A Message For Student Athletes & Their Parents

I cannot even estimate as to how many times over nearly 40 years I have heard parents tell me about their children and all the scholarship opportunities they will have because of their athletic ability. Their son or daughter may have received some form letter from a well-known college or university and automatically the parent assumes this means an offer is forthcoming. Before you know it they are bragging that their child has five “offers” when in truth they don’t have anything but the same letter that has been sent to hundreds of other student-athletes.

One thing I have learned over nearly four decades of covering high school sports and that is parents are terrible talent evaluators when it comes to their own children. There is also a big difference from an introductory letter to a scholarship offer and many scholarships cover only a small part of the costs associated with going to college.

That is why I would encourage shore-area student-athletes and their parents to attend a free program Thursday night that is being presented by the Point Pleasant Borough Athletic Department. THE REALITY OF RECRUITING is just that…a realistic look at college recruiting and I’m sure the focus will be on realistic while exposing the many myths that parents often believe.

The athletic department has put together a terrific group of panelists including Scott Goodale the head wrestling coach at Rutgers University who has built the Scarlet Knights program into one of the nation’s best. Joining him will be Seton Hall assistant basketball coach Fred Hill, Rutgers Associate Head Track & Field coach Robert Farrell and Point Borough Athletic Director Chris Ferrone. The program will be moderated by Superintendent of Schools Vincent Smith.

This free event will be held in the auditorium of Point Pleasant Borough High School beginning at 7 p.m. and is open to the public with parents and athletes from throughout the Shore Conference encouraged and invited to attend.