<p>Actually, I'd say the moral is that HS sports are EXTREMELY important unless you have some sort of killer back-up.</p>
<p>Haha, I totally agree with you hornet but iam just tryin to give the kid some encouragement...</p>
<p>My resume shows that I think sports are important, but I dont have a killer backup like you do...</p>
<p>If it were me Zoomie, try to get one letter in a sport atleast, if not make sure you emphasize your award credentials in your other activities, place emphasis on competition too, ya gotta prove that you have somewhat of a competetive nature.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Yea my first post was a little whack, hopefully that was better?</p>
<p>Keep this in mind if you are wanting to fly, especially if it's fighters you are looking for..</p>
<p>Read a couple books now that have told the stories of many great fighter pilots and actually fighter pilots in general. One thing I noticed in all great fighter pilots/test pilots is that they all played a college sport. I'm not talking about a DIII sport either, I'm talking about high-level DI competition. Another thing I noticed was that most of the great fighter pilots haven't went to the Air Force or Naval Academy, they actually did AFROTC, NROTC, or OTS. So if you don't get into a military academy, don't feel bad, there's always other ways to get where you want to go.</p>
<p>Also, most (not all) fighter pilots have played a sport that deals with a lot of hand-eye coordination: football, basketball, tennis, baseball. I know quite a few fighter pilots and all of them have played 1 of those 4 sports. I have heard, though, that playing a musical instrument helps with hand-eye coordination and helps you with flying. I don't really think you get the competition factor if you play an instrument. The fighter pilot community thrives off big egos..</p>
<p>I wouldn't go out and join a sport to help make you a better pilot, but do it because you love sports and want to do it. Just another way to look at it perhaps.</p>
<p>Very well put!!!</p>
<p>Several months ago I read an article in a magazine (can't remember which one, sorry) that hand/eye coordination via video gaming was a very positive factor in qualified fighter pilots when gaming on average of more than three hours a day. How 'bout them apples. :) (And killer thumbs!)</p>
<p>All great points about what it takes to be a great fighter pilot. Div 1 sports champ-- nice to have. Great hand / eye coordination-- important as well. But you've all missed the real attributes that makes one a true fighter jock". Confidence and attitude. None accept anything less than being#1, in erverything we do. Be it flying, driving, playing cards, XBox, whatever; every fighter pilot wants to win--at everything, everytime! (Great attitude to have in this profession). Some call it ego, some call it arrogance. Perhaps. But in our profession, do you really want to fly with someone who settles for less?</p>
<p>This is why you see so many successful officers and pilots (notice I said officers first) who participated in sports in school. It builds on that competitive spirit, and that's what the military is looking for. We want winners, period, dot. Or at least those who strive to be so. This day and age, where everyone gets a trophy just for "participating", just doesn't cut it when your dodging bullets in enemy territory.</p>
<p>However, to get back to the OP: yes, varsity level sports participation is a MAJOR factor in SA selection. Like others who posted before state, it can be overcome by outstanding efforts in other areas, but the SA selection officers want to ease any doubts about a perspective cadet's ability to meet the physical stresses faced at an SA (especially BCT). Without any high school sports on your record, they want proof....</p>
<p>b&p- I always love your posting, great to have your perspective!</p>
<p>Not a problem, this comes from experience....Keep up the great work, you're posts are just as valuable. If our son does get accpeted there, you have our permission to make him do extra push-ups. :)</p>
<p>Roger that! :)</p>
<p>Wow, I gotta say bullet that was some great stuff!</p>
<p>Nice post! ;)</p>
<p>Hey, yeah so this sports thing has me worried. I want to go to USNA or USCGA but I haven't played any sports since middle school. I am, however, an advanced level student at the Boston Ballet School, the school of the Boston Ballet, which is ranked one of the top companies in the United States. I've been dancing 10 to 14 hours per week since the 8th grade and currently attend lessons five days per week. I doubt a ballerina has ever applied to the military before, and am unsure if this is to my advantage or disadvantage. I know ballet is not a sport but it is a physical activity that, at my level, requires a time commitment comparable to varsity sports. Do you think the admissions board would honor this, or will i still be at a disadvantage even if my other application components are strong?</p>
<p>Participation in sports is not only looked at for the physical aspects or the time commitment.</p>
<p>Leadership, teamwork, dealing with adversity, successfully overcoming obstacles to achieve a common goal, etc - these are probably more important reasons than physical fitness.</p>
<p>Spot on, Luigi! </p>
<p>Blackeyedsuzan, we understand your worries. You read the posts here, and see Football captians, baseball all-stars, and track and field state champs all around. You ask yourself, "how does dancing match?"</p>
<p>Have you competed regionally or nationally in dance competitions? Have you been recognized for your dance skills (selected for special companies or exhibitions?). Thiese show you put in the effort and were recognized. Does the dance instructor ask you to lead the class, either in new steps or warm-ups? Sounds like their asking you to do something similar to a team captian if that is the case. How many hours a week do you train? Is it year round?</p>
<p>All these show your comittment, dedication, and strive for excellence, just like a varsity athelete (trust me, I do know that dancers usually are in fantastic shape! We can't have your dance partners trying to lift people shaped like Rosie O'Donell!). Have your dance instructor / coach write a recommendation letter highlighting these attributes (commitment, excellence, reliance on your leadership in class, etc). Explain the situation, the admissions board shold be ale to see that yes, dancers are athlets too!</p>
<p>hey thanks! as to your questions, my school does not participate in competitions but I have taken participated in performances where both students and professionals take part. I was chosen as a student teacher and helped teach an introductory class for young children in 9th grade. The instructors try to have new student teachers each year though, so i only held that position for the one year. As to commitment, i attend lessons five days per week, and each lesson is 2 or 2.5 hours long. The ballet season begins in september and runs through june (the span of three school sport seasons), and I even attended a summer ballet intensive for a month in the summer of 2006. i've been doing ballet for 10 years, and have dedicated 10+ hours/week to it for the past 4 years. </p>
<p>But actually, my friend is trying to convince me to do diving next year. I competed as a gymnast for several years, and can therefore do many dives already. Our team is also really small, so I could make varsity and get a letter without being very good. However, i'll be a senior next year, and am not sure if it is worth it, especially because it will create a major time crunch. thoughts?</p>
<p>If you want to dive and think you can handle the time commitment, then go for it! Otherwise, don't worry about it. It sounds to me like your dancing has been a great experience, so you definitely don't need to dive if it's just for a varsity letter, etc.</p>
<p>All excellent achievements. You've shown commitment, dedication, and leadership IMO. </p>
<p>Now, you ask if you should go ahead and try to letter in diving. Well, if you decide to go ahead and do it, you will be able to include that fact in your application (if at the varsity level, which I assume you can e a part of based on the size of the team, which you mention).</p>
<p>You will have to be the one to decide whether you can make the time commitment. To be honest, and from what our son's ALO explained to us, lettering in a high school sport is a plus. The academy admissions board can easily see the sports commitment and can easily apply it to your competitive score. They will have to scratch their heads and think about how to rate you athlethics-wise if your only sport is dance. </p>
<p>On a final note, remember that going to the academy is a tremendous challenge, academically, physically, and time managment-wise. You're expected to fit a 28 hour day into a 24 hour time period. If this is what you want, and you are willing to put in the effort, you MAKE THE TIME NOW to make your chances of getting in better. You'll be competing for a slot against others who are club presidents, sometimes in 2 or 3 clubs, particpate in multiple sports, are NHS members, are in the school government, plus particiapte in a whole range of other things that makes even me wonder "how do they do it? Do they ever sleep?" MAKE YOURSELF COMPETITIVE! </p>
<p>Who knows? You may even love diving, take to it like a duck to water (pun intended :) ), and become the next Greg Luganis! Dream big, and Aim high!</p>
<p>well i certainly appreciate the encouragement, and i know what you're talking about about the whole process being super competitive, not only for military academies but for standard colleges as well. i'm currently try to "beef up" my resume so to speak, but it's so hard! i've made the first cut for NHS but now I have to wait to see if i've been accepted as a member. I'm already a member of the German club, and was admitted into Delta Epsilon Phi (national german honor society) last year. I'm considering running for a leadership position of the German club next year, as i'm taking my AP year this year, and after next year will have completed five years of highschool German. Then there's stuff I do on the side, right now i'm involved in a volunteer program where i meet with a senior citizen once a week and tutor them in computer basics, and in order to be confirmed I had to do community service and so i spent my entire 9th grade year assistant teaching a 1st grade sunday school class each week. Would the board look at and honor activities like these, or would a sport be better? I suppose I can try to do both, my only fear is burning out (common of many students at my school) and, as a result, having my grades slip.</p>
<p>this really is a tricky game isn't it? trying to do as much as possible without overburdening yourself, trying to stand out and still qualify, etc</p>
<p>WOW, you ARE doing a lot! But if you're enjoying what you're doing (which is the most important thing), then only you can say when you've reached that point where enough is enough. </p>
<p>As to your question on balancing ECs, sports and academics: remember, your academics make up 60% of your "grade" when the AFA looks at your application. Academics should ALWAYS be your #1 priority. If you find that all the ECs and sports (and dance, and German, and NHS, and just plain keeping some time to yourself to just plain be a teen-ager!), then you need to re-adjust your schedule. Keep your studies number one, keep the other things second. And if you're just taking or doing the other things as "filler" and not really enjoying them, are they really worth your time?</p>
<p>Don't worry, I did not have any high school sport experience either. I spent a lot of time in Taekwondo instead. I think you'll be fine, and you are NOT the first ballerina to apply (much less be accepted). I know some here. ;)</p>