Why play in college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I am 1000% sure that my time management was better in college as a D1 athlete than it would have been had I not been playing a sport. I learned after college that I don’t manage my time very well when I don’t have a lot of structure and built in accountability. I’m so glad I had that during those years. I think the vigorous exercise also gave me a mental health boost and was sort of a self medication for mild ADHD. I don’t think I would have connected these dots when I was younger and college could have been very rough for me. I can mostly manage it now as an adult with a lot more self awareness than I had at that age.

^100%. I see comments here that question why folks put so much time and money into a sport if they aren't going pro. Playing a sport and continuing at a high level of play is SO MUCH MORE than just ROI on "investment" in the sport. The mental health advantage alone is worth every penny and every minute we supported our players. Parents on DCUM seem to suggest that if you aren't playing D1 and didn't get a athletic scholarship and don't go pro you are a failure. If folks were more realistic about the end goals and the % of athletic scholarships available they might be less focused on the unrealistic goals and acknowledge that playing a sport in HS, College or beyond provides the player so much.

If you don't want to play professionally why play competitive soccer?

Just play rec/town leagues and be done with it.

Argueing to be mediocre is dumb.

Because people don't want to say their kid plays rec. Parent's egos.

I really can’t with you stupid people on this thread. Ever heard of someone wanting to push themselves to the highest level that they are capable of? Even if it’s not pro? It’s a great thing to want to put yourself in an environment that will challenge you and push you to your limits. You learn a lot about yourself when you do that. If a kid is really good at soccer, or any sport or activity, they aren’t going to get that sort of challenge in a town/rec league. They have to look for an environment in which the training and competition level will be higher. We can all wish it were less expensive to be part of that environment, but it’s not reality. Same goes for dance, music, and other endeavors. We don’t have a system here where the best kids are identified early on placed on a special track. This is really not hard to understand.

College soccer is amateur soccer and is closer to rec vs pro. Maybe if you were very lucky 1% of college players could play in the pro.

So what? There are many different levels within an amateur sport. For most sports there is a huge difference in skill level for college vs. pro or college vs. Olympics. You sound like you just don’t know much about sports.

College is supposed to be preparing students for doing something professionally.

If college soccer doesn't even resemble pro soccer what are they doing?

You are not worth arguing with because you seem to not understand how college works in the US. Hint: it's very different from Europe and other places, and not just because of sports. College is viewed as a place where young adults can experience both professional and personal growth through academics and involvement in other activities (like sports). For some, it's those other activities that help them figure out their career interests. For others, they know their career will not have anything to do with their activity, but the activity helps them build a network and allows them to develop other skills that serve them well in their professional life.

Even though I'm not worth arguing with.

I'm OK with everything you say if you're attending and paying for a private college.

Public Universities are different.

No they are not. Why would you think this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 1000% sure that my time management was better in college as a D1 athlete than it would have been had I not been playing a sport. I learned after college that I don’t manage my time very well when I don’t have a lot of structure and built in accountability. I’m so glad I had that during those years. I think the vigorous exercise also gave me a mental health boost and was sort of a self medication for mild ADHD. I don’t think I would have connected these dots when I was younger and college could have been very rough for me. I can mostly manage it now as an adult with a lot more self awareness than I had at that age.

^100%. I see comments here that question why folks put so much time and money into a sport if they aren't going pro. Playing a sport and continuing at a high level of play is SO MUCH MORE than just ROI on "investment" in the sport. The mental health advantage alone is worth every penny and every minute we supported our players. Parents on DCUM seem to suggest that if you aren't playing D1 and didn't get a athletic scholarship and don't go pro you are a failure. If folks were more realistic about the end goals and the % of athletic scholarships available they might be less focused on the unrealistic goals and acknowledge that playing a sport in HS, College or beyond provides the player so much.

If you don't want to play professionally why play competitive soccer?

Just play rec/town leagues and be done with it.

Argueing to be mediocre is dumb.

Because people don't want to say their kid plays rec. Parent's egos.

I really can’t with you stupid people on this thread. Ever heard of someone wanting to push themselves to the highest level that they are capable of? Even if it’s not pro? It’s a great thing to want to put yourself in an environment that will challenge you and push you to your limits. You learn a lot about yourself when you do that. If a kid is really good at soccer, or any sport or activity, they aren’t going to get that sort of challenge in a town/rec league. They have to look for an environment in which the training and competition level will be higher. We can all wish it were less expensive to be part of that environment, but it’s not reality. Same goes for dance, music, and other endeavors. We don’t have a system here where the best kids are identified early on placed on a special track. This is really not hard to understand.

College soccer is amateur soccer and is closer to rec vs pro. Maybe if you were very lucky 1% of college players could play in the pro.

So what? There are many different levels within an amateur sport. For most sports there is a huge difference in skill level for college vs. pro or college vs. Olympics. You sound like you just don’t know much about sports.

College is supposed to be preparing students for doing something professionally.

If college soccer doesn't even resemble pro soccer what are they doing?

College is supposed to be creating thinking adults. doing something professionally is related but not the goal. Certainly professional sports is not the goal. Certainly not soccer.

[Anonymous]

Some people love their free government cheese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am 1000% sure that my time management was better in college as a D1 athlete than it would have been had I not been playing a sport. I learned after college that I don’t manage my time very well when I don’t have a lot of structure and built in accountability. I’m so glad I had that during those years. I think the vigorous exercise also gave me a mental health boost and was sort of a self medication for mild ADHD. I don’t think I would have connected these dots when I was younger and college could have been very rough for me. I can mostly manage it now as an adult with a lot more self awareness than I had at that age.

^100%. I see comments here that question why folks put so much time and money into a sport if they aren't going pro. Playing a sport and continuing at a high level of play is SO MUCH MORE than just ROI on "investment" in the sport. The mental health advantage alone is worth every penny and every minute we supported our players. Parents on DCUM seem to suggest that if you aren't playing D1 and didn't get a athletic scholarship and don't go pro you are a failure. If folks were more realistic about the end goals and the % of athletic scholarships available they might be less focused on the unrealistic goals and acknowledge that playing a sport in HS, College or beyond provides the player so much.

If you don't want to play professionally why play competitive soccer?

Just play rec/town leagues and be done with it.

Argueing to be mediocre is dumb.

Because people don't want to say their kid plays rec. Parent's egos.

I really can’t with you stupid people on this thread. Ever heard of someone wanting to push themselves to the highest level that they are capable of? Even if it’s not pro? It’s a great thing to want to put yourself in an environment that will challenge you and push you to your limits. You learn a lot about yourself when you do that. If a kid is really good at soccer, or any sport or activity, they aren’t going to get that sort of challenge in a town/rec league. They have to look for an environment in which the training and competition level will be higher. We can all wish it were less expensive to be part of that environment, but it’s not reality. Same goes for dance, music, and other endeavors. We don’t have a system here where the best kids are identified early on placed on a special track. This is really not hard to understand.

College soccer is amateur soccer and is closer to rec vs pro. Maybe if you were very lucky 1% of college players could play in the pro.

So what? There are many different levels within an amateur sport. For most sports there is a huge difference in skill level for college vs. pro or college vs. Olympics. You sound like you just don’t know much about sports.

College is supposed to be preparing students for doing something professionally.

If college soccer doesn't even resemble pro soccer what are they doing?

College is supposed to be creating thinking adults. doing something professionally is related but not the goal. Certainly professional sports is not the goal. Certainly not soccer.

The logic behind this is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh. Again - playing a sport in college is many things...going "pro" does not have to be one of them. Its about excelling and pushing yourself in an activities you enjoy and have trained for. But my guess is you will never understand this perspective. Thanks for the entertainment value of your post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could ask the same question about why do anything in college? Why join the marching band or a sorority or work at the school newspaper? Presumably because it's something you enjoy doing. All of these things take up time and end once college is over but they are still activities that provide enjoyment and instill a lot of valuable life lessons that will serve them in the future.

I get your point, but this one doesn’t end once college is over. For about 60%, they view it as a thing they did in college, but even those women recognize that you are a member for life, and can engage with other members of their sorority affiliation at any time—-whether they know them or not (moving to a new city, job searching, mentoring as an alumna volunteer with other chapters) The activities you do within in it and the people you see who are your sisters change after college, but every sorority offers volunteer engagement, mentoring and leadership opportunities, board service opportunities, professional networking events, bi-annual conventions, and philanthropic engagement that are available to members for their entire lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people love their free government cheese.

Do you think we're in Mississippi or Alabama?

[Anonymous]

You play soccer in college because you want to and you can.

Everything else is psycho-babble

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could ask the same question about why do anything in college? Why join the marching band or a sorority or work at the school newspaper? Presumably because it's something you enjoy doing. All of these things take up time and end once college is over but they are still activities that provide enjoyment and instill a lot of valuable life lessons that will serve them in the future.

I get your point, but this one doesn’t end once college is over. For about 60%, they view it as a thing they did in college, but even those women recognize that you are a member for life, and can engage with other members of their sorority affiliation at any time—-whether they know them or not (moving to a new city, job searching, mentoring as an alumna volunteer with other chapters) The activities you do within in it and the people you see who are your sisters change after college, but every sorority offers volunteer engagement, mentoring and leadership opportunities, board service opportunities, professional networking events, bi-annual conventions, and philanthropic engagement that are available to members for their entire lives.

Neither does being a college athlete. It’s a lifelong brother or sister hood.