American Sports Scholarship degrees

[AreYouShittingMe]

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right place.
DS due to take his GCSE's this summer. He has a few options with regards to next steps. His current goal is to try to get a football scholarship to a US college. Does anyone have any experience of this?
I've looked online but struggling to make sense of it all!

How good is he?

Plays in the first team at county level. Been offered a scholarship at a league two team academy for next year, which is why I'm asking really- I don't know if accepting this would improve his chances or not. I'm aware he also needs a reasonable academic standard as well, so a more traditional academic pathway may be better.
However, ultimately, if we need to know more about the whole US scholarship thing as well, to see if it's right for him, or worth making decisions at this stage based on it being a possibility.

One thing to be aware of is that if he gets injured and it’s “career ending” eg nasty ACL then he would most likely lose his scholarship and insurance. Last Week Tonight did an episode about NCAA a few years ago which went into it in more detail. But basically in that situation you’d almost certainly be looking at him having to withdraw and come back to the UK.

When you say football are you talking soccer or NFL? If soccer what’s the longer term plan. Realistically how good is he, by the time he’s done a US degree he will be well past the age when most top flight clubs are recruiting. If it’s just to do a funded degree and have an amazing experience and then get a career in a non-playing role then that seems more feasible (subject to the caveat above about career ending injuries).

@CambiarDelNombre thank you- that's really helpful. I'll see if I can track the program down, sounds useful.
He wants the experience, he knows he's not good enough to 'make it' but likes the idea of being able to study and train, in a different country. He would possibly like a career in sport, but at this stage he's not sure.

I think @HoneyMobster’s DS may have a sporting scholarship. He is also very academic. Perhaps she will be able to give some advice.

Apologies in advance if I am remembering wrongly

My eldest has a couple of friends who went this route. One had a gymnastics scholarship and one had a basketball scholarship. Both were on England squads for their sports but sadly both got injured (one after just the first year and the other after two years) and they had to leave their courses and return to the U.K.

If it’s mainly the experience he’s after, it might be worth just considering looking for a course with a year abroad? My eldest and her boyfriend are both currently studying for a year at California State Uni and having an amazing time. Her boyfriend is playing soccer for a uni team there and is one of their top goal scorers (he played at county level in the U.K.).

Thank you @PerkyBlinder - something for him to consider

@poetryandwine - DS has a place at Princeton for this autumn linked to his sporting success (GB representation) but it's financial aid rather than a scholarship. He could have had a full ride scholarship to a lower ranked college.

We were worried that a scholarship was risky as if he'd got injured he could have lost it. It would also mean he couldn't drop his sport if he fell out of love with it. With his financial aid package he's not committed to his sport in any way.

There are a number of organisations that help organise this. My DS will go after A levels to play football (soccer). One of them came to his college and talked about it and hw loved the idea. They help set you up and organise video data to get footage which the coaches in the US see and then approach you if they are interested. Future Elite is the one we used. I am aware of some people organising it themselves but it felt too big and stressful to do that ourselves.

I don't want to go into the details of what he's doing but we are paying his living costs (much as we would here) but he'll get tuition paid and we figure it's an amazing opportunity.

Interestingly, three of the coaches he spoke to had been through the scheme too and had come from the Uk on scholarships but stayed.

He's not going to a big named University and we anticipate him coming back and doing an MA /MSc for his career but possibly playing lower division as a semi pro (as he is now albeit he doesn't get lots of game time).

Thank you everyone! His choices now are the football academy with a sports Btec or A levels and continue with his local team/ county team.
Lots to consider

He doesn't have to go right now either. My DBIL went after finishing his undergrad in he UK. He got a football scholarship to a US university. I have no idea what academic course he did! He did have a great time though and met his now wife and never came back.

Careers wise, mind, he ended up working for Walmart, and then Dynorod...

Something else to consider, depending on what subjects he's interested in studying: at most US unis he will have to take some classes across the board, regardless of major: some maths, science, humanities, foreign language, etc. And he will probably have to sustain a decent grade average to be allowed to play his sport.

Even if he does the US option I'd wait until after A levels.

I think most people who apply for sports scholarships at US colleges do so to get into a top flight university rather than to get a career after university in that sport. A sports scholarship can get you into an Ivy or similar level university with decent grades but grades that would nit get you in otherwise. I am pretty sure no one goes to a US college on a hockey or soccer or tennis scholarship thinking they will end up playing those sports as a career afterwards. It's a means to an end. The end being a degree from a top uni for free

There are plenty of scholarships to non prestigious US universities,too. My DBIL did it for the experiences, and also because, at his ability level it was easier to play paid 'soccer' in the US and for varsity teams than in the UK.

Football scholarships are particularly desirable for young women as female soccer has historically been a much better funded set up.

I am pretty sure no one goes to a US college on a hockey or soccer or tennis scholarship thinking they will end up playing those sports as a career afterwards.

Some do.
https://calbears.com/news/2020/5/8/inside-the-lair-draper-makes-his-name-in-college-tennis.aspx
https://www.atptour.com/en/players/paul-jubb/j0a4/bio
https://www.atptour.com/en/atp-challenger-tour/challenger-news/challenger-tour-college-tennis-feature-2023

Just a small word of caution, sports scholarships and financial aid are not necessarily the same thing. Soccer programs at American universities do not generally have the same amount of money as football, basketball, volleyball etc to hand out as scholarships.
You can be recruited by a university soccer coach but still be responsible for your own fees. Financial aid is available if you qualify but some loans may have to be repaid so check all the offers and financial awards very carefully.

My DS has a scholarship at a D1 college, starting this September. He ended up receiving 8 scholarship offers, ranging from 50% - 100%. Last year he went on a scoping trip (paid for by the different Unis) to visit each and see which would be the best fit for him. He finally chose the one that offered 99% - this is made up of part financial help / need / scholarship (academics and also athletic).

We spent no money on agents - he just used a free-to-use recruitment profile and invested lots of time emailing coaches and sending them videos. The NCAA is tricky to navigate but he has just been given the all-clear to begin competing.

Regarding injury, there is a clause in DS's scholarship agreement that acknowledges that the full scholarship arrangement stands even if he can't participate in the sport anymore, which is superb. His health insurance is covered too. It was a long journey but worth the hard work. DS is currently on a video call with his USA coach now and I can hear them laughing so loud with each other - the social skills he has developed since starting the process are worth their weight in gold.

Just a note - I would recommend checking out the NCAA competing requirements before your DS chooses his BTEC or A levels. He has to study something that meets their requirements, so hunt out their international student guide. We were struggling to evidence two years of sociological studies (they wouldn't accept criminology diploma, for example, with my DS.

My friend's son did a soccer degree he now lives there aged 28 with 3 children and works for ups.

Thank you @Readthestandingorder - I get him to look. I didn't expect to be thinking of all this now, but we need to know if the BTEC will have a negative impact.
@Ellmau thanks- I don't think he's considered that. I know he's keen to drop some subjects like a hot potato, but he may need to prepare himself for picking them back up again!

Several of the Lionesses did this with career intention and it paid off. Alessia Russo (Man U) and Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal).

DS friend is a top UK athlete and currently 7th in his field in Europe.
He has a scholarship and will be studying medicine at Harvard this year after his A levels.

@cptartapp - are you sure it's a scholarship and not financial aid? Harvard doesn't offer athletic scholarships.

Does Harvard offer scholarships?
No. As an Ivy League institution, Harvard does not offer athletic or academic scholarships to students. However, Harvard does provide need-based financial aid to those students who demonstrate financial need. To learn more about applying for financial aid at Harvard, visit https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aidd_.