If you're a reasonably strong athlete, what's the easiest recruited sport to play in college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like Crew. I know a group of girls who did crew at an Ivy and didn't seem like they started before middle school, nor that they were as intense about their sport as other college athletes

Very few younger kids would have the strength to row before middle school. And the equipment is so expensive most clubs wouldn’t provide to them sufficient access. Our town has a team/water front facility and multiple boats and we don’t provide for any rec courses before 7th grade.

I’ve got a 5’9” 12 year old girl that I’m begging to just give it a shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems like Crew. I know a group of girls who did crew at an Ivy and didn't seem like they started before middle school, nor that they were as intense about their sport as other college athletes

As a girl, to be recruited for an Ivy, you need to be very fast on the erg (rowing machine).

And all of the top rowing schools are looking for tall girls. In some cases 5’10 and above.

Coxswain for the shorties

[Anonymous]

If you are under 110lbs, learn how to be a crew in sailing (NOT crew, but the second person in a double handed handed boat). A couple of years of high school sailing experience will open a ton of doors. Skippers are a very different story, but often top college crews have never set foot in a boat before college, so to have some experience, and be small and athletic, is a huge advantage.

[Anonymous]

When you say that you are recruited to play in college, do you mean scholarships? or just play on the team?

Rowing: No mens scholarships....it isn't a NCAA sport. Womens rowing is easier than most other sports, but there are fewer total teams. Unlike most other sports, there are very few D2 teams. And the best D3 teams are much better than the weakest D1 teams. The strong D1 teams pretty much require rowers to be over 5'8 or 5'9 with 7:45 or better 2K times...even then the majority will not get even partial scholarships. Someone mentioned coxswains for shorter kids, but very few if any coxswains get scholarships. And it doesn't really help to be athletic....it's a leadership, strategy and steering position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Golf

Impossibly hard for men. Only 600ish total programs from D1-D3 and each roster is only 10 or so. Only 2 of those 10 graduate year in/year out. Translation: you will need to be in the top 1200-1500 players under 18 years old on earth to play collegiate men's golf. Much easier for girls but easier to pick up lacrosse and play D3 than learn golf if you've never played. It's easier right now to play D1 football than D1 golf, actually.

Okay. I'm sorry your country club golf son wasn't athletic enough to play team sports, but come on. Just stop with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When you say that you are recruited to play in college, do you mean scholarships? or just play on the team?

Rowing: No mens scholarships....it isn't a NCAA sport. Womens rowing is easier than most other sports, but there are fewer total teams. Unlike most other sports, there are very few D2 teams. And the best D3 teams are much better than the weakest D1 teams. The strong D1 teams pretty much require rowers to be over 5'8 or 5'9 with 7:45 or better 2K times...even then the majority will not get even partial scholarships. Someone mentioned coxswains for shorter kids, but very few if any coxswains get scholarships. And it doesn't really help to be athletic....it's a leadership, strategy and steering position.

Men’s rowing is not NCAA, but there absolutely is recruiting and at some schools scholarships.

[Anonymous]

For men, the hardest D1 sport to be recruited for is basketball. The level of competition is insane. Plus you really need to be above 6'4 at least.

Easiest, if you have the height, is crew. Some discipline and basic athleticism will get you on a boat if you are tall.

I don't know about girls. I'd think a tall strong girl with some discipline would get on crew pretty easily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Golf

My son is going to play D3 baseball (already committed) but he is injured at the moment. He picked up golf this summer while he heals and loves it and practices obsessively, since he can’t practice baseball. I asked him if his injury doesn’t heal fully would he consider switching to golf in college? He laughed at me and explained the math of how few male golfers can make collegiate teams.

I had no idea!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are under 110lbs, learn how to be a crew in sailing (NOT crew, but the second person in a double handed handed boat). A couple of years of high school sailing experience will open a ton of doors. Skippers are a very different story, but often top college crews have never set foot in a boat before college, so to have some experience, and be small and athletic, is a huge advantage.

Sailing is not an official NCAA sport. The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) is the governing authority for sailing competition at colleges and universities throughout the United States and does not allow competitors to receive scholarships or financial aid based on sailing ability

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Golf

My son is going to play D3 baseball (already committed) but he is injured at the moment. He picked up golf this summer while he heals and loves it and practices obsessively, since he can’t practice baseball. I asked him if his injury doesn’t heal fully would he consider switching to golf in college? He laughed at me and explained the math of how few male golfers can make collegiate teams.

I had no idea!

+1

My DS is a freshman on the golf team at an Ivy, and there are eight members on the golf team. Golf is probably one of the hardest sports to make the team due to roster size. DS also told me that only he and another member of the team are from a middle-class family, the other six members are from very wealthy families. Those wealthy teammates are nice to DS, but they hang out among themselves after golf, and that DS is not part of their cliques.

[Anonymous]

74:1 odds of making a ncaa d1 roster in golf 155:1 odds of making a ncaa d1 roster in tennis

[Anonymous]

lacrosse - all the top male athletes play other sports - most lacrosse players are average athletes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lacrosse - all the top male athletes play other sports - most lacrosse players are average athletes

Agree with this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:lacrosse - all the top male athletes play other sports - most lacrosse players are average athletes

+1 DMV is a lacrosse center, so reasonably good players here can typically find a home in college lacrosse

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You won’t be recruited if you’re only a reasonably strong athlete looking for an easy sport. There are too many natural talents out there. Just like the naturally brainy kids get Ivy Leagues.

Meh, maybe 50% natural/50% try hard