As countless high school students anticipate college admissions each year, a critical aspect of many transcripts is one’s athletic achievements. A great deal of students have taken part in school sports throughout their entire high school careers, and a large number of them intend on competing at college or even professional level. However, it is much easier said than done. According to NCSA Sports, of the eight million students who compete in high school sports annually, only a fraction make it past that level. This begs the question, what are the real chances of high school athletes competing at high levels? 

Matthew Tsai graduated from FHS in 2023 and is  attending UCLA this year. He ran for the cross country and track and field teams all four years of high school and plans to continue running for the club track team at UCLA. 

“[Athletes] have to have a mix of talent, you have to be super super dedicated to the sport,” Tsai said. 

He added that this includes athletes putting countless hours into their sport and improving on their own in order to compete at the NCAA level.

Tsai referenced his personal experience with the cross country team and how his commitment to the program prepared and helped him improve as he approached college. 

“It taught me a lot about drive and dedication. I put a lot of effort into this sport and you can see it has pretty tangible results. All four years of running, I feel like it mostly paid off,” Tsai said. 

Being more committed to a single sport allows athletes to hone in on it and become proficient in it. Tsai additionally mentioned the importance of the team and community in making it possible for students to continue performing at a high level.

“There’s also the community of cross country. The people on the team were great and everyone would help each other,” Tsai said. “In college and in club track I’m hoping to build the same sort of community that can push me to improve and keep me dedicated to the sport.” 

According to Scholarship Stats, only about one in every 13 high school athletes play a varsity sport in college, making it critical for all athletes to stay entirely committed and dedicated to sustaining and improving their peak performance. For those hoping to compete at the NCAA Division I level, the odds are narrowed further, as only one in 57 make it from high school. 

Coach Rob Swartz has been the varsity football coach at FHS for the past five years and has coached dozens and dozens of students in doing so. He discussed how unlikely it is for a player to compete in college or beyond if they lack a certain build and do not possess any exceptional talents. 

“You have to have a certain size, athleticism and speed to compete on the next level,” Swartz said. “If you don’t have that you have to be really good at certain areas. In other words, you have to be faster than average, or bigger and stronger than everybody. If you don’t have this it’s tough to play in college. It’s not to say that it’s impossible, but most coaches are not going to be willing to take a chance on a guy who’s undersized unless your video shows that you are clearly outstanding during the games. ” 

While a handful of athletes may fit the description, not many receive the opportunity to actually play at higher levels past high school. 

“We probably have two or three a year at De Anza or Foothill [Colleges], the local junior colleges,” Swartz said.

While not many players fit the description as college athletes and may get the opportunity to play, the chance to compete at the Division I level and potentially receive a scholarship is even rarer. According to NCSA Sports, only about 2% of athletes receive a college scholarship, and only half of those are full scholarships, making it extremely difficult for most high school athletes to get recruited by their dream college. 

Beyond college sports, the main aspiration of many athletes is to compete professionally, at which point the odds become infinitesimal. Via the National Federation of State High School Associations, less than 2% of NCAA student-athletes go on to compete in their sport at a professional level, giving high school athletes barely any chance of playing at the top level. While this should not discourage any athletes, it is simply factual to state that it is improbable, and oftentimes seemingly impossible to compete at higher levels. However, with the right set of skills, characteristics and dedication, success is undeniably attainable for any high school athlete.