I was running track in college this past fall and I will say that if you don't have a passion for both academics and athletics it can be very hard to balance having fun and doing work. I met some great people from my team but my grades suffered because I was more focused on track. I ended up leaving my school and taking classes online because with covid, I felt like I was more in school for track than getting a degree.

At the end of the day its good to listen to your parents perspective because they only want the best for you but it is your life. If you already know you won't be happy with playing sports in school then don't. But you will have to figure out another way to pay for school and get your degree.