Do you consider yourself to be among the best three-hundredths of a percent of all high school athletes? That's how few end up playing professional sports. However, for the most talented and most committed, a career in professional athletics can lead to fame and fortune. As many know, playing competitive athletics in college is often a prerequisite for professional athletics, and the NCAA maintains consistent academic standards for collegiate athletes, both in high school and while they are active in college. If you plan to stay active in sports, it is important that while conditioning your body, you are also equally focused on the "student" side of being a "student athlete" so you have options after retirement or in case of an untimely end to your athletic career.