Am I overdoing this?

I spent seven years working at a Division III school. If I had a $1 for every time I heard about someone getting an athletic scholarship to play Division III athletics, I'd have a few hundred dollars to blow.

There's very little public awareness of the realities of athletic scholarships - even the fact that most sports split them up so much that even a great athlete is only getting a few thousand dollars a year. Because of that, I don't think you need to mention that the kids you are writing about aren't getting scholarships. Hardly anyone gets a "scholarship" in the way people think. If you get the opportunity to write about someone getting a full scholarship - I'd take that opportunity to blow up that accomplishment.

 

I'm with blue. Unless they are going D-I in football or basketball, I'd just say they signed to play whatever at wherever.

 

Not really, but I hear the girls from Slippery Rock are, um, easy.

And, sorry. No pictures.

 

This is what I usually say, too.

 

We get releases that Joe Blow "signed" to play at D-3 University, for example. There's no such thing as "signing" to play D-3 ball, other than to sign your application for admission and decide you'll play sports there, and if you're really good, the coach will let you know ahead of time that there's a spot on the team for you.

So I just say "Joe Blow will attend D-3 University, where he will play (name of sport)." And add a graph about his prep stats, and leave it at that. Given that any Tom, Dick or Harry could decide to try out for a D-3 school sport at the last moment, I really never have given these things much play at all.

 

But what does that mean: That someone has "signed" somewhere to play something?
Doesn't that make a "signing" hollow? Beacause there is no attachment for an athlete to actually play?
How many times have you run a signing story and six months later said athlete has quit the team or left school.
Signing stories seem like a last-gasp effort by parents to get little Johnny Jockstrap some final prep glory and put a finishing touch on the scrapbook.

 

That's not a story, that's a mention. And it's Mr. Jockstrap to you.

 

Then you'd be wrong. There is no Division III "signing." Just because someone is going to a Division III school doesn't mean they are obliged to play the sport while there.

So-and-so is attending Jackinsaw State and intends to play baseball.

 

At what school are you required to play?

 

At my 40,000 midwestern covering 27 high schools, we have a rule: Division 1 gets a "story," anything else just goes in the weekly prep notes. Probably two graphs tops.

I think you should always explain exactly what level the student will play at. For instance, I always make sure to differentiate between regular I-AA and non-scholly I-AA for football.

 

You're not, unless you have an athletics scholarship that you want to keep.

 

Screw it. The coach is a jerk.