One of the big mistakes that parents make with student athletes is either thinking that, “Gee my child is a great athlete they are going to get an athletic scholarship,” or “My child is a good athlete not a great athlete, therefore they will not get any scholarships.” Here’s something to consider for parents: in general, if you haven’t heard from the division I schools by junior year, you’re not going to hear from them. Period, end of sentence. So stop dreaming. However, you still have Division II schools, Division III schools, and the NAIA schools that have lots of money out there to give to students. Technically, however, Division III schools do not give out “athletic” scholarships. But, they will give your child money to go there. For example, let’s say your child plays football. Most of these private schools have deep pockets, and they will find a way to get your child to go there, they just call it something else other than an athletic scholarship.
The key is to start early, and also when getting athletic scholarships, have an open mind: the schools will pick you, not you picking the schools. You have to be open. If your child wants to play, you need to be a little more open about them going a little farther away or maybe a little smaller than they want, but just be open to going somewhere other than maybe your top choice.