D20 has done two years of JV. She also does another sport but not at school and this sport/activity she would continue. She’s only quitting the one at school. She wants more time to focus on the other one. She also does a club at school so it’s not her only school activity. Any advice? Gut it out doing both? Or concentrate on one?
Starting in two, and later focusing on one sport is normal - if she can focus more on the single sport, she will show depth and commitment to the sport she continues. She should not continue in a sport she does not wish to continue just for the sake of college applications
Thanks! I personally have no preference, but she indicated concerns. The one she wants to quit is at school and the one she’d continue is not at school.
My daughter dropped her sport after sophomore year to do theater year round. It didn’t seem to hurt her in any way for college admission (if that was the concern). The commitment for sports was year round at her school so honestly I couldn’t imagine not supporting her decision/preferences.
My son swam club for six years, and swam high school for two years ,and then focused on viola/orchestra and FIRST robotics for the second two years of high school, with no sport at all for the last two years. He got into most of his college choices.
In general large public programs will not even look at ECs, and admit by a formula,
that is largely GPA and SAT/ACT scores, and number of AP classes in some cases. Smaller schools with wholistic admissions will try to balance their freshman class with athletes, artists, musicians, debate team students etc for variety in their class.
I don’t think any college cares about sports that much, unless your daughter is thinking of playing sports in college, then it matters a lot, year round training, coaching and camps at specific colleges to get evaluated
for college teams. (division 3 schools now offer a lot of summer campus that parents pay for to have child evaluated by a college coach).
She has to have material to write good essays, so what she does in the summers often matters more than varsity sports. Participating in sports has benefits in my opinion, in learning teamwork, staying fit, and are a lifeline for some high school students to achieve balance. So its really up to your daughter to decide.
My sibling’s three children never played any high school sports and
got into all of their very high ranked liberal arts college choices. They did activities like writing programs, model UN, and traveled to the Middle East, on various special programs, so they had plenty to write about, and great writing skills.(as well as top grades and test scores to back up their fine essays! )
No college will specify that an EC has to be school-sponsored. That should not be a concern.
If she wants to drop one to spend more time on the other, that’s perfectly fine from an admissions perspective.
Thanks everyone! I’ll pass that info along!
I agree with the above…If you are not being recruited for the sport, then the sport is just another EC.
Nope! I’ve swam competitively all my life, swam JV freshman year, broke 2 JV records, and quit swimming.
Could’ve made varsity, but the swim team gave me bad vibes. Coach played favorites, swimmers gossiped a lot… felt more like a chore than a sport.
I love the sport itself, but I quit because I didn’t like the swim team anymore and knew that I had to focus more on extracurriculars and academics.
Best decision I’ve made! Swimming takes up lots of time, and during sophomore year (year after quitting swimming), I got all As besides one B, was voted in as President of CS Club, and am actively involved in four extracurriculars. I also had an internship and will be having two this summer.
I do miss swimming sometimes, and sometimes I’ll feel bad for not swimming when my parents have invested so much money and time into swimming (swim team, swim camp, swimsuits, swim gear, swim meets, etc), but they support my decision, and that’s all that matters.
She will be fine.
@needtosucceed27 This was exactly me, except it was with the Orchestra instead of the swim team. (Though, I currently am a swimmer. I’m sorry to hear you had trouble on your swim team. Congrats on your records!)
But to @chb088, I agree she will be okay. It is an EC, meaning that it is better for her to pursue her passion than to stick with something she doesn’t like. Also, she’s in another sport, so she’ll still have a sport!
Have a good day!
@excoverer Thank you! Wish you all the best in swimming! 
1 Like
@needtosucceed27 Thank you!
Have a good day!
Decision made! Thanks everyone!