A student-athlete is a participant in an organized competitive sport sponsored by the educational institution in which he or she is enrolled.

Student-athletes must typically balance the roles of being a full-time student and a full-time athlete. Due to educational institutions being colleges, they offer athletic scholarships in various sports.

Many student-athletes are compensated with scholarships to attend these institutions but these scholarships are not mandatory to be considered a student-athlete.

In the United States, athletic scholarships are largely regulated by either the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) or the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which sets minimum standards for both the individuals awarded the scholarships (in terms of GPAs and standardized test scores) and for the institutions granting them (in terms of the form and value of the scholarships and the proportion of recipients who must ultimately earn degrees).

You must register with NCAA if you want to become a student-athlete. NAIA Guide

Broward County Athletic Association (BCAA) is the largest high school athletic conference in Broward County and the second-largest in the state of Florida. The BCAA is a unit of the School Board of Broward County overseeing 24 sports programs at member high schools. The BCAA is comprised of 29 public schools, two private schools, and two charter schools for a total of 33 schools under the BCAA umbrella.

The BCAA recognizes the importance and value of education. The term “student-athlete” recognizes the importance of being a student first, with athletic endeavors second. All student-athletes must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA. Students who fall below this standard are ineligible to play.

The BCAA gives special recognition annually to scholar-athletes. Each and every year the BCAA conducts two scholar-athlete banquets. Seven students from each BCAA school are recognized and provided a keepsake gift. In addition, the BCAA distributes over $100,000 in scholarship dollars to scholar-athletes. The names and schools of the scholar-athletes are listed on the website for the entire school year. These athletes are role models who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the classroom and field or court of play.