Hi,
I’m a freshman and I have this really important decision for my future.
I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, and I enjoyed the whole journey. I made my frosh/soph team, and I had a pretty good season.
However, my school offers a program called the Academy of Science an Medicine. I am really interested in pursuing jobs in this field after graduation. This Academy offers hands-on experience and volunteer hours. However, to be part of this three year organization, I need to take this extra Biotech class my sophomore year, as well as other classes in my junior and senior years. It needs to be taken in 7th period, or during the summer.
Both of these times conflict with my basketball, and I have to give up one to do the other. I love basketball, but I won’t be playing college, or probably even varsity. Basketball also takes up a lot of time, and I’m worried about the time I have to study for my 4 AP/honor classes I have next year.
I want to be well-rounded, and I am worried quiting basketball will hurt my chances into college. I am also worried I am missing out by not joining the Academy of Science and Medicine.
I’d be willing to quit basketball knowing I am doing something to help my future in college. However, I have also heard that staying with one thing for 4 years is a good idea as well. Without basketball, I will be able to do more volunteer work as well, since some days I don’t get home until 8 or 9 on. But I just feel I’ve been playing basketball for my entire life, and it’s hard to give it up now. I don’t really know the value of basketball after high school, since college sports isn’t even an option. However, if I stick with basketball until my senior year, I am guaranteed to be on the varsity team, but at what cost? My parents think joining this Academy will be a better use of my time, and I can study for my AP classes more. Whatever my decision, it will affect my entire high school career.
Any advice?
Thanks so much
@ntsj25 sorry that you have to make such a difficult decision! I have stuck with track for four years just because I love it so much. There were so many times I couldve taken a job, joined some STEM related thing, beefed up my ECs because I believed them to be the weakest part of my college app. I stayed with track because I was getting more out of it than any other EC I could have done because I went to section finals, won a bunch of awards, and got recruited by D2 and D3 schools, and am considering walking on D1 athletics.
If I wasnt as successful at getting accolades, its hard to say I would dedicate myself intensely to track. I wrote about sports in my personal statement because it developed my character into a very resolute person, unlike staying in classrooms and doing research would. I really believe that sports is something not everyone can do, but STEM programs (unless highly prestigious) is something many adcoms see. Every STEM applicant has some research thing, STEM award, FIRST Robotics, whatnot but I think competitive sports adds some characteristic depth to you, depending on how you portray it.
Long story aside, I would take the Academy if sports will be fruitless for you. Yes, colleges like to see 4 year dedication, but what if you can publish some research? What if you could draft an abstract in 1 year? They like to see an interest and initiative in your intended field of study more. Up until I got an internship with my county hospital, I felt dead for college because all I had was track-- though I was successful, I had no indications towards why the college should trust me in engineering over these STEM heavy EC kids. However, despite 1 summer of a STEM internship and 4 years of track, I was accepted to a lot of decent colleges, so don’t get caught up in the notion that sports aren’t going to be as useful as a program.
If you love basketball so much, have you considered intramurals if possible, or working out a schedule with your counselor? I wouldn’t forgo the opportunity of your program especially if you don’t see yourself making it big in basketball.