I am absolutely devastated right now. I just came home from soccer tryouts at my school and currently im a Freshman. I played decent and did what I was supposed to be doing. But, i was cut because 40 other people were trying out for the team with 22 players. I was really sad because soccer is my favorite hobby and I can’t play it at school level.
When I went to my car I was really sad and my parents asked me if I made the team and I said no. Then, they gave me a very bad look and got very mad at me. While we were going home they kept saying how I didn’t try enough at the tryouts and was screaming about how Im not useful at all. Then they started saying that Im not gonna get into a good college now because I don’t have a sport and they made me pretty nervous.
These are some clubs im already doing:
American red cross
HOSA (competitive medical club)
United Med
I can try out next year but another option is to take a class like honors and AP physics in my Junior and Senior year. But I have a long way and right now I’m shattered.
Probably everyone here can relate to your story and feels for you. Whether it’s not making a team, not getting a part in a play, or not getting a job, getting turned down feels rotten. But pat yourself on the back for putting yourself out there! And it’s normal to feel shattered for a bit so don’t worry about how you are feeling.
If you lived in my town, you would now play soccer in our town league and most of the other players would be decent players who had also been cut from the competitive school team. And you might get certified as a ref for youth soccer and make some extra money reffing games.
Feel bad for a few days and then think of the gift of time you have been given and decide how you would like to use it. Was there something else you haven’t had time for? It may not have be what you planned but it might be great all the same.
Hey man it’s ok. The same thing happened to me this summer when I was trying out for tennis. I had practiced all summer and I really loved the sport (I had been playing for 3 years) however 9th grade was my gap year and that year I couldn’t attend tryouts, so I had to take a stupid class called “Intramural Tennis”. Then this summer when I went to tryouts I didn’t realize how competitive people were, and half the kids there were freshman who had done 10-15 USTA tournaments. I tried my best but nevertheless got cut. I felt exactly the same way you’re feeling right now, but you have to realize sooner or later that there are no extracurriculars that can get you into a good college just because your did them (for example sports are NOT required to get into a good college). This point in your high school career is very important because you still have a chance to start fresh; I noticed that you seem to be really interested in Medical extracurriculars, and my suggestion is that you start going further in that direction and really put a lot of time and effort into it (you’re doing HOSA so maybe take some health science/medical classes and compete in some competitions) colleges will see that and hopefully admit you! You should also not forget that extracurriculars are not everything; you also need to present the college with desirable grades and most of all a positive attitude. I wish you the best of luck in your future pursuits!
@itachasuke I honestly don’t feel that I can get in a good college now. My parents have called me “good for nothing” because I don’t have a sport as an EC and my GPA as for now is 3.5 and im trying to slowly raise it to 3.8. I feel really depressed rn and I feel like I have no use in this world.
Like I said, you don’t have to worry about getting into a “good college” right now. Your main focus right now should be making the best grades you possibly can without burning yourself out and trying out new extracurriculars. Don’t let your GPA make you feel like you have no contribution to make to the world. You have a lot of time, so enjoy it while you still can. Your next three years of high school will be really tough so it’s very important that you develop a growth mindset as early as possible. Learn from your mistakes on quizzes/tests, don’t be afraid to ask for help, do all your homework, go to tutorials, do whatever it takes to make the best grade you possibly can. Don’t let the toxic atmosphere of high school get to you.
–Everyone has some disappointments in life. It is how you rebound from them that is a true measure of your character.
–I’m sorry your parents were not supportive when you didn’t make the team.
– Find ways to use the time you aren’t playing soccer wisely – on your academics and by finding other things you can get involved with in school and/or in your community.
–In another post you said your grades are not where you would have hoped, so it may be a blessing in disguise that you don’t have the huge time requirement of being on the soccer team.
–With only 22 people on the team I’m guessing that only a couple of exceptional freshman make it.
–You may want to see if there are any local soccer leagues where you can continue to play the sport. See if your HS or community has any junior varsity or recreational teams.
-If you want to do a sport, you may want to see if there are any no-cut or club teams at the HS (at our HS track and cross country are not cut, Ultimate Frisbee is a club sport open to everyone). As a freshman you have plenty of time to try some new things out.
–Unless you are a recruited athlete it will make NO DIFFERENCE if you play HS soccer or not. For college admissions, a sport where one is not an athletic recruit is regarded as a nice activity on par with any other activity that your HS offers – nothing more and nothing less.
–You are a freshman. You have a number of posts worrying about the impact of one thing or another on your college applications. It is good to take HS seriously and understand that college is in your future but for now I recommend you take a deep breath. Focus on:
o Working hard, learning, and doing as well as you can in the most challenging curriculum you can manage.
o When the time comes study for standardized tests.
o Continuing your involvement in activities you care about, find additional activities if you want, and work towards making meaningful contributions to those activities.
o Enjoying spending time with your family and friends.
I’m sorry, OP. Is there another sport you can try that doesn’t require a lot of experience or that is trying to recruit more players? Frisbee, cross country, or mountain biking, for example. Our family friend was cut from volleyball and tried a new sport instead. She got in really great shape, did some vball camps over the next year, and then made the team.
My nephew didn’t play a sport or do any type of physical ec. He also didn’t do activities like art/music/drama etc. He was a tutor, did model UN, and was on a fun non competitive chess club. He did other things like some volunteer work for NHS but nothing on a big level. He did National History Day projects because school required them. He didn’t have a formal volunteer position but helped out a lot in the school library.
Not having a sport did not stop him from getting into Brown and he was waitlisted at Harvard. He just graduated from Brown. He also got into other good schools though he did get rejected from Tufts. While you may not get into every school you try for I doubt it will be due to lack of playing a sport.
Unless you are s recruited athlete, sports won’t make a difference. But if you want to play many area’s have intermural leagues or city leagues. Check those out. Your grade is great and something to build on. To prove your parents wrong, email any admissions counselor at any college and ask if being on a soccer team will increase your chances on admissions and show them the reply.
@happy1@itachasuke do you guys think that perhaps doing a class like honors and AP physics will be good to replace PE/athletics Junior and Senior year? After Sophomore year I don’t have to do PE
My D who just graduated from college in May sustained an injury freshman year is HS that prevented her from playing sports. She has played since she was 6 years old.
She found other ways to express herself. She started photography and entered some photos at our country fair and won. She taught herself guitar and started performing at the local senior center. She got a part-time job.
To answer your question: 1) As a general rule top colleges want to see HS students take a sequence of bio, chem and physics in HS. 2) Since you will not be a recruited athlete academics are more important than sports participation.
BUT again you are rushing things. You are a freshman. It is too early to be plotting out your junior/senior year science courses. See how you do in science/math during freshman and sophomore years, discuss course options available in your HS with your guidance counselor, and then make a determination as to what class will be appropriate.
It appears most useful suggestions to OP have been made. All i would add is, OP you need to add a very critical life skill to your repertoire. It’s called Being Present - and is hard to do for everyone. You’re a freshmen in HS. Be Present and enjoy the many things there are to enjoy about HS. Play sports, don’t play sports. Attend football (and other sports) games. Got to school plays or be in one! Got to home coming dances and other structured events. Be a 14 yr old kid.
Having an eye on the future is great, but at your age it should be more like a quarter of one eye with the rest on the present and ENJOY the journey. Don’t waste your four years worrying about the next four years.
Never, ever apologize for trying and failing. I say this as a coach, and a father of a college athlete. This might be out of line, but I think your parents owe you an apology.
BTW, unless you are good enough to make a college team (and you will have to be VERY good to do that), then simply participating in a physical activity is fine for the purposes of a college app. It’s simply not that important. I sometimes wonder if all the time S1 spent on training for, practicing, and playing his sport was worth it. He certainly could’ve achieved higher marks if he used even 1/3rd of the time that he spent on sport and diverted it to studying.
Your parents were inconsiderate and wrong. I feel bad they said such hurtful things to you when they are not even giving you correct information. Also, it’s incredibly sad to hear of B+ students feeling like they don’t belong and don’t have a place, especially when 80%+ of the colleges out there accept >50% of applicants. There IS a place for YOU! Everyone on this thread is right. Soccer - or any sport - is not a golden ticket into college. Admissions officers are not even going to know that you didn’t make the team. Even if you play soccer outside of school they won’t put much thought into why you aren’t wearing the HS jersey. Maybe it’s because you didn’t make the team, but it’s just as likely you wanted to play the game and still be able to do other things or join other clubs that you can’t do when you’ve got practices 6 days a week. They’ve seen it all. Don’t worry. Find something else to do and do it with gusto!
