Is Recruiting Young the New Trend?
February 19, 2010 | MeganFollowing in USC’s footsteps of recruiting young athletes, this week DePaul offered an 8th grader a basketball scholarship. That’s right…middle school!
14 year old, Jahlil Okafor, is 6 feet 7 inches tall no less, and looks like a very promising athlete. He could potentially grow to be 7 feet 3 inches, so it would be an understatement to say that he wouldn’t stand out when colleges are looking to recruit future players for their teams.
However, couldn’t they have waited until he was at least in high-school to approach him? College isn’t only about the sports team you choose to play for, but there
are so many other factors that play in choosing which college is the best fit for an individual.
Depending on personality, you may feel more comfortable at a smaller school with a more personal setting where you feel like you know most of the people you see on campus. Or you may want to live in a city or attend a large University where you’ll have lots of choices, and have a chance to meet someone new every day.
Campuses vary in size and how students get “to and from” places. Some campuses require long treks, riding a bike, or hopping on a bus. Others require just a stroll around the corner to get to class or get a bite to eat. If the campus you choose is small, the school may not offer the program or major that interests you. In the end, don’t we go to college to learn and get a degree in something we’re interested in pursuing as a career path later in life?
Yes, there are those amazing professional athletes that stand out to us, those who we admire and enjoy watching score touchdowns or hit the homers on T.V. However, those young athletes hoping to make it to the NFL or NBA need to have back-up plans. People argue that these phenomenal athletes really don’t need back-up plans because they’ll make big money playing professionally. It’s true professional athletes are among the highest paid individuals in America, but what happens when an athlete gets injured, falls out of love with his or her sport, or gets into a scandal (*cough* Tiger) that ruins a stable financial future?
I highly respect what the athletes do, how far they push themselves physically and mentally. It is worrying to see someone as young as a middle school-er have future choices taken away.
Would getting recruited as young as 8th grade prevent someone from putting effort into high-school classes? Will young recruits still have motivation to try and succeed in academics, or will the focus and stability of a sports contract take precedence?
