Daughter is really good (not great) at swimming--should we transition to water polo for college?

[Anonymous]

I’m curious about the daughter’s own interest in this. I’m also really curious about her age. I can’t tell if she’s 6 or 16.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does she want to do water polo?

Winner winner chicken dinner!

[Anonymous]

Is she incredibly aggressive, not mind getting kicked under water, dragged down, her swimsuit grabbed, shoved, pinched? I grew up in CA and played on a girls water polo team. I was an ok swimmer but had two older brothers so I played baseball with them and was used to the tough and tumble. I did much better playing waterpolo than swimming.

[Anonymous]

As someone who knows nothing about water polo beyond what i see on TV, this seems a bit like saying "My kid is good (not great) at track. Should we transition to rubgy for college?" Except in this version of rugby, you may drown. Also, who is "we" here"? Are you going to play, mom?

[Anonymous]

There are SO many more college swim programs than water polo programs, and there are tons of excellent water polo players from the west coast. How good of a swimmer is your DD? AAA? AAAA? What are her college goals? If she's in high school, it's too late to start WP but she may be able to still drop time in swimming. Talk to her coach and maybe work with a personal trainer to try to get her times down assuming she's in reach of the schools she's aiming for.

[Anonymous]

This thread is so depressing. Whatever happened to kids just enjoying sports as an extracurricular activity even if it doesn’t end anywhere? Maybe it’s because I’m an immigrant but I’ll never understand the obsession with getting kids into college sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does she want to do water polo?

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Have you asked her OP? And how old is she?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so depressing. Whatever happened to kids just enjoying sports as an extracurricular activity even if it doesn’t end anywhere? Maybe it’s because I’m an immigrant but I’ll never understand the obsession with getting kids into college sports.

My guess is that it's not so much an obsession with getting kids into college sports -- as it is parents wanting to make their particular kid attractive to a college that otherwise might not be interested in the student. Many schools give admission preferences to legacy kids (who have parents or other family members who attended the school), particularly if the family members have continued to actively and financially support the school. Other preferences are given for special interests, particularly sports. With very popular sports students would have to be very very good to get this kind of attention/preference. So some parents may try to interest (or push) their kids into less popular sports, or, at least what used to be less popular sports, which are often the types of sports that you need a great deal of money to participate in.

tldr: it's less getting the kids into college sports -- and more getting the kids into a college that the parents deem attractive.

[Anonymous]

Do you want her to have an eating disorder? Everyone I know who played water polo in college did/does have an eating disorder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so depressing. Whatever happened to kids just enjoying sports as an extracurricular activity even if it doesn’t end anywhere? Maybe it’s because I’m an immigrant but I’ll never understand the obsession with getting kids into college sports.

My guess is that it's not so much an obsession with getting kids into college sports -- as it is parents wanting to make their particular kid attractive to a college that otherwise might not be interested in the student. Many schools give admission preferences to legacy kids (who have parents or other family members who attended the school), particularly if the family members have continued to actively and financially support the school. Other preferences are given for special interests, particularly sports. With very popular sports students would have to be very very good to get this kind of attention/preference. So some parents may try to interest (or push) their kids into less popular sports, or, at least what used to be less popular sports, which are often the types of sports that you need a great deal of money to participate in.

tldr: it's less getting the kids into college sports -- and more getting the kids into a college that the parents deem attractive.

Thank you for explaining this but it’s still depressing. If a kid participated in a sport long term doesn’t that show commitment already? Doesn’t it show they are well rounded? Is this for top colleges only? Again this is fascinating to me coming from a place where grades and college entrance exam
scores matter most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect women’s hockey, women’s water polo, and women’s field hockey are the “easiest” sports to use for college admissions. I’ve even heard of girls picking up crew (rowing) late in high school and getting offers.

Millions of girls swim, millions of girls play soccer and volleyball. Millions play softball and tennis and you have to do those from an early age and the travel circuit every summer.

It isn’t odd for a girl who already has the swimming skill set to segue into polo.

Don't talk about things you clearly don't know. Really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect women’s hockey, women’s water polo, and women’s field hockey are the “easiest” sports to use for college admissions. I’ve even heard of girls picking up crew (rowing) late in high school and getting offers.

Millions of girls swim, millions of girls play soccer and volleyball. Millions play softball and tennis and you have to do those from an early age and the travel circuit every summer.

It isn’t odd for a girl who already has the swimming skill set to segue into polo.

I rowed in high school and enjoyed it immensely but was not recruited and never tried to have this be an in for college because I’m not extremely tall. One of my tall friends on the team tried to contact an hard to get into school not in this area and they said they had so many people doing the same. She also had excellent grades. Crew was not an advantage but this was a very long time ago and I think it was an Ivy. I rowed for a little bit in college for fun on a club team.

Don’t pressure her to try a sport to get into college. Do it for enjoyment. She can swim for enjoyment and exercise her entire life. I know adults who will row for exercise and fun.

[Anonymous]

Does she want to play a sport in college or just use it for admit? If the latter, Stick with swimming.
Colleges see commitment and leadership in a sport You don’t have to be an Olympian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so depressing. Whatever happened to kids just enjoying sports as an extracurricular activity even if it doesn’t end anywhere? Maybe it’s because I’m an immigrant but I’ll never understand the obsession with getting kids into college sports.

My guess is that it's not so much an obsession with getting kids into college sports -- as it is parents wanting to make their particular kid attractive to a college that otherwise might not be interested in the student. Many schools give admission preferences to legacy kids (who have parents or other family members who attended the school), particularly if the family members have continued to actively and financially support the school. Other preferences are given for special interests, particularly sports. With very popular sports students would have to be very very good to get this kind of attention/preference. So some parents may try to interest (or push) their kids into less popular sports, or, at least what used to be less popular sports, which are often the types of sports that you need a great deal of money to participate in.

tldr: it's less getting the kids into college sports -- and more getting the kids into a college that the parents deem attractive.

Thank you for explaining this but it’s still depressing. If a kid participated in a sport long term doesn’t that show commitment already? Doesn’t it show they are well rounded? Is this for top colleges only? Again this is fascinating to me coming from a place where grades and college entrance exam
scores matter most.

DP. Top colleges want top grades and scores and some kind of top EC achievement too, like nationally ranked or conservatory level musician or pre-pro dancer. Why? Bragging rights? Doesn't make sense to me, and I went to one of these schools, though it was not as competitive when I went to get in. But we have all these parents now shaping their kids' "resumes" from the time they are young to please these colleges. I think we are short-changing our kids, but I can see why parents are just doing what colleges have demonstrated they want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does she enjoy swimming as a sport? If she likes pushing physical limits in the water and camaraderie and the competitive aspect, then have her try water polo and see if she likes it.

If she likes racing the clock and the fact that swimming is an individual sport with no jostling and no favoritism then water polo would be just awful for her.

It is a very rough sport. Watch some underwater video. I moved over to synchro - I was never going to be tall enough to be a top level swimmer.