Sports Scholarship Stories

Marie Fitzgerald and Simon MacKenzie on the Upside of DIII Athletics

Over the years, I’ve done dozens of stories about the athletic recruiting process. I've focused most of my reporting on Division I, since that’s where the money is—and where most athletes and families put their focus. But on today’s show, we’ll hear from Marie Fitzgerald and Simon Mackenzie, two decorated high school athletes who played Division III athletics and sing its praises. I came across Marie and Simon through a podcast they host called “For the Love of Sport,” a show they refer to as their “love letter to youth sports.” As longtime athletes and coaches, they have a lot to say about the youth sports industry. On today’s show, they'll share insights on: ➨ How they landed money for college thanks to their college coaches, even though, as DIII athletes, they couldn’t earn athletic scholarships ➨ How they both managed to play multiple sports in college—and, in Marie’s case, earn All-American honors despite not playing at a high level in that sport in high school ➨ How Marie overcame a late start in recruiting to draw interest from multiple NCAA programs ➨ What they would tell younger versions of themselves to make the athletic recruiting process go smoother Hope you enjoy the show, and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any episodes. And if you haven't already, please leave us a review and tell your friends about us! ***  LINKS: Marie and Simon's podcast: https://www.sportsengine.com/for-the-love-of-sport-podcast --- My best stories on athletic recruiting: The Myth of the Sports Scholarship https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-myth-of-the-sports-scholarship/ The Courting of Marvin Clark https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-courting-of-marvin-clark/ --- Know someone I should interview? Have an idea for a show topic? Hit me up on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradwolverton Thanks for listening!

Lisa Wilson on Why More Athletes Are Finding Their Fit in Division II

In my decade-plus covering the athletic recruiting business, I’ve probably spent 90 percent of my time focused on Division I. But there are actually way more opportunities for your kid to play at lower NCAA levels. And Division II, with more than 300 schools, is an increasingly appealing option. Today’s guest, Lisa Wilson, has coached at just about every imaginable level: From travel ball to two-year colleges to the Power 5. She is currently the head coach for women’s basketball at a successful Division II program, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, in Florida. On today’s show, Coach Lisa will explain: ➨ What she learned from working as a travel coach and what she encouraged her players and families to do to appeal to college coaches ➨ Why flexibility is one of the most valuable attributes you can offer a college coach, being willing to set aside your ego to do what’s best for the team, even if it means not getting the playing time you’re looking for right away ➨ The differences between Division I and II players and the importance of getting an honest assessment of your abilities to know what level you’ll be most successful at ➨ How competitive the chase for sports scholarships has become, with coaches having the option of choosing from international players, junior college kids, Division I and II transfers, prep school players — in addition to elite high school athletes ➨ And how you should be thinking about developing as an athlete at various ages, from middle school all the way through college, and what are the best ways to show improvement Don't forget to subscribe to the show so you don't miss any episodes. And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review and tell your friends about us! ***  LINKS: Coach Lisa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachLisa42 --- My best stories on athletic recruiting: The Myth of the Sports Scholarship https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-myth-of-the-sports-scholarship/ The Courting of Marvin Clark https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-courting-of-marvin-clark/ --- Know someone I should interview? Have an idea for a show topic? Hit me up on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradwolverton Thanks for listening!

Ron Lieber on Where to Find Money When Your Athletic Scholarship Falls Short

On today’s show, we’ll hear from Ron Lieber, a personal finance columnist for The New York Times, whose latest book, “The Price You Pay for College,” should be required reading for anyone with a kid nearing college. Ron wrote a whole chapter on sports scholarships, and his advice on how to find money for college when your sports scholarship falls short will come in handy for lots of you (trust me, if you don’t know that already, you will soon!). Ron shares insights on: ➨ How to talk to coaches about money even when your kid has reservations about you asking them ➨ How to tease information out of coaches that can help you understand how much money your family is likely to get ➨ What you should expect to pay for college after all the discounts are applied ➨ The tough conversations you should be having as a family about the cost of college and how soon you should have those conversations ➨ And what questions you should ask college admissions and financial aid officers that can help turn up extra grants and scholarships for your family Don't forget to subscribe to the show so you don't miss any episodes. And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review and tell your friends about us! ***  LINKS: Where to buy Ron's book: https://ronlieber.com/books/the-price-you-pay-for-college/ Ron on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronlieber Ron on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronlieber --- My best stories on athletic recruiting: The Myth of the Sports Scholarship https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-myth-of-the-sports-scholarship/ The Courting of Marvin Clark https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-courting-of-marvin-clark/ --- Know someone I should interview? Have an idea for a show topic? Hit me up on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradwolverton Thanks for listening!

Kate Kantor on the Explosion of College Sports Camps and Their Growing Influence in Recruiting

With all the research I’ve done of the athletic recruiting business, I usually don’t get too surprised by things people share in interviews. But today’s guest, Kate Kantor, blew me away with details of the recruiting industry. Kate is a former full scholarship softball player and team captain at Georgia Tech who went on to coach softball at the University of North Carolina, Duke, and Georgia Tech. She is now an independent private softball instructor working with middle school kids hoping to play in college. On today’s episode, Kate shares insights on: ➨ The incredible growth in the college sports camp business, and how colleges use certain camps and their own private youth travel teams to recruit and develop college talent. ➨ Kate told me some families are spending $500 a week every week of the year on college camps. That’s $20k+ a year on camps alone! ➨ She shared details on the "Top Recruit Database" she helped create at Duke, how they color-coded players based on talent—and how to make sure you’re a "green" and not a "yellow" on the recruiting spectrum ➨ She discussed the single greatest skill she looked for in players, the importance of being on the best teams—and when you shouldn’t worry about it Don't forget to subscribe to the show so you don't miss any episodes. And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review and tell your friends about us! --- My best stories on athletic recruiting: The Myth of the Sports Scholarship https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-myth-of-the-sports-scholarship/ The Courting of Marvin Clark https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-courting-of-marvin-clark/ --- Know someone I should interview? Have an idea for a show topic? Hit me up on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradwolverton Thanks for listening!

Parker Goyer on the Difficulty of Balancing Sports With High Academic Ambitions

Today we’ll hear from Parker Goyer, a former Duke University tennis player who has earned graduate degrees or done post-doctoral work at three of the world's leading universities (Oxford, Harvard, Stanford). I first met Parker more than a decade ago, after hearing about a study abroad program she created for NCAA athletes while she was an undergraduate student. Pre-pandemic, over 300k U.S. college students studied abroad every year, but the overwhelming majority of college athletes don’t get that chance because of the year-round demands of their sports. Parker changed that for thousands of college athletes, expanding her Coach for College program from a small offering for ACC athletes to a program that attracted athletes from dozens of colleges. In today's episode, she shares insights on: ➨ How she balanced sports and academics, finishing at the top of her high school class while becoming a top nationally ranked junior tennis player ➨ The merits of live-away training academies for young athletes ➨ The importance of developing close relationships with high school teachers and college professors ➨ How she used her academic skills to make herself more marketable as a tennis player ➨ And how she has repeatedly found ways to overcome the odds when people underestimated her Even if your kid isn’t aiming for Duke or Stanford, this interview is essential listening to understand how you can use academics to leverage bigger things for yourself in sports and life. Don't forget to subscribe to the show so you don't miss any episodes. And if you like what you hear, please leave us a review and tell your friends about us! --- My best stories on athletic recruiting: The Myth of the Sports Scholarship https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-myth-of-the-sports-scholarship/ The Courting of Marvin Clark https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-courting-of-marvin-clark/ --- Know someone I should interview? Have an idea for a show topic? Hit me up on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradwolverton Thanks for listening!