Alabama takes away sports scholarships if a student is injured and can't play anymore. Where is there sense of honor/commitment/integrity to the student athletes? Is the college an institution of higher learning or is it running a development team for the pros?

None of the Ivy coaches have the ability to make a hard commitment like the semi-pro sports colleges. All those letters and verbal commitments mean nothing but intent. You can't count on an admission decision until you receive a likely letter from the admissions office after you submit your completed application. Your sports participation is just another extracurricular activity that does not affect your financial aid or standing as a student. So if you decide to stop running track or getting up at 4AM for crew is interfering with getting an education, then you stop.

OP, I would focus not so much on the athletics and the honor/integrity question as on the academics. If your son's grades are good, but not great -- and, more importantly, if he's been struggling the past couple of years -- is he going to be able to do well at the Ivy? Regardless of his course of study, these schools are not only hard to get into but may be hard to stay in as well.

My DH and I went to an Ivy. My DH was studying engineering, and wasn't doing that well -- and the college invited him to take a semester leave of absence to get his head on straight when his GPA tanked. He worked for a semester, went back, and finished his degree -- but it was not a sure bet that he was going to succeed.

As for me, I washed out of pre-med pretty quickly, because classes like chemistry were full of freaking smart engineering students as well as a horde of ambitious biology majors and I simply didn't have the study habits or discipline to keep up and keep my (graded on a curve) grades high enough that pre-med would be a possibility. I changed majors and did really well, but it was a real eye-opening experience.

If it's the right school for him academically and he's well-prepared to handle the coursework, then I think the question of what he should do about his sport comes into play. But if he's not well-prepared and the academics are going to be really challenging -- and he is surrounded by very smart to brilliant kids -- then I'd be a lot more worried about his ability to thrive in the Ivy environment.

"I think that might depend on the specific school and sport. A faceoff specialist in lacrosse or a football running back who quits - at least in some circles, people will remember that. Other sports, maybe you can fade into the woodwork over time. But in general in my kids' experiences, the classes are only 1,000-1,500, and you know your classmates and their backstories pretty well. Whether or not he (and his family) would be judged for quitting - maybe, maybe not."

Not only the specific school and sport/coach but also the student who is trying to pull this stunt.

If OP's son is good enough to get in base on doing an incredible amount of work say as a freshman and has proceeded to do less and less work each year as school became more important, that's one thing.

A hard worker who didn't have captain's practice all summer to keep him on track might show up to the Ivy way out of shape and really have no chance of making the team anyway.

Similarly, if the student is devious enough (or can legitimately) blame their lack of prep on an injury, again no problem.

If the student is just an incredible talent who shows up, wins all the faceoffs for two weeks, and then quits, this may be frowned upon.

I think quitting like that could be socially hard on the kid. Your immediate friends will naturally be the students you meet on the team. It's one thing to be a walk on, try it out and say it's not for you.
It's another to renege on a commitment so soon. IMO it changes the mix of the kids who are on the team that will stay friends. It's important to be invited to join good study groups, etc...
It's certainly tempting on a practical level to use the hook that way but kids have a purer sense of honor and I think a willingness to renege would have raised questions in my mind. We're all our actions, right? Once you're known as a cheater it's hard to get respect back. And where does the line get drawn? Do they also feel it's okay to renege on internship offers. Who knows how that plays out later? Seems like life is often 6 degrees of separation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The consequences wouldn't be felt right away. They would be felt years later, when a teammate won't hire your DS into his company or whatever because he is remembered as a quitter. In general Ivy athletes go on to be very successful.

Memories are long.

Nice fantasy.

That’s not how it works.

The vast majority of Ivy students aren’t athletes and someone who dropped the sport in a few weeks - guess what, no one will really know nor care.

The idea that someone will hold grudges years later is laughable.

I think that might depend on the specific school and sport. A faceoff specialist in lacrosse or a football running back who quits - at least in some circles, people will remember that. Other sports, maybe you can fade into the woodwork over time. But in general in my kids' experiences, the classes are only 1,000-1,500, and you know your classmates and their backstories pretty well. Whether or not he (and his family) would be judged for quitting - maybe, maybe not.

Anonymous wrote:The consequences wouldn't be felt right away. They would be felt years later, when a teammate won't hire your DS into his company or whatever because he is remembered as a quitter. In general Ivy athletes go on to be very successful.

Memories are long.

Yeah, this whole thread is backward. It's Ivy league sports, not state school football, this is not a commitment that will flunk someone out of school, it's an opportunity to be central to campus life. Even if there's never a vindictive alumni blocking the road, part of trading on a big name education is rattling off extra curriculars. Going to school with competitive people means keep on competing (i.e. play the game and keep up appearances).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The consequences wouldn't be felt right away. They would be felt years later, when a teammate won't hire your DS into his company or whatever because he is remembered as a quitter. In general Ivy athletes go on to be very successful.

Memories are long.

Nice fantasy.

That’s not how it works.

The vast majority of Ivy students aren’t athletes and someone who dropped the sport in a few weeks - guess what, no one will really know nor care.

The idea that someone will hold grudges years later is laughable.

Hmm.

Ask "Dr. Ford"

Irrelevant. The poster who wrote the message is clearly not an Ivy student or graduate. Once you matriculate on campus, your college experience is entirely up to you and there are no penalties or punishment for quitting a sport. No one really cares.

The irony is you're more likely to be judged for having been an athlete. The scenario of a fratty lacrosse player coming in for a job interview and the interviewee is someone who hated the frats or the lacrosse team is much more likely.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The consequences wouldn't be felt right away. They would be felt years later, when a teammate won't hire your DS into his company or whatever because he is remembered as a quitter. In general Ivy athletes go on to be very successful.

Memories are long.

Nice fantasy.

That’s not how it works.

The vast majority of Ivy students aren’t athletes and someone who dropped the sport in a few weeks - guess what, no one will really know nor care.

The idea that someone will hold grudges years later is laughable.

Hmm.

Ask "Dr. Ford"

Anonymous wrote:The consequences wouldn't be felt right away. They would be felt years later, when a teammate won't hire your DS into his company or whatever because he is remembered as a quitter. In general Ivy athletes go on to be very successful.

Memories are long.

Nice fantasy.

That’s not how it works.

The vast majority of Ivy students aren’t athletes and someone who dropped the sport in a few weeks - guess what, no one will really know nor care.

The idea that someone will hold grudges years later is laughable.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a huge sports fan, but everything about college sports recruitment is so corrupt and morally bankrupt that I would have no qualms with a kid turning the tables and using the system to his or her advantage.

This

People never know how they'll react to going away to college. As long as your son tries to do it, no one will fault him. If he quits the 2nd week...yes, they'll be mad. But no, he won't be thrown out. My dd left her Ivy sport every 2 years, she was just burned out.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a huge sports fan, but everything about college sports recruitment is so corrupt and morally bankrupt that I would have no qualms with a kid turning the tables and using the system to his or her advantage.

If you were talking about Kentucky basketball, I'd agree. But I don't see what's corrupt or morally bankrupt about Ivy league recruiting. There is no athletic money for a kid, and little in the way of revenues for any Ivy sports. OPs son wouldn't be striking any blows against an unfair system; he'd just be lying to and screwing over coaches and teammates.

I'm a huge sports fan, but everything about college sports recruitment is so corrupt and morally bankrupt that I would have no qualms with a kid turning the tables and using the system to his or her advantage.

The consequences wouldn't be felt right away. They would be felt years later, when a teammate won't hire your DS into his company or whatever because he is remembered as a quitter. In general Ivy athletes go on to be very successful.

Memories are long.

Anonymous wrote:Everyone games the system. Being athlete is one way if one does not have $$$ or legacy. Do u think the Harvard Z list kids feel guilty for taking a spot not based on their merits but those of their parents/grandparents?

I think a better analogy would be an alum who maybe gave regular small amounts, made a big pledge right before his kid was applying and then reneged on the pledge once his kid was in. Hopefully we won't get bogged down in the specifics of whether this could work or whether the original post is made up. Just trying to put the examples on more even ground. The issue is the false agreement.