My D21 says golf is a, “rich, white suburban dad sport.” However, she needs to participate in a sport per school requirements. My D has never been interested in athletics but of all the options available at her school, golf would be the least painful. She has been playing golf since she was a preschooler and she’s a good golfer. The coach would like to see her join the varsity golf team. My D’s objection isn’t about the game itself, which she finds quite tolerable, rather, her objection is about the affluent perception of golf.
If she doesn’t opt to join the golf team, I have the option of requesting permission from the school for D to take up a sport outside of school such as ballet or swimming, etc. She doesn’t have a strong interest in any athletic activity.
Is my little social justice warrior correct in her assertion that golf has a reputation for being elitist? If she opts to play, could this have a negative impact on her college application?
If it’s a “rich, white suburban dad sport” then it seems like she would provide some diversity. She always has the option of leaving it off her college app.
Well, yes, but so are lacrosse and ice hockey in terms of rich white kid sports. That’s not necessarily a bad thing provided she enjoys playing and can use her participation as a platform to advocate for more diversity, if she wishes to do so. I don’t see where it would have a negative impact on a college application, and could well have a positive one. She sounds like a great kid.
I think the OP and the daughter are overthinking this. Here are the pertinent parts from the original post:
So she can do golf, or she can do ballet/swimming. It’s won’t have a great impact one way or another on the application since she clearly will not be a recruited athlete. She should do what she likes and call it a day.
They won’t care a fig what sport she does, because she isn’t planning on doing any sport in college. I would give her the least painful option that’s acceptable to the school.
Another vote for they won’t care. The college will see where she is from, what school she attended, other things she has done, and will probably recognize that she is from a relatively well to do home with or without the golf.
The idea of ECs is that colleges are looking for students to come to campus who have interests, who are involved and don’t just go sit at home and stare at the computer after school. Playing golf is getting out there, being with people, being part of a team which are all positive attributes. Plus as noted above she can always play on the team and not put it on her application (but I don’t really see why she would go that route).
I’m a very mean mom, but I would not be willing to request a waiver from the school or to provide payment for or transportation to an after-school sport if my child refused to participate in the at-school options because of her philosophical conviction. And, ballet and swimming are not really known for their accessibility to huge numbers of underserved populations. End of discussion at my house.
“Is my little social justice warrior correct in her assertion that golf has a reputation for being elitist? If she opts to play, could this have a negative impact on her college application?”
If anything it will be positive even if it’s a varsity level. Your issue would be them assuming you’re full pay because of it.
I think it is your daughter with the preconceived ideas. Tiger Woods wasn’t born rich. Nancy Lopez. ChiChi Rodriguez. She’s making excuses because she doesn’t want to do it.
Back in my day, we had to take P.E. Everyone did. Golf was a unit we could pick, even at the public school. We were required to take a swimming unit every year, and then picked other units like bowling, curling, basketball, track. One sport was not better than another.
She can suffer with golf and be deemed privileged and elite, or she can play basketball.
My kid didn’t like any of the sport options at her school. There was no school requirement, but I wanted her to fo something active for health reasons. She did a year of HS volleyball, then requested to change to something else. She decided on fencing, and ended up as a medalist in our state tournament senior year. There is a lot to be said for letting a kid choose if you can do that.
Elitist? No. The end. It’s the person, not the sport. And high schools in plenty of parts of the country offer golf regardless of one’s SES. Some outside clubs underwrite costs, same for dance or other activities. It’s the old concept of a little fresh air and a little effort. Plus the value of team and the personal growth in skills.
No, they won’t assume you’re wealthy. Sheesh, they’re going to be looking at far more important bulets than that.
Just saying: the only hesitation is some kids who do love golf, live in climates where they can play 12 months, who state it’s their life, they play daily…and then make a big deal of how imortant it is to them to play golf at college in some northern place where you can’t play daily, not even most months of the school year.
Most equipment sports are largely the bastion of the middle class and up. Soccer is so popular world wide because a dusty field and a ball are all that is required. Likewise basketball is some blacktop, a hoop and a ball.
I have a gut feeling that your “social justice warrior” is more concerned about what the other social justice warriors will think of her playing “elitist” golf.
This sounds like a young person trying to find her voice in the world. I would give her some facts and let her choose what to do.
Fact: she has to choose a sport, you gave her some realistic options.
Fact: colleges already know her school’s socioeconomic profile and will be judging her within that context, her choice to take advantage of sports offered at her school will not be used to judge her ‘privilege’.
Fact: playing a varsity sport helps in college admissions, presumably she wants to have as many options open to her as possible when it comes time for college.
It might also be that your daughter would welcome a discussion about ECs that will speak to the SJW in her. Helping her find an outlet for those interests might take some of the pressure off her sports pick.
You know you are participating in a rich white suburban sport when your chosen college allows females to bring their horses to board at the college’s stables so the school can say they meet Title IX requirements by spending the same amount of money on men’s and women’s sports.
That makes golf look perfectly middle class!
Bottom line: colleges won’t care. Tell her to take whatever sport she enjoys the most.
It does help, in this respect: you put the effort in, you follow the coach’s lead, show up, do it, are part of a team. So much the better, in some sports, if you mentor rookies. You don’thave to be “best,” win games/matches or awards. It fits into what I see as the peer aspect of some ECs.
No. The school requires a sport. She has done it since preschool so naturally that would be a good fit. Keep it on or off the college application per your/her personal preference. Elitist no
I think in the past golf would be considered elitist but I think schools in many areas now have it as an option. I think of squash and lacrosse as pretty elite and popular in the NYC metro area.
Almost every high school here has lacrosse, even inner city schools. When I lived in Minnesota, every kid played hockey. A co-worker was married to a guy who had 5 kids who played hockey. She sold candy bars and wrapping paper, he coached to get his kids on teams for free or reduced price, her brothers helped coach. It was not an elite sport, it was THE sport.
I think times have changed. More kids can try more sports and play what they want. As with soccer, anyone with a ball can learn the basics. If you want to play club/elite, it’s going to take some money.