<p>Thanks for the update, wbow.</p>
<p>what will he do? He will be a college student with time to investigate various EC and academic opportunities.</p>
<p>What will you do? You will have the opportunity to develop your own interests (a little scary? yes. but healthy)</p>
<p>Best to all,</p>
<p>mafool (former soccer mom)</p>
<p>Unfortunately, if the EC is/was a high skill musical instrument endeavor, if they give it up for any period of time, it is beyond frustrating to get back to it and up to it! The standard was so high, and nothing else will do. Very sad.</p>
<p>I got a reprieve! At the state group track meet I was getting all nostalgic because this was clearly the end of my son’s competetive track career. It had been a lot of fun for me attending all of his meets and watching his tremendous improvement. He had done very well, although he is not good enough to be a recruited athlete. Well, shortly after graduation my son bought himself a javelin (that was his event) and he has been practicing on his own all summer. When we visited his college (Northeastern University in Boston) he stopped in to visit the track coach who was extremely receptive to walk ons! Due to Title IX even though they are D1 they only have 2 scholarships for men and rely heavily on walk ons for their men’s team. The women’s team has many top recruits and operates on a whole different level. So, track career may continue in college. :)</p>
<p>wbow, just reread my post, above. Boy, does it sound condescending! I really don’t feel that way. I simply wanted to share the notion that new avenues open up and, often, it’s for the good.</p>
<p>~mafool</p>
<p>wow,doubleday, like no pressure on your son to maintain the reputation for a HS that he is no longer part of- yeah that is fair to some HSer</p>
<p>what we guilt someone into playing forever because he was acceptted for his sport</p>
<p>in that case, doesn’t that dispel the notion schools push that atheletes deserve to be in that schoo?</p>
<p>Of course I don’t think an athlete should have his/her admission rescinded if they decide not to play after the first year, but guess if that IS why they were accepted and wouldnt have gotten in otherwise, maybe the school has a right then…think about it- how many students get in for sports who would not have without the sport, more than most people want to admit I am sure</p>
<p>^CGM why are you so condescending towards athletes. Playing a sport at a high enough level in high school to be recruited into college D1 takes exceptional talent and a huge commitment. Athletes spend hours (that their classmates don’t) in practice and traveling to tournaments etc. The few (top 1% of all high school athletes) who do end up being recruited will put in a minimum of 20 hours a week (not including travel) in addition to thier course work in college. They earn their admission just like everyone else. </p>
<p>It is beaten to death on this forum that test scores and grades are not enough to gain college admissions. Sports just like any other EC take time and talent. Being a top athlete demonstrates exceptional determination and time management skills. Athletes are top recruits for jobs later in life because employers know what it takes to compete at the D1 level. Being an athlete in D1 is akin to having a full time job. They earn everything they get, including college admissions. </p>
<p>They make a commitment, but they always have the option to quit. (though hopefully not mid-season) All coaches make this clear coming in. There is immense pressure on athletes during season to do well both in school and in their sport that is hard to comprehend. Some kids find it is just too much to handle. Being recruited is both an honor and a responsibility. Athletes have just as much going for them as kids in any other EC that requires great talent. Show some respect for these exceptional kids. Many students are admitted to college because of their EC’s and then decide for whatever reason to no longer persue them. Would you suggest they lose their admissions too?</p>
<p>i do want to clarify something…my son might not have been admitted to this school without his sport. but then again, he certainly had scores and grades to be accepted…lots of kids have those scores–some are accepted, some are not. without his sport, it would have been a “crap shoot”</p>
<p>secondly, i am not disappointed in that he gave up the sport, but i am very angry at his timing and his behavior. it’s over with now, though, and he is the one that will have to live with how he handled it. he knows it was wrong, but he still felt it was what he had to do.</p>
<p>oh well…he’s still healthy, he’s still a wonderful young man, and i’m still glad he’s my son. it’s not anything that serious…many young people make far worse decisions!</p>
<p>wbow
Your son is an exceptional kid and you are an exceptional parent. Everyone his age makes mistakes in how they handle tough situations. I’m sure he is not the first athlete to do this at his school and he won’t be the last. Best wishes.
CM</p>
<p>I am not condencending, but more frustrated of this attitude that somehow being a “top” athlete surpasses other interests and passions in the college hunt</p>
<p>being built a certain way, and let’s be honest here, you have to have certain genetic makeup to be a top athlete, or even a HS athlete, is necessary </p>
<p>you have committed passionate kids with disabilities, with ashma, who are short, who got cut because of political coaches, who are in a HS with really strong athletes, etc., should their interests and what they find they are able to do be put on a lower rung because, gee it takes commitment to do a sport, the implication being it doesn’t for other pursuits</p>
<p>it is such a copout to assume just because you show up and are told what to do, that somehow you are this amazing person, team player etc</p>
<p>it is much harder scheduling yourself, coming up with your own calendar, coordinating your own programs, and fitting it in, and negotiating changes when it is necessary, and being responsible on your own</p>
<p>what is hard is showing up at a 5 day event, volunteer for 9-12 hours a day, doing 5 different jobs, having to figure out how to work as a team with 20 different people everyday, being told, this needs to get done, and learning something on the fly, and doing this while working with some wonderful people, but some really ditzy, tired, know it all types, and learning managment skills, coordination, communication, staying calm, taking initiatve</p>
<p>my D has one job, volunteers another place, has 4 very serious ECs that take time and commitment because others are counting on her- she has to look at her dayplanner, say, yes, I can do this that day, but need to shift this over here, and this is due then, and I need to get those supplies, and for one job she has to navigate the city- this is as taxing brain wise as any sport</p>
<p>she found both jobs on her own, she approached the EC mentors and actually helped create a club that was just a lose band of students</p>
<p>there is a sport in our school, a big national sport, and while those kids are training, they do nothing else, no other ecs, no volunteering, no jobs, nothing</p>
<p>they just hang out together and it is almost cult like, my Ds friends hate it, but because they have “committed” to it, and have pursued little else, they don’t feel they are free to explore much else for half a year at a time</p>
<p>yes, some will get recruited, and will have to spend 4 years NOT exploring all that college have to offer </p>
<p>yes, sports take commitment, I get that, and ithey take physical talent, I get that, but this attitude that athletes have more to offer because they have physical characteristics that allow them to shine is just hogwash</p>
<p>if you think my Ds or the many others like them, who did play sports for years< (both were also soccer referrees, and coached yonger players) somehow are not as worthy because they opted to enrich themselves and the world in other ways, look around you</p>
<p>and in fact, sports is a pretty selfish endeavor- who does it help besides the player?</p>
<p>and I would never be disappointed if my child stopped doing something that I enjoyed watching her do, why lay that guilt on them</p>
<p>CGM
You d’s sound like great girls. They too should have many opportunities within the college admissions process due to their personal pursuits. I just don’t understand your obvious hostility towards those with athletic interests and talent.</p>
<p>Sports are unique in that in order for them to happen there must be a coach and a team must be built. Due to this, colleges must admit athletes differently than other students. Many athletes do not receive any compensation for the extreme amount of time they give to their sport. As you yourself acknowledged athletes are limited in what other collegiate endeavors they can pursue. This is exactly why they are offered perks like guaranteed admissions. Due to scheduling conflicts they get priority registration and tutoring is offered to help with the extreme pressures put on their time. At the collegiate level athletes are doing a sport because they are truly passionate about it. The commitment is huge the determination and time management required is extreme. They do a lot more than just “show up and do what they are told.” Are you serious???</p>
<p>and this comment:
“it is much harder scheduling yourself, coming up with your own calendar, coordinating your own programs, and fitting it in, and negotiating changes when it is necessary, and being responsible on your own”</p>
<p>What do you think athletes have to do daily??? Are you suggesting they don’t have to do all of this same stuff with far less personal time than their peers???</p>
<p>As to sports being selfish, huh??? Student athletes are there to represent their school and provide athletic competition for their schoolmates to enjoy. The college reciprocates by helping the individual athletes’ progress on toward their personal and professional goals. Perhaps it escapes you that sports are quite popular in this country and there are virtually thousands of employment opportunities surrounding sports. Many athletes will choose to go into other professions beyond their sport, but just as many will choose a sports oriented career. College is their training ground.</p>
<p>How is being naturally athletic any different from being naturally gifted in academics or music? Each kind of interest requires one be born with natural talent in order to achieve special attention in the college admissions process and progress on towards a career utilizing such giftedness.</p>
<p>as to this:
“if you think my Ds or the many others like them, who did play sports for years< (both were also soccer referrees, and coached yonger players) somehow are not as worthy because they opted to enrich themselves and the world in other ways, look around you”</p>
<p>I don’t know where in any of my posts I said you had unworthy d’s. In fact I’m quite sure I never said that. I think you are the one singling out athletes and implying they are somehow unworthy of opportunity and recognition. I don’t happen to agree with you.</p>
<p>it is not specifically about my Ds, for heaven’s sake, it is about this preconceived notion that sports are the ultimate, the protected, the sacred</p>
<p>and yes, there is a HUGE difference about being physically gifted vs smart, I see that, guess others equate the two</p>
<p>and yes, it is a selfish activity- how many athletes really do it to “entertain” the crowd and how many do it for themselves- their own record, their own medal, their own fun, the big bucks</p>
<p>I am not denying that sports are popular, and the jobs created are really important- ticket sellers, vendors, etc</p>
<p>but don’t think that it is some noble profession where formost in the players mind is what good they are doing for the world</p>
<p>there is one sport that I do believe changes the world and that is soccer- it is one of the most equal opportunity sports out there, and it is more a unifier then a divider- it is truely world wide</p>
<p>I am just saying at least be honest about sports and their purpose, all this fake nobleness gets tiring</p>
<p>it is wonderful when pro athletes TRUELY work with kids in programs, I would expect nothing lesss</p>
<p>ps- my H plays soccer and golfs- has forever- he enjoys it- it keeps him happy and healthy, so I am not putting down sports, but the attitude that somehow athletes are more special than those that can’t or don’t do sports</p>
<p>if the only way a kid can get into a college is because he can run really fast, how sad is that, how sad that other opportunities aren’t created to help those kids, how sad that so much is spent in one area that could be spread out to others</p>
<p>Not sad at all, in fact it’s great. If he has a passion for running he ought to pursue it! How awesome that his passion will help direct him towards a college education and career goals that he might not otherwise have pursued? Passion is a great thing. If he has a passion for music, get to it. If his passion is really in statistics or saving Darfur he ought to chase that dream. </p>
<p>Ah the old “making the big bucks argument.” Out of all of the college athletes a miniscule few will go on to be professional athletes, so what? Power to them if that is their path. Thousands more will end up in sports oriented careers. (far too numerous to list) They will not be making the big bucks, but they will be gainfully employed and pursuing their passions. Good for them.</p>
<p>CGM said:
“and yes, there is a HUGE difference about being physically gifted vs smart”</p>
<p>Sure there is. There is a huge difference between an apple and an orange too. Does that make one any better or more useful than the other? </p>
<p>Who are you to judge the perceived nobleness of another person’s path?</p>
<p>I’m puzzled how the thread jumped from high school and college athletics to pro sports… I must speak up for sports as a character-building activity in our own family. I know I won’t change anyone’s mind, but swimming has helped my daughter learn to set goals and work hard to achieve them. She’s learned to bond with her other teammates, who help each other during every practice and every meet. She’s learned how to schedule her time around the early morning and afternoon practices. She’s had give up afterschool actitivies because of conflicts with team practices.</p>
<p>Of course I’m proud of the medals she’s earned and the individual and relay records she’s broken, but I always tell her my greatest moment as a ‘swim mom’ was watching her during a big state meet when she was seeded to swim right next to her archrival, who was also a YMCA teammate. My daughter false-started, and was pulled down from the blocks. I expected her to start crying, run to her friends in the stands, seek solace from the coach (she <em>really</em> wanted to beat this girl!). Instead, she walked around to the other end of the pool and cheered her teammate on for the entire race.</p>
<p>Although she would like to swim in college, I know there’s a great possibility she may give it up at some point. Will I be sad? I think so, but only because swimming has taught her so much and given her such great friends - not to mention beautiful shoulders and back!</p>