What happens when a person stops organized sports in college?

[Anonymous]

DD has always played soccer and basketball and was a varsity MVP/captain in both sports. She never tried to get recruited (said she wasn’t good enough) and has no intention of playing in college.

Neither DH nor I were high school athletes nor were our close friends so I have no idea if DD is going to miss it or not. But sports have been such a part of her identity and social life that I’m concerned.

I know - not my business - but just wondering how others kids did who dropped sport.

[Anonymous]

Can she play at the club level? Does she have other activities that she enjoys?

[Anonymous]

Depending, maybe DD might like to continue her sport via intramurals? Or peruse personal fitness and do something entirely different.

My DS is an upcoming college freshman and former basketball player and has already checked out his future college’s fitness center and basketball courts.

[Anonymous]

Do some other exercise related activity?

[Anonymous]

The vast majority of high school athletes drop their team sport in college. DS was a three sport athlete in Hs and played intramural DS for fun in college and found a sort of team camaraderie by joining a frat.

I worried at first too but he knew what he wanted.

[Anonymous]

Nothing. DD said "I don't know how to fill up all this free time I have!" and we laughed and talked about filling it with negative things (partying) or positive things (studying, clubs, jobs, volunteering, making good friends, etc.). Then she started looking at what the other kids in her dorm did when they weren't in class and tried out things until she found what worked for her. I mostly stayed out of it except for that initial phone call about it.

She'd been a swimmer, then decided to quit for college. Took up yoga and weight room, then over a year later went to swim laps to de-stress about midterms and now swims for fun.

[Anonymous]

What happens? Sweet relief!

[Anonymous]

I have a less optimistic anecdote to share. I really lost my way once I got to college and didn’t have the structure to my schedule or social life that a sport provided. I was at a smallish school with a relatively large proportion of athletes and I felt a keen loss of status as well. I knew who I was in high school, but at my competitive university, I wasn’t anything. I also wasn’t good enough at another activity (newspaper, debate, theater, music, etc) to find an extracurricular that satisfied my need for a big commitment. I volunteered here and there and got campus jobs, but I would have been happier had I realized that I should have gone to a larger school where plenty of people did no extracurriculars or a smaller school that would have been happy to have me on their team.

I think your DD’s experience will depend on the size and competitiveness of her school and how social she is, but I hope she will thrive and find new places to put her energy!

[Anonymous]

I played as a kid and all though HS. I tried club in college but it didn’t last long. Nothing happened. I had a regular college experience. I exercised on my own at times, other times not as much, and never once missed the sport. I know some from HS who still play recreational as adults. I don’t have any interest now either.

[Anonymous]

Playing a varsity sport in college is like working full time and then being a student. Kid should pick up other things - club sports, other types of clubs, student paper, student gov, etc. etc. etc. Or a part time job.

[Anonymous]

Club or intermurals or pivot to doing another sport for fun like coed soccer/volleyball

Some kids get too busy in college to stay healthy though especially if the rush.

She might just become a couch potato like most kids and go to school, study too much and drink alcohol/Starbucks.

[Anonymous]

Intramurals.

[Anonymous]

Most of the friends I knew played intramural. It was probably a case of just signing up with friends. It was fun/social and zero pressure.

[Anonymous]

Club or intermurals. My son was a very serious athlete in high school who went to a school that didn't have his sport. We were worried he'd really miss it, but it's been fine. He does the sport very casually at the club level and works out at the gym a lot. Honestly, he's enjoyed having more time to explore other parts of his identity.

[Anonymous]

I would strongly suggest she finds a new exercise routine. It can be different than what she did, but to keep it up. I stopped my freshman year of college than suffered through an awful two week long insomnia. It took the school psychologist asking me about my life before and what had changed to figure out I hadn’t exercised in two weeks. Intramural can be great but having that everyday, especially if that’s what you’re used to, is so important. I took up running and aerobics after years of basketball and field hockey. It was great.