Division III athletics are unique because they are the only division that cannot offer scholarships. An athlete that decides to continue his or her career at a Division III institution chooses to play for a better balance of sport and academics. There are no special perks; there are no grand stadiums filled with thousands of fans; there is only the love of the sport.
Blackburn College is a Division III school that offers several sports for both men and women, including men’s baseball, basketball, soccer, golf and cross country, and women’s basketball, softball, soccer, cross country, tennis and volleyball. Freshman Skylar Burgar from Springfield, Illinois, plays women’s soccer for Blackburn. “[Playing Division III] means I get a chance to play a competitive sport that I love at a high level without a lot of stress that Division I or II athletes have to go through,” said Burgar. There is less pressure to compete in front of larger crowds, but a bigger emphasis on academics.
Americans have plenty of admiration for Division I sports. The majority of the money, television contracts and exposure go to these Division I schools. Athletes that cannot play at Division I schools search for a school where they can finish their athletic careers. Division III opens new doors for athletes who did not get accepted into their dream school. Sophomore Lauryn Jackson of Tonopah, Arizona, plays women’s basketball for Blackburn College. She transferred from a college in Arizona to play a higher level of basketball. “I came from a small city in Arizona, and even though it is Division III, it is still collegiate basketball. I am still able to compete at the next level,” said Jackson. An opportunity was presented to Jackson when Katie Fonseca took over as head women’s basketball coach. She had played for Fonseca at Tonopah Valley High School.
The athletes that attend Blackburn College have a unique schooling experience because of the school’s work program. The combination of academics, athletics and work is a time-consuming schedule that students must learn to manage. Being a Division III school, student-athletes have a chance to succeed in that environment as opposed to a Division I school.