Sporty families bragging about offers and committing to awful colleges in the middle of nowhere?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 2 very athletic children, 1 not so sporty, and the 1 athletes eventually went D1, could have easily done D3.

By proximity we have a very large amount of friends who are in the same situation.

One thing I learned going through the process is that parents with non-sporty kids can not contain their jealousy.

Each of us tries our hardest to only talk to each other about the commitment process and playing in college. Our true friends are happy for us and a few just very nice wonderful people, but generally there is a ton of vitriol around athletic recruits.

I advise parents of up and coming athletes to only talk to parents in a similar situation and every time they branch out, they feel the hate.

That may not be jealousy. They could be waiting for a chance to change the subject. I've seen this from the outside because I married/had kids late. When I was single my friends/cousins had kids in sports and some not in sports. The ones with kids in sports talked about their kids' sports nonstop. I know a lot about team/coach politics, but I enjoyed hearing it. I'm not sure if my kids will do sports or not, but all the kids are turning out great, so cool either way.

Not in my experience. It usually a simple answer to a question.

So where is Larlo applying to college?
Maryland
Oh and where else?
Just Maryland, he committed for X
Evil stares and rude comments follow .. really college park is such a dump he should apply around to see if he can find a better school. (Actually heard that) or ... be prepared for him to marry a girl from New Jersey ... um okay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Student athletes bring a lot to the table in addition to academics, to say nothing of the fact that everything they achieve academically is done while they are spending hours every day in a non-academic pursuit. They tend to be highly efficient and organized and get a lot done in the time they have available. Colleges recognize these abilities and want these students at their institutions.

It’s possible that people who are not athletic and don’t have the experience of being intensely involved in an athletic activity find it difficult to understand why colleges value athletes and thus are perturbed by seeing those kids get spots they think the kids don’t “deserve.”

Your post assumes an awful lot about other people’s’ kids. How do you know others aren’t “intensely involved” in non-athletic pursuits. I appreciate that athletes have to work hard and fit in athletics and academics, but that is no different than a musician, artist, or activist that spends the same amount of hours in their pursuits. I think we overvalue athletics. They have a value, but no more than any pursuit that is similarly intense—and there are others.

All those things you mentioned are also hooks.

I know tons of kids with music hooks, one for theater and 1 for dance.

I think most people are just not as jealous over those hooks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Student athletes bring a lot to the table in addition to academics, to say nothing of the fact that everything they achieve academically is done while they are spending hours every day in a non-academic pursuit. They tend to be highly efficient and organized and get a lot done in the time they have available. Colleges recognize these abilities and want these students at their institutions.

It’s possible that people who are not athletic and don’t have the experience of being intensely involved in an athletic activity find it difficult to understand why colleges value athletes and thus are perturbed by seeing those kids get spots they think the kids don’t “deserve.”

Your post assumes an awful lot about other people’s’ kids. How do you know others aren’t “intensely involved” in non-athletic pursuits. I appreciate that athletes have to work hard and fit in athletics and academics, but that is no different than a musician, artist, or activist that spends the same amount of hours in their pursuits. I think we overvalue athletics. They have a value, but no more than any pursuit that is similarly intense—and there are others.

All those things you mentioned are also hooks.

I know tons of kids with music hooks, one for theater and 1 for dance.

I think most people are just not as jealous over those hooks.

Because they aren’t hooks.

[Anonymous]

If an awful college in the middle of nowhere accepts my kid and he can graduate debt free, hell yeah I'm celebrating.

[Anonymous]

I can't speak for all sports, but football brings money in... it's why they often overlook grades for skills on the field
https://www.businessinsider.com/college-sports-football-revenue-2017-10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Student athletes bring a lot to the table in addition to academics, to say nothing of the fact that everything they achieve academically is done while they are spending hours every day in a non-academic pursuit. They tend to be highly efficient and organized and get a lot done in the time they have available. Colleges recognize these abilities and want these students at their institutions.

It’s possible that people who are not athletic and don’t have the experience of being intensely involved in an athletic activity find it difficult to understand why colleges value athletes and thus are perturbed by seeing those kids get spots they think the kids don’t “deserve.”

Your post assumes an awful lot about other people’s’ kids. How do you know others aren’t “intensely involved” in non-athletic pursuits. I appreciate that athletes have to work hard and fit in athletics and academics, but that is no different than a musician, artist, or activist that spends the same amount of hours in their pursuits. I think we overvalue athletics. They have a value, but no more than any pursuit that is similarly intense—and there are others.

All those things you mentioned are also hooks.

I know tons of kids with music hooks, one for theater and 1 for dance.

I think most people are just not as jealous over those hooks.

Because they aren’t hooks.

Yes. They are hooks. Colleges need to fill their marching band or orchestra.

[Anonymous]

Some of you need to get over it. Awesome if you want your kid to go to some elite school but how do you even have time to worry or care about where rando friend’s little Larlo goes. Similarly, no one else cares where your kid ends up. People post more nonsense on social media than their kids college choice. GTFOI

[Anonymous]

OP, you sound like a snoot. Who cares? A friend of mine played D3 at a good school and is a productive member of society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Student athletes bring a lot to the table in addition to academics, to say nothing of the fact that everything they achieve academically is done while they are spending hours every day in a non-academic pursuit. They tend to be highly efficient and organized and get a lot done in the time they have available. Colleges recognize these abilities and want these students at their institutions.

It’s possible that people who are not athletic and don’t have the experience of being intensely involved in an athletic activity find it difficult to understand why colleges value athletes and thus are perturbed by seeing those kids get spots they think the kids don’t “deserve.”

Your post assumes an awful lot about other people’s’ kids. How do you know others aren’t “intensely involved” in non-athletic pursuits. I appreciate that athletes have to work hard and fit in athletics and academics, but that is no different than a musician, artist, or activist that spends the same amount of hours in their pursuits. I think we overvalue athletics. They have a value, but no more than any pursuit that is similarly intense—and there are others.

All those things you mentioned are also hooks.

I know tons of kids with music hooks, one for theater and 1 for dance.

I think most people are just not as jealous over those hooks.

Because they aren’t hooks.

Yes. They are hooks. Colleges need to fill their marching band or orchestra.

DP, but no, those are not “hooks” as the term is used for college admissions purposes. Possessing abilities in those areas may be a positive for your application, but it will not give you the sort of close to automatic admission that qualified kids with actual hooks (recruited athletes, URMs, and large donors, for example) get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Student athletes bring a lot to the table in addition to academics, to say nothing of the fact that everything they achieve academically is done while they are spending hours every day in a non-academic pursuit. They tend to be highly efficient and organized and get a lot done in the time they have available. Colleges recognize these abilities and want these students at their institutions.

It’s possible that people who are not athletic and don’t have the experience of being intensely involved in an athletic activity find it difficult to understand why colleges value athletes and thus are perturbed by seeing those kids get spots they think the kids don’t “deserve.”

Your post assumes an awful lot about other people’s’ kids. How do you know others aren’t “intensely involved” in non-athletic pursuits. I appreciate that athletes have to work hard and fit in athletics and academics, but that is no different than a musician, artist, or activist that spends the same amount of hours in their pursuits. I think we overvalue athletics. They have a value, but no more than any pursuit that is similarly intense—and there are others.

All those things you mentioned are also hooks.

I know tons of kids with music hooks, one for theater and 1 for dance.

I think most people are just not as jealous over those hooks.

Because they aren’t hooks.

Yes. They are hooks. Colleges need to fill their marching band or orchestra.

DP, but no, those are not “hooks” as the term is used for college admissions purposes. Possessing abilities in those areas may be a positive for your application, but it will not give you the sort of close to automatic admission that qualified kids with actual hooks (recruited athletes, URMs, and large donors, for example) get.

Some kids get recruited for instruments. There is no signing day so you don’t know about it. They are also expected to play for the school, for top universities/non-ivy, they have merit $$ attached to their commitment to play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If an awful college in the middle of nowhere accepts my kid and he can graduate debt free, hell yeah I'm celebrating.

No awful college is giving your kid a full ride due to athletics. And if the college is awful, they probably won’t have the degree they need

[Anonymous]

People here are dumb. I’m pretty sure if a kid grads from alabama or ole miss after playing football there, wayyyyyyyyy more doors will be opened than some a normal grad from UVA.

[Anonymous]

OP is just flat out a jerk. Parents all brag about their kids. You love them and you are proud of them! Especially when they are about to go off to college. And maybe the kid likes to play sports. The negativity you have is about you, not the braggy parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is just flat out a jerk. Parents all brag about their kids. You love them and you are proud of them! Especially when they are about to go off to college. And maybe the kid likes to play sports. The negativity you have is about you, not the braggy parent.

+100

Also, the flip side of elite schools being harder to gain admission to is non-elite schools getting a lot of great kids. And there are many D3 schools that aren’t super well known (no name to some people) that are very respectable and a fantastic fit for some great kids who will thrive as bigger fish in smaller ponds: Sewanee, Kalamazoo, Hampden-Sydney, F&M, Oberlin, Denison, Conn. College, to name a few. Basically, if your skill at a sport becomes a hook that helps you gain admission to a school that would otherwise turn you down, then that is an enviable/impressive accomplishment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 2 very athletic children, 1 not so sporty, and the 1 athletes eventually went D1, could have easily done D3.

By proximity we have a very large amount of friends who are in the same situation.

One thing I learned going through the process is that parents with non-sporty kids can not contain their jealousy.

Each of us tries our hardest to only talk to each other about the commitment process and playing in college. Our true friends are happy for us and a few just very nice wonderful people, but generally there is a ton of vitriol around athletic recruits.

I advise parents of up and coming athletes to only talk to parents in a similar situation and every time they branch out, they feel the hate.

That may not be jealousy. They could be waiting for a chance to change the subject. I've seen this from the outside because I married/had kids late. When I was single my friends/cousins had kids in sports and some not in sports. The ones with kids in sports talked about their kids' sports nonstop. I know a lot about team/coach politics, but I enjoyed hearing it. I'm not sure if my kids will do sports or not, but all the kids are turning out great, so cool either way.

Not in my experience. It usually a simple answer to a question.

So where is Larlo applying to college?
Maryland
Oh and where else?
Just Maryland, he committed for X
Evil stares and rude comments follow .. really college park is such a dump he should apply around to see if he can find a better school. (Actually heard that) or ... be prepared for him to marry a girl from New Jersey ... um okay

So dumb. Maryland is excellent. Congratulations to your son!