DC has been accepted to a school that would be DC’s dream school but for the fact that DC will not be able to play a sport that DC has loved and played since DC was little. Dream school offers the sport and we were hoping DC could walk on to the team but it is looking unlikely that will happen. DC has acceptances at other schools where DC could play, but at a less competitive level than dream school. While the schools are close to comparable in quality to dream school (each with differing pros and cons), none is as clear a fit as the dream school academically and socially (although they could be - we just don’t know). I know at the end of the day this will be DCs choice but I’m curious if any others have faced this, and if so, how you decided and why. (I also welcome helpful thoughts from those who have not gone through this).
Does Dream School offer a club team or strong intramural program featuring her sport? All of my kids heavily went that route. As did many kids I know. My one niece who is a very strong tennis player is playing on a club team at a big state school that fit her criteria far better than the ones where she could play tennis. A very nice merit award clinched the deal as she didn’t get any athletic scholarships at the schools where she would be on the NCAA team. The club team is very competitive and she plays like schools. Doesn’t feel like she is missing out on her sport a moment and loves her school choice too.
No club or intramural option unfortunately.
I know many many kids who played their sport very competitively from grade school thru HS. Club teams, travel, ID camps, off season workouts. They enjoyed it as did their parents, but it was hard work. The goal was to play their sport in college. Fast forward to college. They found the experience to be much different than HS. It’s full year, early morning workouts, missing out on social events and a real dedication required to keep up academically. This was true at the D1, D2 and D3 levels. The rule of thumb, so I’ve been told, is that it’s very difficult to succeed socially, athletically and academically…usually you can do 2/3 but not 3/3. For some (not all), they missed the excitement of the HS sports arena and they were suddenly a small fish in a much bigger pond. There is certainly a group of kids who love their sport so much they are happy to dedicate their time to continue in college. I know many more who gave it a 1-yr go and realized that since they were not going to eventually turn professional, they’d be happier playing at the club level and embracing the other things their school had to offer. What I’m trying to say is, pick the school your child would like if they were no longer playing their sport. Then the sport is just a bonus if they continue to play.
It’s hard to answer this without knowing how far off from dream school the non-dream school is. Is it possible that another visit to non-dream school would help sort things out? Do you know enough about the team at non-dream school to be confident that it would be a good experience? Is there a local club team (not necessarily affiliated with the school) available at dream school? Could your child coach a youth team and would that satisfy the itch?
I know it’s tough to walk away from a sport if you don’t feel ready to close that door. I do agree with the above advice; pick a school you would like even without the sport.