<p>Worrying that the EC might look weak is not an athletic recruiting issue at all, but an admission one. </p>
<p>The athletic recruiting issue should not be this complicated. Your daughter does have a coach or an athletic director and there will plenty of opportunities for THEM to discuss the details, not to mention your daughter herself. </p>
<p>To their great surprise, parents often find out that there is little place for their opinions and strategizing in the dialogues. Seeking the shortest path to the truth, college coaches are typically interested in speaking directly to the athletes and their coaches.</p>
<p>There is always room on the team for an injured/medically unable to play person - athlete or not. It is usually in a managers type of position - helps the coach out - does stats - messanger - equipment help - etc… - keeps the kiddo involved and as a part of the team in many ways - which can be very important. If this gal does not choose to be involved in other arenas - then maybe she could assist in some way - helps her to stay connected. - and could be very good for the psyche if this sport is her passion.</p>
<p>This will not do any harm as far as college applications goes - actually staying involved even tho being unable to participate can certainly show loyalty and passion on her part - and can easily be explained if necessary.</p>
<p>Once she is able to actively return to her sport - with the blessing of her doctor - she will find that it may take a while to get back to where she was - her training should be carefully monitored and documented - good idea to be in close touch with the schools athletic trainor (who should be well advised and knowledgable about the issue). If she is able to consider being recruited in her sport - what is going on now needs to be addressed with colleges - at the right time.</p>
<p>If your daughter is out for a season, it is going to come up in any athletic recruiting, unless it is for a freshman season. For many sports it is “game over” after junior year, since those are the results that come into play. I have seen injured senior football players who had spectacular sophomore and junior years still get recruited, if they meet certain size criteria. Kids who sat out that junior year, are pretty antsy as seniors as many of the picks come early enough in the season that it is a rush to get tapes and stats in, and if the team or kids is having a slow or sluggish start, it does not bode well. I really cannot see "hiding’ any medical condition from the colleges. Also, if it is a possibility, as it often is for any medical condition to hamper future performance or make college athletics an inadvisable activity, your student should be looking at other areas of interest, even as he remain connected in hers sport. If she cannot participate at her school in some way, other venues like the Special Olympics or children’s clinics may be ways she can keep that connection.<br>
My best wishes for a full recovery for your daughter. We, too, have a similar situation, though my son is not a recruit, nor is he sitting it out this year. He has some medical issues that make active pursuit of his favorite sports inadvisable.</p>
<p>I hope that your daughter recovers quickly and am sorry that she has this medical issue - hopefully she is not going too crazy because of the inactivity. I live with two pretty serious athletes and when they have been injured they are most definitely not. happy. campers. </p>
<p>One of my daughter’s best friends had to drop out of soccer for an extended period of time due to the discovery of a medical issue (also not related to the sport but discovered because of her involvement in sports). The problem required surgery and a lengthy recovery with the possibility of not being able to play again. She started assistant coaching younger kids on one of the local travel teams. It was hard for her to teach the sport that she loved without being able to play but she learned the how-to’s of instruction and loved being able to pass on her passion to younger players. It was not a traditional EC but I suspect it was presented properly on her applications and by doing so said much about her character.</p>
<p>Fortunately, my athlete D has not had any injuries or medical issues. However, I can relate to Elleneast’s story above. My D had and continues to play soccer since K every fall. Her position in HS and in college is goalie. She was on JV Soccer team in ninth and tenth. She worked out all summer while on a travel trip to be ready for preseason back home and tryouts for Varsity in 11th. She put her all into it. At the end of preseason when the Varsity squad was announced, for some reason the coach did not take ANY goalies (basically she was trying out for a slot that didn’t even exist) as there was a returning varsity goalie (she knew that) but there had always been two goalies on a team (people get hurt or sick). It was quite disappointing to be out of soccer after doing it for 11 years. Nobody in 11th still did JV. If they didn’t make Varsity, then they quit the sport. My D chose to make the most of her season out of soccer and opted to coach a grade 5/6 girls soccer team and LOVED it. She would sum the whole experience up as a win win situation. Had she never been out the season, she never would have experienced sharing her passion with younger girls. </p>
<p>The following year, senior year, she still went out for Varsity soccer (nobody who had been cut the previous year tried out again) and she was made Varsity goalie and played every game and took them to the state quaterfinals. I think the coach regretted not having two goalies the previous season and he did think highly of my D and even wrote her a colllege recommendation. It turned out that my D wrote about this experience for one of her college essays. So, she actually got into what she did when she wasn’t a soccer player herself for one year. </p>
<p>So, I don’t know the nature of your daughter’s medical condition and/or the limitations and if she is in recovery of some sort, but if she is able, she could coach or mentor kids in her sport or a related sport, do fundraising for a sports team, manage or assist her coach for her own sports team, write articles for local newspapers about the team’s meets, etc. I don’t see why she needs to join a misc. “club”. She could take on a project or service…volunteer for an organization or cause she normally doesn’t have time to do that she’d enjoy and in which she has some intersest. Tutor at the elementary school or teach an after school group. Take on a part time job of some sort. This activity can be explained as one she took on for the short terms to make the most of her season when she was out of her sport due to illness. </p>
<p>Being a runner myself and being the parent of a college runner (male), I can take a guess at the nature of the medical condition. It is quite common among college female runners, and should not be a deal-breaker at ALL schools. It, of course, depends on how much potential the college coaches feel your daughter has. I’m not sure what schools she is looking at, but if you want to PM me, I can make some suggestions. She is going to need a coach a little more on the nurturing side who watches carefully for heath issues.</p>
<p>The GFG, to answer the question posed by your example, I do think you would disclose this to coaches. It would inevitably come up in conversations with coaches about the missed season and I can’t imagine not being open about it. </p>
<p>My kid missed sports for some period of time in junior high [for an illness very close to your example], and he remained involved with his team by going to the games and keeping score/assisting the coach. It helped keep his spirits up and made it easier for him when he was able to rejoin the sport.</p>
<p>I think MOWC has great advice in the post immediately above. I suspect she’s getting closest to answering your question.</p>
<p>The coaches at a highschool have a responsibility to let the colleges know what they are getting. The integrity of the coach is at stake for future recruits, so it is doubtful that any situation is going to remain secret. </p>
<p>I know a mother who was outraged when she inadvertantly found out what a coach told a college about her son. Something irrelevant to the sport and performance of the kid and unnecessary, it seemed, to reveal. But there was a strong relationship between the programs and it was very important to the coach to maintain it even if it jeopardized one kid’s acceptance.</p>
<p>GFG, I wasn’t posting about recruitment, only about her activities. But, yes, college coaches will certainly want to know why the athlete took a season off. I think it looks a lot better to say that she didn’t play that season because of a now-resolved medical issue than to leave it open, leaving the coach to wonder whether she just decided not to play, was suspended from the team, etc. I agree with some of the other posters; it’s important for the relationship with a potential coach to be an honest one. If they’re going to be working together for the next 4/5 years, the relationship needs to be healthy, honest, and nuturing, and trying to get around admitting a past medical issue is no way to begin that kind of relationship.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is that runners/swimmers/and other similar types of sports - the long term cardiac type of activities that they are involved in - they produce endorphines - which when they stop their sport really can have an effect on them. It can make for an adjustment period - and hopefully these kids do find another activity that can provide even that mental stimulation to get the thru a loss such as their passion for their sport. Kids who do not ‘replace’ the activity and time tend to have a more difficult time. It does not have to be an athletic endeavor - it could be being involved in something/anything that will help to make the time go by/help with the healing process/provide a new outlook/allow time for re-energizing ones psyche also.</p>
<p>CPT - it is a difficult place to be - Been there - done this with 2 athletes - it can be very difficult - especially when it is a loss that they don’t know how to replace - and the physical/psych benefit changes that they have to learn to cope with. It really is a huge loss for some.</p>
<p>One of my kiddos had a life threatening medical problem that stopped him short for a bit - but he was able to return to his sport - my other one was injured in a freak accident and had to realize that she may not be able to return to the sport she loved the most. She eventually did - tho had lost a bit of spunk in the meantime - but she had also found a new passion in the mean time. It took alot of support and strength to see my kids go thru these things - the best we could do or be was to support them thru it - not an easy task sometimes.</p>
<p>I’ve know girls who have becme anorexic while involved in sports, especially track. It is better for them not to be around gyms and other athletes. I would encourage another activity that builds self-esteem and confidence with less competitiveness.
Some girls write about their treatment and recovery for college essays. I don’t know if this is wise, but if they have missed a lot of school, their absence needs to be explained.
I have no idea nor am I trying to probe about OP’s D. I am just relating my experience with another medical problem that is not an injury</p>
<p>Thanks for the kind words and sharing your experience. Don’t know anyone right now going through this. Other kids who were in his sport seem to have made the transition smoothly. He did not.</p>
<p>CPT - for some kids - their sport is who they think they are - not just a part of themselves - but it identifies them in our society in some way. When that is no longer the situation - they are grieving the loss of who they are - not just the loss of the activity itself. That entrenchment can be devistating when it is no longer an option for them.</p>
<p>Is there ANY way for your son to find some way to ‘replace’ what he has lost - no longer in his life - coaching/training/teaching in someway that would include him again in his passion? Or even a different form of passion or sport?? Sometimes it can take a while for those who feel this type of loss to find ‘themselves’ again and to realize that it is only just a piece of who they are - not the whole pie.</p>
<p>Wants nothing to do with the sport. Came to a bad end. Am trying to help him find other intersts. Found a therapist to work with him. Am just hoping he finds something. Our relationship does not help. Any of my ideas or suggestions seem to just eliminate those areas. Lots of things going on here, and am hoping that the therapy, both for me and for him will help. I am fortunate in that I found a good therapist for myself. Am not sure about his, but he is going, so I am hopeful. And the two therapists talked to each other so we are working in synch (my husband is going nuts with these bills, don’t know if we are paying for that conversation; we do have excellent health insurance which is doing a good job so far covering this) That and some prayers to get us through this without too much heartache seem to be all we can do. It hurts in that we are the only one in this situation we know, though I do know it is not uncommon,even among non athletes, though the cessation of physical activity, I know is a major issue too. It’s just that those we know, are having a much smoother transition.</p>
<p>Half way through high school, my S transitioned from soccer to cross-country, but kept up with soccer through a greater involvement with refereeing. This was extremely positive since it allowed him to make use of his knowledge and experience with the sport and kept him close to the game. Recently, he went from being a 3-season x-c and track athlete in high school to no athletic involvment in college. I think this transition has been made easier by his channeling his affection for running into “coaching” his sister in the same sport. So, I can definitely second JeepMOM’s suggestion about “replacing”.</p>
<p>EDIT: our posts crossed, cpt., so it sounds like I’m ignoring your experience. So I wanted to let you know I understand that “replacement” just doesn’t work for everyone. Frankly, the idea isn’t a convincing one to my D! </p>
<p>Thanks to all for your responses and PM’s. It has been comforting and encouraging to hear about some of your journeys with your own children and various medical issues. It seems like this can be overcome. I am thankful it is not an eating disorder affecting my D, since recovery from that type of illness is usually difficult and ongoing for a long time.</p>
<p>It seems the consensus is to be open with coaches and to trust that if a coach is really interested in my D s/he will take the time to ask in-depth questions and won’t pass judgment based on seeing one medical term in her health records.</p>
<p>D attended practice again and asked a different coach this time about being a team manager. Same reply: there is no such position. She was told that there is nothing for her to do, which confirmed what she had already been told and suspected from observation. Still, D is sad that there is no official way to keep involved with the team.</p>
<p>I think everyone is aware that there is no such position. I think since she has now asked twice, the message is pretty clear that the coaches do not have the imagination to come up with anything for her. I guess you have to draw up your own job description with those guys to have a chance. I recommend looking at some assisting ECs at the Y, or rec teams or Special Olympics to keep a foot in. SHe will have to be creative to keep the contact with the sport. She can also attend the home and nearby away meets and be team supporter. I am disappointed that the coaches are not being helpful about a team member on medical sabbatical. I would not count so much on them being helpful with college admissions with that attitude. I have seen numerous positions created for kids who cannot play a sport they love. Our football team has a number of student statisticians, managers, and non playing members who sit with the team. I’ve seen the same with track, swimming and a number of other sports. I think our track team needs student helpers to time and set up thing and break them down. Swimmers always need timers and lap counters. It doesn’t take a lot to incorporate a student who cannot participate, and usually coaches are eager to keep a student taking time off involved in the swing of things.</p>