Best Private School Sports for College Admissions?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
We are just starting out in private in late elementary, and both DS and DD are athletic and enjoy many different sports and activities. In order to try to narrow down their list of activities, we are hoping to pick just one or two (they need to focus more on homework!), so I am wondering what athletic programs, if any, are more desirable for college admissions prospects, if a kid is really quite good. Soccer? Lacrosse? Field Hockey? Swimming/water polo? Sailing? Crew? Right now DS is a a good (not great) soccer player, but really wants to try lacrosse. DD is actually really good at soccer, but wants to try field hockey.
Just curious what other parents think! Thanks! |
Anonymous
|
I have a great suggestion. Why don't you let your son who wants to play soccer, play soccer. And let your daughter who wants to play field hockey, play field hockey. Its really that simple.
Unless you are a troll, which is possible, you need to figure out soon that you can't make every decision about your kids revolve around colleges. You can really do a lot of damage that way, especially if they are young. Not to mention, when you tell a kid who wants to play field hockey that she has to play soccer cause it will get her into college (something that is actually quite unlikely to happen), you are really depriving her of an essential quality of childhood -- being able to play what you want to play. I hope you are a troll. |
Anonymous
I don't want to flame you, but it's actually pretty hard these days to get a college slot for sports given the growing amount of female high school athletes who have specialized in sports from a young age. Even at a good Division III program you are talking about kids who are all-star caliber, and for Division I programs think All-State (or All-Met, in this area) level of ability. Many sports are now VERY club focused as well. A few thoughts: There's a glut of soccer athletes. Not many opportunities there except for superstars. If your kids will be 6 footers and broad shouldered, try crew. Otherwise they're not as interested in shorter people. Lacrosse is growing fast but is good in this area so if your daughter takes to it she could get good competition and improve quickly. It is also a sport that can be picked up at the age of your kids (don't have to start with lessons at age 3). She needs to be FAST, and for Division I lacrosse she would need to be FAST and BIG as well as super coordinated. Field hockey -- there are actually a fair amount of college programs and not as many HS programs as for soccer. Late elementary is a little late for field hockey hotbeds like Philadelphia but pretty early for this area so if she takes to it, does club, and gets really good, playing in college (statistically more likely Division III than Division I) is a good possibility. Swimming is for superstars. |
Anonymous
I posted the above before adding -- the odds of playing in college are, in the end, pretty long. The kids should play what they enjoy, and let the college chips fall where they may. Good luck. |
Anonymous
Are you serious? 
|
Anonymous
| My son played lacrosse at a division 3 Virginia university. |
Anonymous
| I wish this were a troll, but, as the parent of 3 high school athletes -- 2 of whom went on to play in college-- , I've had parents of younger kids ask me the same type of question. Here's what I tell them -- let your kid play whichever sport s/he wants to and don't think for a second about college admissions. Over the years, we've seen many kids whose parents believed that sports would give their kids an edge in admissions be very disappointed when it turned out that the kid wasn't good enough, or was injured, or burned out, or didn't like the school that was recruiting him or her. That said, playing a sport is great if your kid really loves it and benefits in terms of learning discipline, teamwork and resilience; even better, if s/he becomes a team captain and has the opportunity to develop leadership skills. All 3 of our kids benefited tremendously in this sense, but the surprise for us was that our youngest and best athlete decided against playing at a D1 school because she chose a major that is completely incompatible with varsity sports. Similarly, our middle kid switched from varsity to club at a D1 school so he could focus on academics and an academically-related activitity that he loves. Only the oldest, who went D3, stayed with sports for all 4 years. And, honestly, he would have gotten into that school without being recruited. |
Anonymous
|
Exactly pp. I don't think people get that in order for "sports to count" for college admissions/preference, the kid has to be good enough to be recruited.
So, if I advised someone solely on their desire to be recruited, I would say too many kids play soccer...you have to be really good. Basketball -- really tall and fast. Football...go to a public school or large Catholic school (like DeMatha). For crew -- there are 2 categories. (someone gave incorrect information earlier). 1. Heavy weight/ Openweight 2. Light weight |
Anonymous
| Squash. My DH grew up in a squash "hotbed" and many of the kids at his school and neighboring schools got into Ivy League schools by playing. |
Anonymous
| I think a lot of people have the same mindset as OP and it's sad. Let your kid play whatever sport they want to. If they don't want to play sports and have other interests let them go with it. I was a swimmer recruited by many D1 schools and went to a college I didn't deserve to attend academically. I do not want this for my children. The pressure I felt in high school was horrible and I think had some negative long term impacts. |
Anonymous
| Lots of thoughtful replies and I agree with most. I played a sport for a Div 1 school eons ago and all three of my children were recruited for sports and actually played for their colleges (two D3-AWS, one Ivy). Only one, the football player, was recruited through his HS. The other two were recruited from their club teams. For most sports, the college recruiting is done via clubs. All three got into schools that would have been reaches otherwise, and contrary to one of the above posters, thrived in their environments. I agree that you will see which sport your children will do best in over time. It is interesting to me, that for each of my kids, their friends/competitors who were great in a sport at age 6- 12, often did not continue or do that sport at college ( burn-out, injury, etc.) |
Anonymous
| Read that several year old, several thousand post-long DCUM thread on the Private School forum regarding a Lacrosse Insider. That will answer your question. |
Anonymous
| as PPs have said, only a small number of elite athletes play sports in college, and the smallest number of elite athletes are actually 'recruited' for a sport in college. BUT lots of colleges look to see if kids have activities and are well rounded in activities when they apply. (some colleges without strong athletics have teams an above average but not stellar athletic kid might be able to play on in school, but it's a non-factor in their admissions). A lot of the 'action' around sports is via club teams and not school teams - depending on the sport and the school and the club. I know many parents who invested huge amounts of time and resource in 'developing' their kids in sports and travel teams etc - but never make a college team - but the kids have may still end up having fun participating in club teams when they get there or have a lifelong sense of staying active/healthy. So having her just participate in something she likes and where she can make friends and feel healthy -- while you get a 'check' on your applications for having some activity. |
Anonymous
| Crew, water polo, fencing, squash. |
Anonymous
| yes -- exactly pp. Ours would have never gone to a top Ivy w/o crew. Tool many smart kids in this area to choose from. |