It’s frustrating high school sports don’t matter for admissions when they are so hard to join here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We actively discouraged HS sports for our two sons. Way too much time for any meaningful payoff in terms of college admissions. GPA is much more important than 4 years on the baseball team or whatever. Kids play club sports that don't have grueling travel schedules and focus on academics.

But we seem to be the minority. I'm baffled by the number of people I know whose kids spent 30+ hours a week around sports in HS. Very few will be recruited anywhere attractive and even among those who are, it's not uncommon to lose interest, get injured, etc and ultimately you may be stuck at a school that wouldn't have been optimal without the team aspect. I really think there is some kind of mania/obsession that sets in and skews perspectives.

Colleges get that sports take a lot of time. They are impressed by kids who can excel academically while devoting so much time to a non-academic pursuit. They know that the kid who did sports had to work much harder and be more efficient and organized than the kid who studied and only did academic-related extracurriculars.

Keep telling yourself that! Most colleges pay much more attention to grades and stats. No one is giving extra points to a candidate for sports practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We actively discouraged HS sports for our two sons. Way too much time for any meaningful payoff in terms of college admissions. GPA is much more important than 4 years on the baseball team or whatever. Kids play club sports that don't have grueling travel schedules and focus on academics.

But we seem to be the minority. I'm baffled by the number of people I know whose kids spent 30+ hours a week around sports in HS. Very few will be recruited anywhere attractive and even among those who are, it's not uncommon to lose interest, get injured, etc and ultimately you may be stuck at a school that wouldn't have been optimal without the team aspect. I really think there is some kind of mania/obsession that sets in and skews perspectives.

You do realize that some high school kids actually ENJOY their sports, don’t you? Some of them play for love of the game, not because mommy is angling for a leg up in the college admissions process…

PP here, I don't disagree that many kids love playing sports, including mine. I have a HS junior who plays two sports every chance he gets including and beyond his club team. But he didn't go out for HS teams that required 5 days/week practice. And on days like today when he has a lot of schoolwork, he skips the practice or the pickup game to focus on his studies.

Maybe there are kids that can juggle daily sports practice plus multiple APs and still get straight As and volunteer and read for fun. I didn't see that working out well for my kids at 14yo. Prioritizing academics worked out very well for my older kid who is in college; his friends who were recruited for their sports are all at lower tier schools. They'll all be fine in the end, and if the sport is that important to you or your kid, make your own choices. But personally I'm glad we prioritized academics and I'm still a little surprised that more families don't do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sports are not more important than other extracurriculars like music. And those go all year, not just a season.

THIS 100%

My kid spends 10 hrs/week minimum on music, and layers on another 12 hrs/week during musical season.

They aren't more important but usually more time consuming and physically exhausting.
My kid had a 4 hour practice last night after waking up and training an hour before school. Today they missed their last class to ride a bus for an hour an a half to another high school and won't return until 10 PM. All that, and half the kids on the team won't get any playing time anyway.

Repeat after me: Your kid is not that special because they play sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We actively discouraged HS sports for our two sons. Way too much time for any meaningful payoff in terms of college admissions. GPA is much more important than 4 years on the baseball team or whatever. Kids play club sports that don't have grueling travel schedules and focus on academics.

But we seem to be the minority. I'm baffled by the number of people I know whose kids spent 30+ hours a week around sports in HS. Very few will be recruited anywhere attractive and even among those who are, it's not uncommon to lose interest, get injured, etc and ultimately you may be stuck at a school that wouldn't have been optimal without the team aspect. I really think there is some kind of mania/obsession that sets in and skews perspectives.

Colleges get that sports take a lot of time. They are impressed by kids who can excel academically while devoting so much time to a non-academic pursuit. They know that the kid who did sports had to work much harder and be more efficient and organized than the kid who studied and only did academic-related extracurriculars.

Keep telling yourself that! Most colleges pay much more attention to grades and stats. No one is giving extra points to a candidate for sports practice.

What is your source for these claims?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We actively discouraged HS sports for our two sons. Way too much time for any meaningful payoff in terms of college admissions. GPA is much more important than 4 years on the baseball team or whatever. Kids play club sports that don't have grueling travel schedules and focus on academics.

But we seem to be the minority. I'm baffled by the number of people I know whose kids spent 30+ hours a week around sports in HS. Very few will be recruited anywhere attractive and even among those who are, it's not uncommon to lose interest, get injured, etc and ultimately you may be stuck at a school that wouldn't have been optimal without the team aspect. I really think there is some kind of mania/obsession that sets in and skews perspectives.

You do realize that some high school kids actually ENJOY their sports, don’t you? Some of them play for love of the game, not because mommy is angling for a leg up in the college admissions process…

PP here, I don't disagree that many kids love playing sports, including mine. I have a HS junior who plays two sports every chance he gets including and beyond his club team. But he didn't go out for HS teams that required 5 days/week practice. And on days like today when he has a lot of schoolwork, he skips the practice or the pickup game to focus on his studies.

Maybe there are kids that can juggle daily sports practice plus multiple APs and still get straight As and volunteer and read for fun. I didn't see that working out well for my kids at 14yo. Prioritizing academics worked out very well for my older kid who is in college; his friends who were recruited for their sports are all at lower tier schools. They'll all be fine in the end, and if the sport is that important to you or your kid, make your own choices. But personally I'm glad we prioritized academics and I'm still a little surprised that more families don't do the same.

None of that is necessary, either. I hope your kids don’t resent you when they’re adults looking back on what you took away from them (sorry, you only “discouraged” them).

All because you’re status obsessed and want to brag to your acquaintances about what “tier” of college they attended…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who doesn’t have sports on the application? Almost all high school students do at least one sport.

There are dozens of schools that make it to state every year. You are not going to stand out unless you have something special.

That’s mathematically impossible

I mean, there’s 50 state champions every year. Multiply 50 by number of sports & number of kids on those teams, it’s a lot of “state champions” applying every year.

Bottom line: do sports because you enjoy it, not for some edge for college apps. If doing multiple sports or doing a sport year round means that you don’t feel like you’re prepared for college/college apps (grades suffer bc lack of study time or don’t have time to study for SAT), then you can consider dropping a sport or dropping down a level.

But sports are a choice. Travel or year round is a choice. Don’t act otherwise.

That number is still a small fraction compared to the total high school population

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the other thread about cuts, everyone mentioned how you many kids on travel teams since 8 don’t pass freshman tryouts in high school. Even if your kid is lucky enough to make varsity, it doesn’t matter much for admissions. It’s just crazy when it’s so hard to make the high school team

If only some other sport existed besides soccer.

It's every sport, not just soccer. Basketball, tennis, volleyball, even fencing!! I think only Track & Field and Cross Country are no cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the other thread about cuts, everyone mentioned how you many kids on travel teams since 8 don’t pass freshman tryouts in high school. Even if your kid is lucky enough to make varsity, it doesn’t matter much for admissions. It’s just crazy when it’s so hard to make the high school team

I think there's an overemphasis on organized sports in American culture. I think it should be more about exercise, free play and connecting socially. Instead it's become a treadmill of keeping up with the Joneses and rushing to join leagues, club and varsity teams and have to do a relentless schedule of mandatory practices, games and meets that feels like a job without pay. All to show your "commitment" to the team. We've lost the plot.

+100

Its crazy. When they were young, my kids weren't developmentally ready for travel leagues - too much commitment for them (and frankly us parents too). They did rec team sports and it was good! As they got older - and became more engaged in sports - they didnt have the skills for MS or HS teams. And the rec team rosters dwindled as kids like them found other activities. So its been hard for them to participate. Its a shame because I do think sports are valuable for teens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We actively discouraged HS sports for our two sons. Way too much time for any meaningful payoff in terms of college admissions. GPA is much more important than 4 years on the baseball team or whatever. Kids play club sports that don't have grueling travel schedules and focus on academics.

But we seem to be the minority. I'm baffled by the number of people I know whose kids spent 30+ hours a week around sports in HS. Very few will be recruited anywhere attractive and even among those who are, it's not uncommon to lose interest, get injured, etc and ultimately you may be stuck at a school that wouldn't have been optimal without the team aspect. I really think there is some kind of mania/obsession that sets in and skews perspectives.

Colleges get that sports take a lot of time. They are impressed by kids who can excel academically while devoting so much time to a non-academic pursuit. They know that the kid who did sports had to work much harder and be more efficient and organized than the kid who studied and only did academic-related extracurriculars.

Keep telling yourself that! Most colleges pay much more attention to grades and stats. No one is giving extra points to a candidate for sports practice.

What is your source for these claims?

I believe it depends on who's applying from your kid's HS to which university.

Anecdotally, my kid's HS classmate was accepted to Ivy, and my kid was not. Same cultural & gender demographic, similar high academic rigor, and similar high grades. Same Ivy.

My kid had ECs, but other kid was a multisport athlete including being a captain.

Regardless of admissions, sports have been great for my younger child who's a multi-sport athlete. Fun, exercise, teamwork, and feeling sleepy earlier!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the other thread about cuts, everyone mentioned how you many kids on travel teams since 8 don’t pass freshman tryouts in high school. Even if your kid is lucky enough to make varsity, it doesn’t matter much for admissions. It’s just crazy when it’s so hard to make the high school team

If only some other sport existed besides soccer.

It's every sport, not just soccer. Basketball, tennis, volleyball, even fencing!! I think only Track & Field and Cross Country are no cut.

I don't know about volleyball but for most sports, athletic talent is fed via IMG Academy to D1 programs, whether it's basketball, tennis, golf, baseball or whatever. That pipeline is super strong. There are lacrosse and field hockey recruits, though the issue there is that a ton of high schoolers are playing those sports and it's tough to get recognized if the team isn't tier 1 in their district/region. You then have to hope for a scout to attend the championship games and see your kid as the stand out player. And, then there's crew and fencing--statistically the far better sports for recruitment opportunities ... but a lot of kids simply don't enjoy either so the draw isn't as great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the other thread about cuts, everyone mentioned how you many kids on travel teams since 8 don’t pass freshman tryouts in high school. Even if your kid is lucky enough to make varsity, it doesn’t matter much for admissions. It’s just crazy when it’s so hard to make the high school team

If only some other sport existed besides soccer.

It's every sport, not just soccer. Basketball, tennis, volleyball, even fencing!! I think only Track & Field and Cross Country are no cut.

I don't know about volleyball but for most sports, athletic talent is fed via IMG Academy to D1 programs, whether it's basketball, tennis, golf, baseball or whatever. That pipeline is super strong. There are lacrosse and field hockey recruits, though the issue there is that a ton of high schoolers are playing those sports and it's tough to get recognized if the team isn't tier 1 in their district/region. You then have to hope for a scout to attend the championship games and see your kid as the stand out player. And, then there's crew and fencing--statistically the far better sports for recruitment opportunities ... but a lot of kids simply don't enjoy either so the draw isn't as great.

IMG is a drop in the bucket. What are you even talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the other thread about cuts, everyone mentioned how you many kids on travel teams since 8 don’t pass freshman tryouts in high school. Even if your kid is lucky enough to make varsity, it doesn’t matter much for admissions. It’s just crazy when it’s so hard to make the high school team

If only some other sport existed besides soccer.

It's every sport, not just soccer. Basketball, tennis, volleyball, even fencing!! I think only Track & Field and Cross Country are no cut.

I don't know about volleyball but for most sports, athletic talent is fed via IMG Academy to D1 programs, whether it's basketball, tennis, golf, baseball or whatever. That pipeline is super strong. There are lacrosse and field hockey recruits, though the issue there is that a ton of high schoolers are playing those sports and it's tough to get recognized if the team isn't tier 1 in their district/region. You then have to hope for a scout to attend the championship games and see your kid as the stand out player. And, then there's crew and fencing--statistically the far better sports for recruitment opportunities ... but a lot of kids simply don't enjoy either so the draw isn't as great.

IMG is a drop in the bucket. What are you even talking about?

1400 students total and many end up D3 as well…it’s $90k a year and they give few scholarships. They do have A teams that produce top D1 players and future pros…but they need to sell the dream to tons of rich kids who will never play D1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is frustrating when the time commitment is enormous. I would hope that schools would give some "credit" to a kid who plays a varsity sport and manages to do well academically because that type of work ethic will get them far in life, even if it may not help with college admissions.

Ahem. My non-athletic kid also has a good work ethic, mind you. 🙄

Athletics are one way that a kid can show work ethic and the ability to handle a large workload and changing schedule. Colleges like that. The very top colleges might want more than that, but it’s a great start

But athletics are just one way. Kids can show work ethic and the ability to manage a challenging schedule. They can do so through theater or music or robotics or a part time job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We actively discouraged HS sports for our two sons. Way too much time for any meaningful payoff in terms of college admissions. GPA is much more important than 4 years on the baseball team or whatever. Kids play club sports that don't have grueling travel schedules and focus on academics.

But we seem to be the minority. I'm baffled by the number of people I know whose kids spent 30+ hours a week around sports in HS. Very few will be recruited anywhere attractive and even among those who are, it's not uncommon to lose interest, get injured, etc and ultimately you may be stuck at a school that wouldn't have been optimal without the team aspect. I really think there is some kind of mania/obsession that sets in and skews perspectives.

Colleges get that sports take a lot of time. They are impressed by kids who can excel academically while devoting so much time to a non-academic pursuit. They know that the kid who did sports had to work much harder and be more efficient and organized than the kid who studied and only did academic-related extracurriculars.

Keep telling yourself that! Most colleges pay much more attention to grades and stats. No one is giving extra points to a candidate for sports practice.

What is your source for these claims?

I believe it depends on who's applying from your kid's HS to which university.

Anecdotally, my kid's HS classmate was accepted to Ivy, and my kid was not. Same cultural & gender demographic, similar high academic rigor, and similar high grades. Same Ivy.

My kid had ECs, but other kid was a multisport athlete including being a captain.

Regardless of admissions, sports have been great for my younger child who's a multi-sport athlete. Fun, exercise, teamwork, and feeling sleepy earlier!

That’s anecdotal. I know plenty of multisport students who get denied from the Ivys

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the other thread about cuts, everyone mentioned how you many kids on travel teams since 8 don’t pass freshman tryouts in high school. Even if your kid is lucky enough to make varsity, it doesn’t matter much for admissions. It’s just crazy when it’s so hard to make the high school team

I think there's an overemphasis on organized sports in American culture. I think it should be more about exercise, free play and connecting socially. Instead it's become a treadmill of keeping up with the Joneses and rushing to join leagues, club and varsity teams and have to do a relentless schedule of mandatory practices, games and meets that feels like a job without pay. All to show your "commitment" to the team. We've lost the plot.

+100

Its crazy. When they were young, my kids weren't developmentally ready for travel leagues - too much commitment for them (and frankly us parents too). They did rec team sports and it was good! As they got older - and became more engaged in sports - they didnt have the skills for MS or HS teams. And the rec team rosters dwindled as kids like them found other activities. So its been hard for them to participate. Its a shame because I do think sports are valuable for teens.

Exactly. Plus, kids on travel teams use rec teams for practice. They overshadow regular kids who just want to play. They can be the best players on the team and it's not even their real team.