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It's All About the Game
By Feona Sharhran Huff
Additional reporting by Paul D. Rosevear
July/August 2003

The CollegeBound Network -- Everybody likes getting free stuff. But in most cases, nothing is truly free -- there's always a price to pay, even if it's not in dollars and cents. If you're a highly-sought-after college athlete, be forewarned: You may be offered free things like limo rides, DVD players, sneakers, and trips. But before indulging in the perks of being a star, you should know that accepting such gifts could hurt you -- athletically and scholastically.

How so? For starters, you can get booted off your college team, inform Marc Isenberg and Rick Rhoads in The Student-Athlete Survival Guide (Rugged Mountain Press/McGraw-Hill, 2001). "If you aspire to play college sports, you have to abide by NCAA rules," insists Isenberg. "If you're taking money and intend to stay on [your team] but get caught, you can lose your playing eligibility." That goes for family and friends who accept gifts or services that aren't available to the general student body as well -- they can cost you your team slot.

Isenberg does recognize that it can be financially frustrating when the school you play for is reeling in the dough with every goal you score or basketball you dunk, and you don't see a dime of it. He also knows that when you're in season, you get to live like royalty -- eat gourmet food, fly first class around the nation, and game in style with the hottest gear. So when you leave the court and it's back to the reality of being a college student with an empty wallet, it can be devastating.

However, Isenberg's advice is to think before you act. "Understand what's behind the money," he advises. "If [the sports agent] is treating you special because of your athletic ability, [ask yourself] if that's the way you want to start off your athletic career." It's not smart to begin a career rooted in payoffs and freebies. Bottom line? Focus on the game, not the gifts.