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Parish Forum: Athletic Scholarships
February 1, 2008
 Parish students and parents participated in a forum this week with college coaches and administrators from around the country to discuss basics and nuances of athletic scholarships.
From the University of Tulsa’s dean of admission Earl Johnson to Millsaps (MS) baseball coach Jim Page, the Parish community had a chance to get first-hand information from a university perspective. The five-member discussion panel included Johnson, Page and former college athletes Reggie McPhearson (Northwestern), Kelly Harris (Duke) and Duke Pettijohn (Syracuse).
The January forum was a collaborative effort between the Parish athletic department and the school’s college counseling department. The face-to-face discussion session evolved out of the daily networking of Parish teachers, coaches and counselors. More than three dozen parents and students attended the first-ever forum.
Johnson addressed the complexity and details of college applications and eligibility under NCAA and NAIA rules and the need to get involved early in the process.
The speakers emphasized the many options and opportunities in a broad spectrum of sports at a variety of competitive and academic levels. Millsaps’ 20-year baseball coach, Page, said there are nearly 350 NCAA Division III schools looking for student athletes.
“There is a level for you to play,” Page said. “If you are a highly recruited athlete, you’ll have a lot of great opportunities. But that is only 10 percent of the athletes. The other 90 percent want to play in college, and there are a lot of good places for them.”
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