WHAT COLLEGE RECRUITERS WANT: "... If your children are just starting out in sports, you, as a parent, have a lot of responsibility as to how they behave. Make sure you model and demand good sportsmanship and teamwork, and also teach your kids humility and a great work ethic."(ATHLETIC ARENA)

• Author: Zartman, Sharkie
• Position: ATHLETIC ARENA

THE FIRST TIME a child starts a sport, many parents already have visions of college scholarships dancing in their heads. While this may be a realistic goal for some kids, it never should be the main reason why a child participates in athletics.

Yes, getting your child's college expenses paid for either partially or fully is a big deal, but the recruiting game is a tedious experience for both athletes and parents. Think of it as at least a two-year interview process where one slip-up could prove costly.

To some parents, landing any scholarship at any cost seems to be more important than the college degree itself. There is a reason why colleges use the term student-athletes. They are supposed to be students first and athletes second and, while it would be great to brag to your friends that your son or daughter got a scholarship to a school, the most-important thing to consider, for your offspring's sake, is whether it is a good fit for him or her.

Another thing to consider is that colleges are evaluating the athletes and their parents. So, while you are watching your child play a game or match, if you scream at the coach, officials, the other team, or your kid, remember you could be sitting next to a college recruiter. It pays to be on your best behavior.

Remember that there is a fine line between helping your son or daughter through the process or becoming overbearing or even interfering with your child's chance of being recruited. As one former recmiting coordinator for a Division I university once said: "It isn't unusual to drop a prospect from the recruiting board because the parents are a problem." Ouch.

There are some important things you can do from the beginning of your child's sports experience. For example, besides coaches looking for athleticism, talent, skills, and sometimes body type, they seek qualities such as attitude, communication skills, ethics, effort, good grades, and teamwork. These are things you can start teaching your children now.

Also, we have an epidemic of overprotective parents who tend to do everything for their children. While being protective is part of being a parent, remember that sports, by their nature, put our kids in situations that we cannot control. The field or the court is a great training ground for teaching life skills and, as parents, we sometimes just have to watch and offer support. For some parents, this is a first-time experience.

I know. It is hard. Once my daughter was on an elementary...