Any advice for deciding between two sports? HS edition.

[Anonymous]

I have HS sophomore and this child is deciding what to do between two sports and it is hard.

Sport A has played a long time, loves team, has great coaches and could play Division 3.

Sport B was something they picked up in MS. Very successful. Doesn't love it but has a rare talent. Coaches stink. Team is meh. Could attend Division 1 school.

Other factors: do they want to play a sport in college? playing sport A could lead to an injury and impact sport B.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is meh on a sport, take the D1 possibility off the table. You need to love the sport to play D1. Lean into the good things about sport A and let the glimmer of “could be” for sport B fade.

[Anonymous]

Does student have an idea of what type college (small LAC, large state uni,etc) or will sport be bigger influencer on college choice? Agree with advice to follow passion - even if it means playing at D3 or club level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is meh on a sport, take the D1 possibility off the table. You need to love the sport to play D1. Lean into the good things about sport A and let the glimmer of “could be” for sport B fade.

Completely agree with this. At the D1 level, everyone has the talent-- talent without passion will be miserable.

[Anonymous]

Wut sports

[Anonymous]

Do you have the money for them to go to college without a sport?

If it's a situation where you need a ton of aid, and Sport B might get them a scholarship, or might get them into a school that meets full need no loans, then I could see pursuing that. But otherwise, they should play what they love.

[Anonymous]

As the parent of an athlete who just finished the recruiting process, I would take this assessment of being able to play D1 and D3 with a grain of salt. Things changed drastically this year in so many sports with the roster changes, and a kid who would have easily found a home in D1 in previous years might be in an entirely different position now. Nobody has any idea how this will play out for 2028s.

Have them play the sport they want to play, period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of an athlete who just finished the recruiting process, I would take this assessment of being able to play D1 and D3 with a grain of salt. Things changed drastically this year in so many sports with the roster changes, and a kid who would have easily found a home in D1 in previous years might be in an entirely different position now. Nobody has any idea how this will play out for 2028s.

Have them play the sport they want to play, period.

This. Plus some kids peak early, or get injured in or out of their sport, or lose interest. Playing at the college level is not a guarantee. Don’t base your choices on it.

[Anonymous]

What are the sports?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the sports?

Basket weaving and rowing

[Anonymous]

Sport A. Playing a sport they don't like with a coach they don't like, all for the possibility of continuing to play a sport they don't like in college is nuts.

[Anonymous]

Be careful with sports, assuming a D1 scholarship or even D3. My cousin's son was a starter on the state champion football team in Texas in the largest division and didn't even get offers. You might be surprised how much harder it is than you think. Unless he actually has offers do not assume anything.

[Anonymous]

It’s all a pipe dream

[Anonymous]

Do not go with a "meh" sport. A good life lesson is that just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD. D1 is a grind and many college athletes quit. If he's already "meh" about it, he's not likely to go the distance.

[Anonymous]

Why does D1 matter to you? Like seriously- b/c its more "elite", scholarship $, what is it? What are your priorities here?