EDUSA
Sports Scholarships
and The Unique Opportunities they Present
T
he United States remains one of
the top destinations for students
seeking a world-class education.
One of the reasons many chose to
study in the US is the availability
of scholarships, however one often
overlooked source of fi nancial
assistance is sports scholarships.
Many of us may know one or
two talented individuals who are
exceptional in one sport or the other.
Schools award merit-based scholarships
based on a student’s accomplishments
whether in academics, athletics, or
arts. While some schools may consider
fi nancial need, with
merit scholarships,
rewarding talent
is the primary
goal.
Udoka
Azubuike was
born in Lagos
Nigeria. His dad,
who was a police
offi cer, died when
Udoka was
only 10
years
old
while his mum was a secondary school
teacher. Udoka’s basketball prowess
caught the attention of Basketball
without Borders (BWB), the NBA and
FIBA’s global basketball development
and community outreach program.
BWB stages basketball camps in
27 countries on all six continents.
Through the program, Udoka got a
scholarship to attend Potters House
Christian Academy where he started
playing organized basketball at the age
of 13. Udoka excelled in the sport with
ESPN ranking him 22nd overall for the
class of 2016 for high school basketball.
Udoka had his pick of schools but
eventually selected the University of
Kansas. Udoka’s superb performance
in the 2017-2018 season led the Kansas
Jayhawks to the Final Four. Udoka
was also ranked the player of the
decade in college basketball at no. 1
out of 42,209 players. The future
looks bright for Udoka, who recently
expressed his interest to enter the
NBA draft without an agent.
Recently, EducationUSA
organized a program
on student-athlete
recruitment for
aspiring student-
athletes. Here
are some useful
tips for students
interested in
studying at a
U.S. school
on a sports
scholarship:
by Malate-Ann Atajiri
1. Research your options - You need
to know at what level you want to
compete? There are Division I, II, and
III schools. Full athletic scholarships
are common in Division I, partial
scholarships in Division II, and no
athletic scholarships for Division III.
2. Start early - It is important to begin
early. Visit the NCAA website to
register and get started.
3. Record everything - If the coaches
cannot come to you, you have to fi nd
a way to get to them. Take advantage
of technology. Record your games and
have them edited to let viewers know
which player to watch.
4. Don’t neglect academics - The
term “student-athlete” is intentional.
People often forget that despite a
person’s fantastic talent, he/she still
needs to meet the school’s admission
requirements. You are fi rst a student,
then an athlete. There are course
GPA and standardized test score
requirements that must be met to be
eligible to play college sports.
5. Professional affi liations - Being part
of professional organizations such
as Nigerian football league, Nigerian
basketball league, or even your state-
level league adds credibility to your
talent. You need to develop a sports
resume that goes beyond playing with
friends on the weekends or at the inter-
house sports level.
For more information about
studying in the United States contact
EducationUSA via
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Uzoka
Azubuike
CROSSROADS | May/June 2018
11