Whether it's the determined young basketball player spending hours on the playground perfecting his crossover, or the driven high school baseball player swinging in the batting cage polishing his stroke until his hands blister. For years young athletes have been cultivating and sharpening their skills in hopes of trading in their athletic ability for an athletic scholarship and the opportunity to further themselves at a college or university. There are plenty of opportunities that a university can offer a student athlete; socially, academically and athletically. Oftentimes high school athletes have dreams of earning an athletic scholarship to college and studying to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer or competing in their collegiate sport professionally. Many of these same athletes enter college and realize that the effort needed to reach their dream career combined with the demands of being a college athlete are quite challenging. As a result, many college athletes are pressured into taking an easier path so they are more likely to remain eligible in their respected sport. School advisors, coaches, or teammates often bring on these pressures. The fact of the matter is that a professional career in sports is more often the exception rather than the rule, and no one wants to look at their degree with regret. 

It is important as a prospective college freshman to research and study the major you're

interested in. It's wise to discuss the potential major with people who are actually working in the profession that appeals to you. They can provide insight on what will be expected of you and can answer your questions about the major and what you might expect. Taking the time and effort to research a major could possibly save you lots of time and money. After graduating college you want to be able to look back and be proud of your degree, hopefully landing a job in your chosen field.

It is critical that you do not let an advisor, coach, or teammate have too much impact on the path that you choose. Be sure to put time and thought into this important decision.

Below is a link to a very good article from the USA Today that discusses this topic in depth. The article includes statistics and very interesting facts that support these statements.

‘College athletes studies guided toward ‘major in eligibility.'