<p>Of all things to happen, this could possibly be the worst yet. So recently I’ve been in contact with the Head Coach of USC to row for them in college as a Recruited Walk-On. I’ve only been rowing for half a year but, they seem interested and my entrance into USC as a student-athlete is basically dependent on my erg score, which they are looking to be under 7:45 (2K). But unfortunately, I may not be able to continue rowing in HS due to the fact that my parents may not be able to afford it. They are divorced, still in the midst of a bitter custody battle, and both refuse to pay. I just don’t know what to do anymore. My only options are to quit now and hope I can better my 2k by doing tests at the gym or at a friends house who happens to have an erg available or get a job and risk the chance of my grades falling (It’s already hard enough without a job as is with 5 AP classes, Crew 6 days a week 3 hours a day, and other extracurricular obligations, not to mention I don’t have a car and job opportunities are limited where I live). My parents are already indebted by the team ( the sum is almost totaling $1000) and I know I can’t keep on going on like this, they’ll kick me out sooner or later. I guess my question is, what should I do now, quit or hope that my parents are able to pay the costs. And if I do quit, are my chances as a recruit diminished? Should I tell the coaches at USC? What should I do?</p>
<p>Sorry you’re in that situation. A lot of club teams can make allowances for athletes who are unable to afford the fees. I suppose the question is whether your parents are ‘unable’ or unwilling.</p>
<p>appleBeam, sorry this is happening to you. How is your relationship with your HS coach, would you be able to have them talk to the USC coach on yiour behalf? Best of luck to you. Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Wow, I’m sorry to hear this. However, I wouldn’t tell the USC coach, or at least, not yet. First of all, you don’t even know whether you will quit the team or not. Second, with your limited rowing experience, the USC coach is interested in your potential as an athlete and the erg time as evidence, not in how much rowing you’re doing right now or how much you will learn by the summer. Unlike in most other sports, beginning rowers can learn enough in a year to make the national team, so many college coaches don’t care about how much experience their incoming rowers have. Unless you come from a very well-respected coach, college coaches figure they can teach you better than most club or HS coaches. Many rowers actually switch sides once they’re in college to get rid of bad habits they have acquired before.
So, really focus on your erg time. Get it down as much and as quickly as possible, constantly updating the USC coach. Second, try to talk to your parents (if they invest 1000.00 now, they may save a lot more if you can get scholarship money). If they can’t afford the 1000.00, try to talk to the team you’re rowing for.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear about your situation. I don’t know about rowing, but my son’s club soccer team had scholarships where needed, and in one case where a father lost his job, some of his teammates chipped in for club fees.</p>
<p>I am a little confused by your terminology. What is a Recruited Walk-On? I thought those two words were opposites.</p>
<p>I believe a recruited walk-on is someone who is recruited, in that they’ve communicated with coaches and have prior experience, but is not getting scholarship money right from the start. </p>
<p>To the OP, I’m guessing your admissions decision will be made by the time that the season starts (with you not on the team) anyway. Since scholarship money is not at stake, I’d just update the coach after that, but let you them know that you are erging/working out on your own (assuming you are) and you hope to still make the team when you attend. College rowing has so many walk-ons with no experience anyway that I seriously doubt that they would not allow you to join the team because you missed a high school season. If your rowing is worse than it would have been, and you struggle to make a boat, that would be different.</p>