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Navy2010 - could you share your perspective on the 'influence' attending a summer camp may (or may not have) on the appointment process. </p>
<p>Thanks....
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<p>Not sure if "influence" is a word I would use... </p>
<p>The sports camps are great on several levels:</p>
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<li><p>They are well-run, and will definately give you excellent training in your given sport.</p></li>
<li><p>If you play at a competetive level, and if you are looking to continue to play at the D-1 level, attending a sports camp at USNA will definately put you in the position of "being seen" by the coach, beyond a scouting visit or video submission. </p></li>
<li><p>Point #2 has it's good points and it's bad.... if you are serious, you will be seen, so best to give the camp your STELLER effort. Choose your camp wisely. For example: the USNA offers lacrosse camps for 3 and 5 days.... they are tough....and you will be working constantly, from the crack of dawn till sunset.... in the heat of an Annapolis summer.... with (or without) A/C in Bancroft.... now, you need to make a STELLER effort.... so if you can only "put out" for 3 days, chose that camp over the 5 day camp.... better to excell for 3 days than excell at 3 and do medicore for the other 2.....which would probably turn the coaches right off to you.....keep in mind some camps do not offer the option, so this will depend on your sport.</p></li>
<li><p>The coach may, or may not, have SOME influence over your admission application..... key word is MAY. It depends on many, many things.... were you recruited? Have they contacted you or shown any interest in you prior to this? Have they seen you at any other camps? If the answer is yes, then attending will give them an opportunity to observe you further....and let the chips fall where they may (they may decide you are not for them if you give out after 1/2 day of practicing, or they may think you are the best thing since peanut butter met jelly if you smoke the field!) On the other hand, if the answer to the above questions are "no," then the opportunity to put yourself in a position where they CAN see you is, IMO, priceless! You never know where the next star athlete will show up- and stranger things have happened!</p></li>
<li><p>To continue with the above "coach influence," keep in mind some coaches may have more "weight" with the admissions boards than others....by weight, i mean "slots".... which they will use for their "top recruits".... now while I am hardly privy to what goes on behind closed doors, it would stand to reason a football or lax coach may have more say compared to the rifle team or golf....which is NOT to downplay those sports at all, but you get the idea.... lets face it, football makes money, and money supports athletics on any field....so while the coaches may have some pull, keep in mind it WILL be limited, it WILL be competetive, and there are no guarentees....you still have to get past the admissions board (that means grades and numbers) and no coach will "waste" a slot on a candidate that is "on the fence" admissions-wise, when they have another top recruit that they know they can get past admissions..... their sphere of influence only stretches so far (what they do have more influence with is NAPS and the foundation program.........now there is an opportunity well worth considering!!!!..ESPECIALLY if you are going to play a varsity D-1 sport!!!!)</p></li>
<li><p>Next point: as to recruits: again, this is very sport-specific, but most coaches will have identified their "top recruits" during junior year....and will pretty much have their committments (informal though they may be) by the time Junior year gets out..... again, there are no guarentees....neither on their part or yours....you still have to apply, get a nom, get past DoDMERB and the CFA and secure that appointment.....but can they advocate for you? Yes, but you have to give them the "numbers" to work with!!!!! (that includes class rank, GPA, SATs)......there is a limit to what influence a coach has, no matter how well you can run, jump, kick, pass, row, sail, face-off, etc........</p></li>
<li><p>The key reason why you should consider attending summer camp is not related to athletics at all....rather, it affords you another opportunity to stay at the academy, experience life on the yard, enter the inner sanctum of Bancroft, and observe what is going on around you....remember, these are SUMMER camps.... and there will be plebes going through their plebe summer rigors all around you....keep your eyes and ears open and take it all in....ask yourself, can you see yourself in their shoes....doing what they are doing? Can you put up with life inside Bancroft? Daily rates? Chow calls? Uniform races? Marching and drilling? Running? "Yes Sirs" and "No Mam's"??? This, IMHO, is the best benefit of attending summer camp....it just gives you more information on which to make an informed choice....for YOURSELF. The more information you have, the better the decision you will make. </p></li>
<li><p>Not all candidates will have an opportunity to attend NASS, or CVW...so the summer camps offer another way to experience life on the yard...</p></li>
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<p>So a bit long-winded, and now that I feel like I am a walking advertisement for the USNA summer camps....(no conflict of interest, honest!!!)...</p>
<p>best of luck! Hope this offers the information you are looking for!</p>