Insight urgently needed for a HS dilemma

<p>I didn't post this on the college admissions forum because I thought I'd get better insight here from parents and people that have already gone through this process.
I'm a 2nd semester senior. I have been involved in a sport for all my years of high school, but I don't want to do it anymore this season, not because I'm slacking off, but because I just don't enjoy it anymore. But I don't know if I can quit because back when I submitted my college apps in winter, I indicated that I would do this in 12th grade, and also in college. But now, I really don't want to do it. If I tell colleges I dropped the sport, I don't want to appear like a slacker because I had to drop another EC as well (due to a different reason). So I feel like I'm inclined to stick with it, but I really don't want to do it. At the same time I don't want my colleges to think I'm catching senioritis.
What should I do???</p>

<p>Suck it up and just finish it. What’s the big deal? It’s February now, and it’ll be June before you know it. If there was drama or hate going on against you, I’d understand and say to go with what you feel is best for you. However, you’re saying you don’t want to continue it because of a lack of interest. I’m bored of college; everyone gets bored of their job; we suck it up and finish what we have to do because it isn’t a large sacrifice.</p>

<p>In other words, just hold on a little longer.</p>

<p>Sorry if i came off as whining. Because of something else I’m taking on this year that’s time consuming, I would have to go in to sleep deprivation mode if I played, and this sport is not important enough for me to sacrifice sleep for. Naturally, it seems a good idea to quit. There’s only so many hours in a day, right? But how do I do it without looking like a slacker??</p>

<p>Well since you aren’t saying what the other activity is, I have no idea how time consuming it is. In HS, I was on a team too, and we practiced till 6pm every school day, came in every school holiday, and was at practice for at least 6 of the 7 or 8 days we were off during spring break. We had Saturday practice every week, so the only day we had off was Sunday. Weekday practices were from 2:30-6:00pm, Saturday practices would go from 8am-3pm or possibly longer, depending on how close competition was, and the practices during vacations were all as long as Saturday practices, but consecutively!</p>

<p>With all that said, taking on another activity is definitely a factor that would’ve made me want to quit the team, but it would depend on what it was. Do you think “sleep deprivation” is a little overdramatic because you want to be able to hang out with friends more often, or will you literally be constantly on the move for 12-15 hours a day?</p>

<p>I’d like to know if you’d be willing to say what the other activity is.</p>

<p>Anyway, I have no idea how to quit and not come across as a slacker. It’s hard to show that without actually explaining it to someone, so the only way would be to show that you quit to participate in another event, such as volunteering.</p>

<p>The only reason I would do the sport is because I’ve done it for the past three years, and I have a history with the team and its people. I would only do it because it’s fun for me. But due to financial circumstances in my family, I have to get a job, thus really limiting my time. If I’m going to spend 2 hrs goofing around (i.e. practice) with friends, it seems to be a waste of time because in those 2 hrs i could have earned $20 for my family.
Now i haven’t gotten a job yet, and I’m not all that sure that I will be able to get a job. But I have to tell the coach if I want to quit soon. If i quit and i am not able to secure a job, awksauce.</p>

<p>If you’re quitting the team once you find a job, then that’s a viable choice. I fully support a decision such as that. Just as you said, don’t quit if you don’t have a job yet; however, tell your coach that you might quit soon because you’re looking for a job. Be sure to leave with good terms and possibly stop by when you have a chance because coaches sometimes take it the wrong way. For example, my girlfriend was a part of a competing team, and once the competition year was over (and she was a senior, so any other team practices for the newer members didn’t matter for her except that the coaches wanted her to help train them). She started looking for a job, and landed one at Starbucks. She told her coach that she wouldn’t be able to come to practices anymore, and the coach seemed to fully understand. She later found out that the coach was speaking to the other coaches that my girlfriend was “trying to make excuses to cut practice” and some other false statements which I can’t even recall anymore. The point is, I hope your coach is mature enough to understand your situation and decision to get a job, rather than prioritize the team instead.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, are your competitions over or are you planning not to participate? Those are the only two reasons why I think you would be willing to quit the team at this point of the school year.</p>

<p>If you’ve already sent off your applications to colleges, would you really be required to tell them that you’ve stopped playing the sport? Assuming you don’t have an athletic scholarship.</p>