<p>If a student in high school doesn’t plan on playing sports at the college level, is there any value in playing them in high school? (other than maybe they LOVE the sport, but just arent’ college sports calibre?)…Just playing on a cut sports team all four years…is that something that’s considered “worthwhile” to an adcom? I know my son will play regardless of what an adcom thinks, but I am curious.</p>
<p>I am not an adcom and so I couln’tsay for sure what they are looking for - but our experience has been for a student to show passion- even if they aren’t necessarily going to continue in college- is always worth it.
My oldest was in vocal & musicals- did lots of studio art - the colleges loved her- she was able to take two arts courses throughout high school which showed passion- even though her major was going to be sciences- that still looked good
She did continue vocal as an EC for a while- but it just took too much time in college- ditto with art…</p>
<p>Just showing consistency in pursuit of a sport or other ec is worthwhile from an admissions standpoint, IMO. You can also make some great friends. There’s also a lot to be said for building a great lean body mass while you’re young, from a long-range health standpoint. It will make it much easier to stay in shape when you’re our age. I’m not the young jockette I once was, but I burn a lot of calories just moving around, and it’s much harder to add muscle mass later in life. So yeah, do those sports!</p>
<p>Our school college counselor advised us that adcoms do recognize/value a kid’s commitment to sports; they understand the time and commitment necessary to be a varsity athlete. As with any other EC, they are probably looking for a sustained commitment over all 4 years - instead of someone who dabbles in a sport one season and then not again. In my son’s case, his interest in sports went beyond just the school year - he played on summer and fall travel teams too, taught several of the sports as a summer camp counselor, was sports editor of the newspaper: it’s a passion for him and he certainly pursued it. </p>
<p>My son spent most of one interview with a admissions director at a top LAC talking about his experience running cross-country for 4 years - I think the admissions director was very interested in this (and no, my son was not being recruited for cross-country). It takes real dedication and discipline to pursue sports throughout high school.</p>
<p>Hey driver, you and I agree for once ;). </p>
<p>Dke, I trust that your question was just one of curiosity. It would be sad if we have sunk so far that the only value of a teenager’s activity is whether it will affect college admissions. Sports have SOOO much value–physical conditioning, team-building, discipline, perseverance, learning to win and to lose with grace, building social skills, etc. In fact, in a way I think that they have MORE value at the somewhat purer stage of youth sports, than when the stakes are higher–college and then professional sports are so pressured, sometimes they just aren’t fun any more.</p>
<p>But from a college standpoint, I believe that adcoms are looking for passion in an activity. The coaches may be looking for talent/skill, but the adcoms are looking at things from a slightly different angle. </p>
<p>Raspberry smoothie (I think I’ve got the person/essay connection right) wrote a marvelous admissions essay on her high school cross-country running–which had a lot to do I think with how she wasn’t very good at it. It was one of the better essays I’ve seen, and I believe she was accepted EA or ED somewhere. So sports experiences of that sort can be fodder for good college apps in that sense too.</p>
<p>
Well I’ll be darned! And you added a number of things that I also agree with! {rubs eyes}</p>
<p>Don’t rule out continuing in college… </p>
<p>I would not have had ANY idea a year ago that my D could be a recruited athlete, because the general level of competion in her sport is so high in our area.</p>
<p>Luckily, we were clued in by a local tennis pro that she’d be a strong D3 prospect. May be that your son can play in college if he loves it!</p>
<p>Otherwise, there is always the intermural approach.</p>
<p>On the topic of sports and passion, D was being quizzed in an information session with an adcom at one of her favorite schools. He asked her what she’d do if she couldn’t play basketball in college since she obviously had invested so much effort and time in making her game better. D thought about it and said, “Oh, I’m going to play basketball in college,there is no doubt about that.” He looked pained. She continued,“The only question I have is will it be for my school team or my intramural team”. When he spoke to me later he mentioned that part of their conversation as being particularly impressive.</p>
<p>I agree that casually playing a sport for a year or so, probably does not send that same message.</p>
<p>Thanks, that was very helpful…Patient, you’re right…I"d never push the kids to play because of college applications…my son’s not in high school yet, but is passionate about golf like nothing we’ve ever seen. Playing at the college level is a different story, though. It is time consuming, even at his age…People are already pulling us aside and talking about golf scholarships, etc. and we won’t even think about all of that…We’re just happy that he loves a sport so much and is so committed and devoted to the game.</p>
<p>
hmm … repeating the thoughts already said … for my kids the discussion about ECs has NOTHING to do with college and how it will be viewed … my basic mantra is do something you like (other than study) to keep busy and meet new people … and I see one of my roles as a parent is encouraging and supporting experimentation until my kids find their passion whatever it is.</p>
<p>Varsity/Intramural Sports</p>
<p>Don’t forget club sports - for many excellent athletes, it provides the right amount of training and competition while maintaining the ability to spend the majority of your time on your academics and ouside life.</p>
<p>A friend with a varisty athlete child described college life for his son as one part school, one part athletics and one part E/Cs & social life. His point is that you can only spend time on 2 of the 3 if you are a varsity athlete and either your academics or your outside life will suffer. The choice of which is up to the individual.</p>
<p>Another friend with a varsity swimmer child at U of M described the experience as a “full-time job.”</p>
<p>It never even occurred to me that the original question could in some way be interpreted as asking whether someone would engage in sports only for college admissions purposes. I can’t even imagine that. It certainly isn’t why my son is so involved in sports (in his case, I don’t think he thought about college admissions for a second until second semester junior year when it was staring him in the face).</p>
<p>I interpreted the original question as: if your child is spending most of their EC-time doing sports but isn’t going to play in college, would that still be something recognized by adcoms? As some have said above, I think the answer is yes - it’s viewed as any other genuine passion and commitment would be.</p>
<p>(And yes, my son has already planned out which intramural sports he wants to play in college next year.)</p>
<p>Club Teams are the middle ground between between varsity and intramural. Practice once/twice a week and play other area schools is the way its worked for daughter. Informal too…no one will be kicking her off the team because she spent Spring semester in London.</p>
<p>dke–isn’t it funny how the pressures of professional sports filter down to such young levels? But if people are approaching you about golf/college already at your son’s young age–then I think that it may be that one day you have a recruited athlete. But never mind that for now–help him to play the game he loves, in the way he loves to play it, without pushing too hard or holding him back if he wants to take his competition up a notch. </p>
<p>It is impossible to know which students will continue to play their sport–whether intermural, club, varsity, whatever–at your son’s age. One might have clues, but rate of growth, continued focus on the sport, luck, injuries–all of those things can affect the answer. Parents helping their children follow their passions is a fine art, and will bring you many, many, indescribable memories (both of the thrill of victory and the agone of defeat ;). Have fun!</p>
<p>P.S. to driver: “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” ;)</p>
<p>In fact the reason my D is still hot to continue her sport is because we never pushed her earlier. When not in school season, she did not do the weekly tournaments (she wanted to do other ECs, and we thought the balance was healthy.)</p>
<p>Turns out, some of the kids who were more accomplished in HS, say attaining D1 level, are burned out by college and don’t wind up playing at all.</p>
<p>Let your kid’s interest level dictate.</p>
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<p>That’s how I viewed it as well. Unfortunately, I suppose that there are people who really would take up a sport solely for admissions purposes. Nothing surprises me anymore!</p>
<p>My S plays baseball because he loves it. He’s been cut from JV tryouts two years in a row, and will in all likelihood be cut from Varsity tryouts the next two years (though I would never tell him that!). </p>
<p>He’s just a baseball fanatic, and it makes me sad to think that after this year he’s going to find it very difficult to play. This is his last year of eligibility for the local Senior League Baseball, and our area has no other baseball opportunities except for HS after that. But I love that he loves the game, and I still can’t think of anything better than to watch him play. So I hope that his passion will count for something, even if he doesn’t play on the HS team. Don’t even suggest that he transition into becoming a trainer for the HS team – I got the most WITHERING look . . . 
He’s also considering coaching for the Little League teams next year, which I think is a GREAT idea. </p>
<p>Good post!</p>
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