Golf

NORFOLK - Former NFL player Orlando Goodhope beams with pride when he talks about  daughter Galashia.

The former 13 Sports Athlete of the Week is 18 years old and she's the starting point guard for Old Dominion University's Lady Monarchs. In a recruiting analysis, ESPN2 said, "She can run a half court offense or push the ball in transition."

The road to this Division 1 team was a long and expensive. Goodhope can't count the hours spent on

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NORFOLK - Former NFL player Orlando Goodhope beams with pride when he talks about  daughter Galashia.

The former 13 Sports Athlete of the Week is 18 years old and she's the starting point guard for Old Dominion University's Lady Monarchs. In a recruiting analysis, ESPN2 said, "She can run a half court offense or push the ball in transition."

The road to this Division 1 team was a long and expensive. Goodhope can't count the hours spent on practrice and play, but he can count the dollars.  He estimates his family spent $40,000 on youth basketball to prepare Galacia for ODU.

Was it worth it? Goodhope and his honor role freshman daughter say yes.

"A lot of my friends who are not athletes often complain about how hard it is financially. I am blessed to have gotten a scholarship," she says.

The blessing may be bigger than she knows.  According to statistics analyzed by the Houston Chronicle, a high school athlete's chance of getting that coveted Division 1 scholarship in most sports is less than one percent.  The best odds are in girls golf at 1.6 percent.

Even with such long shots, youth sports remains a big business, raking in an estimated $5 billion a year. 

Many parents spend thousands of dollars a year on Amateur Athletic Union sports, paying membership fees, uniform fees, and travel expenses associated with many so-called elite teams. 

Families often feel pressure to position their children to compete against the best, but one veteran coach says many parents are under the

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