The National Collegiate Athletic Association in USA

You will often hear how many students refer to sports scholarships as free money – something that does not need to be repaid. And just for this reason getting a scholarship is considered very lucky and lucrative.

The idea of scholarships including soccer scholarship in USA has appealed to many people. Indeed this has been a trend since mid 1800s when the prestigious Harvard University created the first scholarship system. Lady Anne Radcliffe Mowlson offered the funds for a student loan program in 1840. And by 1848 Harvard had the best funded scholarship program in the country. But it was not until 1905 that the academia comprising top colleges and universities seriously started considering the personal health, welfare and education of scholar athletes.

With regards to particular sports, the early years of soccer were particularly aggressive – even by framework standards. Indeed it was so violent that a number of athletes were killed during the playtime. As there were very few established rules, plays such as hurdle plays were permitted: teams would pick up their ball carriers and launch them over the opposing lines. Mass momentum plays such as the "flying wedge" allowed the players to come together in a high spirited game of mass momentum. An incident from 1905 reports that 18 players were killed in the game and around 140 injured, many of them seriously.

Things had become so bad that there was a call to just ban the game of soccer and the then U.S President Theodore Roosevelt had to get involved. As a graduate from Harvard University, former student-athlete and himself a sports fan, President Roosevelt demanded that the sport be reformed or simply be banned.

The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was therefore formed in 1906 but its rules were not stringent enough and even bigger number of players continued to get injuries during games. In 1909 fall (autumn) season, 33 athletes died. In 1910 the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States reconfigured itself with better and clearer rules and regulations. The new organization changed its name to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Today the NCAA comprises around 1300 colleges, varsities, athletic conferences and sports organisations that are devoted to fair and equitable management of inter-collegiate athletics. The governance structure of the association includes division wide legislative bodies that manage within their specific levels. There are 125 committees to watch over sports rules and conduct championships and an Executive Committee to serve as the highest governing body of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Over 360000 student athletes participate every year in sports events sponsored by NCAA and many of them also compete yearly in the championships in 23 sports organised for NCAA member institutions.

Soccer and basketball typically dominate when it comes to TV coverage of sports in the United States. But as a student athlete you can participate in any game according to your interests. And if you live in the UK with plans to migrate to the US with a sports scholarship, consult a local organisation that helps you taking assessment tests and proceed through the right course.

Founded by David Bainbridge, Future Pro USA Ltd is an organisation that supports young UK athletes who are determined to achieve athletic and academic success in United States of America. For further information write at admin@futureprousa.com