meaning

[Jasmine_Jafari]

What is the meaning of the part typed in bold?
Take two steps forwardif it wasn't because of your athletic ability, you didn't have to pay for college.
Thanks in advance.

 

[J&K Tutoring]

It's a bit of a mess as presented. "Take two steps forward" is not separated by punctuation, so I must consider it as part of a (messy) sentence including the part in bold.

The part in bold has to do with the fact that athletic ability can reduce or eliminate having to pay for a college education.

 

[jutfrank]

... if your athletic ability was not the reason you didn't have to pay for college.

... if there was a reason other than your athletic ability that exempted you from paying college fees.

 

[Tarheel]

College

I think maybe it was copied wrongly. Perhaps:

If it wasn't for your athletic ability you would have had to pay for college.

In other words, if the person wasn't athletically gifted and able to go to college on an athletic scholarship he/she would have had to go to college the regular way.

 

[jutfrank]

Re: College

I think maybe it was copied wrongly.

Yes. The sentence could also be greatly improved by replacing the incorrect comma with that.