship, he is 13 years old and may or may not be heading to the division I level of play in football or basketball, he sure loves sports.
A: From my experience finding success in sports is a balancing act. I myself started playing softball at age 12. I played on several in-house teams and travel teams. By the end of high school I had a lot of exposure and took several recruiting trips before deciding to accept a scholarship to a division 1 school. After many years I looked back at my decisions and I realized I had made some bad choices. I recently faced a similar situation with my son and his basketball aspirations. It seemed like every year he had to decide between playing a lot on an alright team or mostly sitting the bench on the best team in the area. Hopefully I helped him to get it right. The best thing at 13 years old is to play to improve your skills, you do not improve a whole lot by sitting on the bench. It is true that to play on a team no one will see does not help, but who's going to see you on the bench? There is always that power team everyone in the area knows, have your son work on his skills and strive to make that team. Whether your son makes that team or not, gets a scholarship or not, playing sports will build character, discipline, and promote a healthy lifestyle. Most importantly it gives you an opportunity to interact with him and enjoy a common interest. Feel free to send me any questions.
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