Why Gifted Young Athletes Often Head to America
While there is a very proud tradition of sport in Ireland, just like the rest of Europe, we do tend to see America as the land of opportunity for gifted teens who look like they have careers ahead of them in various athletic pursuits. This isn’t necessarily because there is more attention given to athletes in general in the USA, but because they have a culture that is highly supportive of developing sports stars and their education system is more geared towards helping young athletes develop in a university environment – here, and in the UK, many young athletes feel they have to make a choice between going to university at all and pursuing their sport of choice at a professional level.
Here we look at why going to the USA for college is so appealing for Irish and other European kids with serious sports talent:
Scholarships
If a teenager is very gifted in a sport that a US college is interested in, then it can be possible for them to have their university education paid for in full or part by a sports scholarship. Colleges use these to attract the best talent to their schools, because college level sports is very competitive in America and producing people who go on to be big star athletes is great for the university’s image. If you are a teen who is interested in the idea and think you have what it takes to win a scholarship to an American college, you’ll find there are programs available for just about every sport, and agencies who can help you find the right scholarship for you. Click here for more information.
A Higher Profile
High school and university sports tend to be pretty low key in Europe, with mostly only friends and family of athletes turning up to sports games and athletics meets. This is not the case in the USA, where the whole community get behind young athletes. College sports can even be televised, and people are keen to buy merchandise and support the stars, who can become fairly famous even on national levels when they really excel. This extra level of visibility and support is not only encouraging, but is also good training for the life of a professional sports star.
expert Coaching
Because colleges care so much about the performance of their athletes, who generate not only a good reputation but also income for them, they have some of the best coaching staff outside of the professional sports world. These are not your normal PE teachers, but people with high level experience and real expertise. The athletes at colleges will also have access to state of the art equipment and facilities, and things like nutritionists and sports therapists to help them do their best.
For a budding athlete who is considering what to do after high school, it is easy to see why spending a few years in America for college could help them reach the next level in their chosen sport while still getting a university degree.
