<p>There are no “dumb athletes” at Amherst. I am a “D” band recruit at Amherst. This means I am the absolute lowest they can take. My SAT scores are still in the top 10% nationally and I have never had less than a B in any class I have taken at my very competitive HS which sends lots of kids to top schools every year. This means that yes, there is a break for needed skills, but it’s not a break that turns anyone at a school like Amherst into someone “dumb.”</p>
<p>Maybe I can’t translate the Hobbit into Latin but it doesn’t mean I don’t have something valuable to contribute to the community. </p>
<p>Amherst just happens to have sports teams where they need athletes who can play, and I have put ten years into my sport just the way anyone else puts their time into their activities. </p>
<p>Maybe I will also volunteer coach someone else’s kids in elementary school and middle school someday once my college playing time is done. </p>
<p>All of our contributions are valuable.</p>