I've had the same conversation with a variety of parents throughout my coaching career. So much time and effort are spent in the practice room for various sports - a disproportionate amount vs. educational achievement - that I question the motives of the parents.

The push for athletic excellence should never exceed the drive for academic excellence. Tanner Gardner is at Stanford not only because of his performance on the mat, but also because he was a stellar student. Brady Lamar is a math wiz. I'm sure that didn't hurt in Nebraska offering him a scholarship. I have a young lady in class right now that is being sought after by USC because she scored a 26 on her ACT as a sophomore.

I wonder how many that kick and scream about the 6 and unders joining the state tourney and use the losing opportunity/possible college monies later in life are not college educated. This is not a slap in the face, but more in lines of saying because they have not undergone the college experience are not familiar with the financial assistance available. The money for athletic scholarship is miniscule to academic.

At the same time, me on a fence post here, the dynamics of the workforce have changed greatly. If you equate college with more money in salary, I'd beg to differ. The technical trades are booming salarywise because of the loss in manpower. No one wants to be a disel mechanic, plumber, or electrician because it's not "glamorous." My father in law is a pipefitter and makes about 75 grand. A former student of mine works for a disel manufacturer and started out at 40. Not old enough to buy beer, but making more than I do. Electricians make a pretty penny too.

One of the "golden nuggets" I give my students is a talk about what they want to be and why. Most want to go into fields that they think make lots of money. Business administration degrees are a dime a dozen (no disrespect to those holding those degrees) because it's one of the most sought after degrees, thus saturating the market. But what about the areas that are manpower short? They are making good money because no one wants to do it - they get dirty.