American sports scholarships

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Has anyone had a teenager apply to a US college/university for a sports scholarship? My lad is in yr11 and v interested in applying for rugby scholarships post-A levels. I know there are agencies that will take £££ off you hands to apply on your behalf and then do all the admin, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience of applying without that, what hints and tips you might have, what you end up paying out for and whether it’s means tested on parental income or whether it’s wholly based on talent/SAT score?

Any help would be appreciated - DS will do a lot of the research himself but I want to be able to sort fact from teenage enthusiasm!

What sport? The national association will probably have experience here, especially if its a bigger sport in the US. They may have college links and be able to provide evidence for applying.
First thing is to understand the university sport system and talk to them early. US kids apply for college almost a year earlier than in the UK.
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I taught a boy who used to play football for Birmingham academy and he got a sports scholarship in the US. He went to Butler University on a full scholarship. I know he's now graduated.

I've just spotted its rugby. Mens rugby isn't an official US college sport it seems. So you'll have think hard if 4 years in a less known US college is worth the expense as a family. Remember that if DS is seriously injured, he may lose the scholarship if recovery is slow.

Not in rugby

You have to look carefully at the campus set up. Most UK students won't have a car and in some places that is a huge problem.

Yes I have close friends who went this route but rugby isn’t really a sport on the US so while big in a lot of the world the sports are very different - American football is huge, basketball, baseball, swimming etc. But not really rugby at all - more of a women’s sport there.

So not sure how you came up with this idea but it’s probably a non starter. And if your next thought is American football thats probably a non starter too. Kids are offered from secondary school based on their performance there.

It’s kinda like if the UK offered sports scholarships and a kid from Canada wanted a hockey scholarship. Not going to happen.

Also he will have to have strong grades and take the SATs and perform well in them. There are very serious rules about maintaining a GPA.

Some uk rugby clubs have links to universities and their young players can study part time for their degree whilst playing, if they are not good enough at 18 to get into a club programme then they are going to play at a leisure level, nothing wrong with that but it’s not sports scholarship potential. Very few us university’s play rugby at a higher level

My child went to uni in America on a sports scholarship, not rugby, but those saying you can’t do rugby over there are wrong I have friends whose son is on a rugby scholarship, granted not all uni’s offer rugby, but it is growing over there. We did use a company to help with finding the right place and sort admin , so can’t really help there.

Instagram possibly - my DS had lots of requests from US college recruiters and agents plus he’s been contacted directly via his club. He has quite a few friends going to the US but it’s not something he wants. He’s not rugby though - that’s not really a US college sport.

He might do better looking at Canadian Universities.

Thanks everyone, that’s been really helpful, and food for thought…

there a local lad with a full scholarship to the US for rugby. They are apparently trying to build it up as a sport over there so he got a pretty good offer that includes paid flights home etc. According to his mum anyway

The Ivy League unis don’t offer sports scholarships. The USA unis that do, don’t have a great global recognition compared to UK universities.

Football yes….rugby no

They do rugby scholarships ! You are incorrect

It’s is a growing sport, not all uni’s offer but it is increasing

From a friend whose DC only lasted one term at a US university, do look at the whole package on offer and pay attention to fundamental differences between the US and UK systems. Her DD went to a smaller university in quite a conservative area and, whilst there were some international pupils there, many of the US students were very local. They tended to be living at home and, she felt, continued with their home lives more than you might find UK students living in halls of residence did. The sports package she had been sold was largely a sales package. It hadn’t quite got the momentum behind it that she had been promised, there standard of the other players wasn’t as high & the squad wasn’t as deep as she had been led to believe and there was some animosity to the new programme from existing programmes for other sports (as I think it was diluting their funding). It can be a brilliant opportunity but do do your research and think about why you are really wanting to do it. Bear in mind, too, that in terms of travel times and differences in time zones, the east coast is much easier than the west.

I know a few people who have gone to the US. Only one has succeeded post uni (made national team).

A footballer lasted a year and no longer plays football. He went off with a fanfare on Facebook.

A tennis player also didn’t complete the course, and now works as a tennis coach, so got qualifications that didn’t need uni.

Also, through a friend, some basketball players who went to US college, but from I can gather, the US college was nothing special, just an academy.

So do your research carefully. You may end up at a bulk standard college, rather something prestigious. Ie. Walford uni (which used to be Walford sports college) rather than Loughborough university, which has a sports heritage.

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My daughter plays in the women’s rugby team at a US university. Not on a scholarship because of rugby.

Her impression is that it is bigger as men’s sport than women’s but she does know people they have played against who are on rugby scholarships.

Semester 1 they have played about 8 matches as a team of 15.
Semester 2 will be 7s but a series of tournaments.

It is not a very popular sport but is growing.

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