This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Hey, Kid! Pick A College

Ryan Boatright's life might not seem so different from yours. Kids ring his doorbell to see if he can come out to play. He has homework, a loving family and big dreams. But Ryan, 14, has one thing you don't: a commitment to attend the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship. The Aurora, Illinois, teen sees his future clearly: East Aurora High, USC, then, hopefully, the NBA.

A Deal Before High School

Usually, even exceptional players like Ryan play some of their high school careers before colleges recruit them. But hot competition has driven colleges to promise full scholarships very early in the game. Basketball is where the scramble for young players is most intense. The University of Arizona offered hoopster Matt Carlino a scholarship when he was in seventh grade. Now a ninth grader, Carlino also has an offer from Arizona State. Dion Waiters, 15, a tenth grader from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will head to Syracuse University.

"It's one big circus," says Dave Jelep, who covers recruiting for Scout.com, a school-sports website. "The whole thing has gotten out of control." These commitments are not final until the athletes sign an official letter of intent in their senior year. Both the player and the college can back out.

Parents faced with college bills say an early commitment is a big relief. "So many people are getting loans and are in great debt just to pay for college," says Ryan's mother, Tanesha, 34. "To get a free ride, as a single mother with four kids, that's all you can ask for." She has a point. But maybe in high school Ryan will develop other interests. Another college may be a better place to explore those interests. Opponents of early recruitment say that kids unwisely limit their high school experience when they pick a college before they finish growing and mastering their sport. "It's just crazy to offer kids so early," says University of South Carolina coach Dave Odom. "They don't have time to grow up. They don't."

This year, Ryan knows he'll be a marked man. Every point guard for miles around wants to take down the hotshot recruit. He's ready. "I like the pressure," he says before a Saturday morning shootaround. "I feed off it. I hear all the negative stuff, I just add another workout. I'll make them feel stupid in the end."

Next: Hope for a Giving Tree