High School Football…NJ is it really worth it?

Statistically speaking, playing high school football with the hopes of obtaining a scholarship to a Division 1 school is a far stretch for most student-athletes. Last year saw a little over 1 million football players in US High Schools, only 92,463 college football players and less than 3% playing for NCAA Division 1 Schools. Given NJ’s dense population, competition is even tougher for high school players. If you make the cut to play on a team, and you’re not playing for one of the more solid NJ programs such as; St. Joseph’s (Montvale), Depaul, Don Bosco, Timber Creek, St. Peter’s Prep, or Paramus Catholic, your chances of getting a scholarship or quite slim. Maybe that’s why Football program nationwide have seen a decline in participation, NJ being one of the states to have experienced such a decline. Or maybe it’s the commitment parents and students have to make to countless practices, games (at home and away), or injuries that have led to this lull in participation. Whatever the case may be, one has to ask themselves with potential for injuries and the unlikely chance of obtaining a scholarship, “is it worth it?” What do you think are the reasons to encourage a child to participate in football and do the pros truly outweigh the cons?