<p>My second post today. My son plays a musical instrument, and enjoys it (still a beginner)...but he calls it 'his love'. So far so good. He is a good student and is a boy scout. But no sports interest or talent has been uncovered as of yet. Looking ahead to college (he's 11, so we're taking the long view), isn't it important to have some kind of sports involvement? Do colleges shun couch potatoes? Or does it not count in their eyes unless some truly stellar level is achieved in the sport? Do kids without sports activity handicap their admissions chances?</p>
<p>Read the CC posts from all the kids who got into top colleges! Many of them don't do a sport! My kids go to a competitive high school, but many of the three-varsity sport athletes don't end up at impressive colleges. He should participate in healthy non-academic activities he enjoys!</p>
<p>Lots of kids don't play sports and get admitted to excellent colleges. It isn't necessary for every kid to do everything.</p>
<p>Incidentally, if your son's interest in Boy Scouts continues and he decides to go for Eagle, that is something that will certainly impress colleges because of the long-term commitment and dedication it requires.</p>
<p>My older S doesn't do music, art, drama or organized sports (just Ultimate) and it hasn't hurt him in admissions. Let your S do what he loves. That's what shines through when it comes time to write essays. Seriously. </p>
<p>My older S had just a couple of ECs, done over many years and pursued with great passion. I worried about the "well-rounded" thing too, til my son said he wasn't doing any ECs he didn't love, because he had no intention of winding up at X school having done things he hated to get there.</p>
<p>My other son does two sports; one team, one outside of school. Works for him and helps him stay organized and focused.</p>
<p>He's 11 -- he'll find lots of things that pique his interest over the next few years. This is a great time to explore. Scouts will help with that, too.</p>
<p>I second the idea of boy-scout-Eagle-scout. Colleges love that and it will make up for not doing a sport. Frankly I find it bizarre that college acceptance depends on aptitude for sports, but this is America. Of course, if your kid is just interested in your state school, it's probably completely irrelevant.</p>
<p>From all the College Admission talks I've been to, it's not so much what your child's interest is as long as he has one. Colleges want to know that your child has an interest or two that he's passionate about. The admissions staff is looking to put together a well-rounded freshman class -- so an athlete will be "balanced" by a non-athlete with a completely different interest. And of course, solid academics is a good thing, too!</p>
<p>He's not a couch potato if he's doing something other than, well, sitting on the couch. That could be practicing music, computer programming, cooking, writing stories, or, yes, playing sports. Colleges want students who are doing something with their time--the particular "something" doesn't matter that much, as long as it goes beyond playing video games or sitting on MySpace all day.</p>
<p>Having said that, I'm a big fan of getting kids into sports and other physical activities because it encourages health (physical and mental) and brings about growth in a number of areas.</p>
<p>What corranged said.</p>
<p>I wouldn't force any kid to do sports he wasn't interested in doing. But I would insist on fitness activity of some sort. Often cross country teams are no cut, so he'd get in physical shape & make friends, even if he didn't earn a letter. Martial arts, a tennis club, jogging with mom, whatever. Don't let an 11 year old become a couch potato! If he's a scout, he would no doubt like to be in shapte for all the hikes, swimming, water events, etc.</p>
<p>The idea that you have to do sports is ridiculous. I supported my kids' sports activities because that's what they wanted to do. I would have supported theater, dance, computer, astronaut camps, whatever... It's all about being involved, engaged, enthusiastic. Help him get involved in something HE will enjoy- activities that he gets a 'kick' out of. I think the greatest gift a parent can give is to let their kids have something to look back on with appreciation and <em>great memories</em>.</p>
<p>Cross posted with SS- I'm not referring to sitting on a computer all day, or playing video games... I guess I have somewhat tunnel view... definitely make sure your son gets a healthy diet and lots of exercise (I assumed that was a given, but in this day and age....hmmm). I was referring to 'organized sports'.</p>
<p>StickerShock - Kids who do cross-country just so they can say they're on a team are REALLY ANNOYING; they sprint all the open parts of the course and walk all the wooded ones. But it is a great sport for kids who really want to improve themselves.</p>
<p>This really irks me.
Last week at our "Welcome to 9th grade" PTO meeting, the principal of the HS emphasized the importance of sports and encouraging our kids to participate in HS sports, from the college application viewpoint.</p>
<p>I asked him if he was going to guarantee every wanna-be athlete a spot on the HS team as well as playing time. </p>
<p>Its important to have some passion or serious interest in anything, art, music, community service, political movements, journalism, ikebana, w/e</p>
<p>Until high school we had a rule for all of ours - they had to participate in something with music, something with physical activity and something community related (scouts , church or other). This was to introduce them to all kinds of things and get good enough at them so they could make intelligent decisions by the time they were in HS and beyond. It worked out well and by HS each had found where they excelled and went on to focus there. But they have an appreciation for the other areas, too. I don't think it hurts to help them find some physical activity they can learn to enjoy. There is such a wide variety out there. It will benefit them so as they grow older. Not for the college apps but for themselves.</p>
<p>Sports (as any EC for that matter) should be fun, not something you do to put it on college app.</p>
<p>As far as college apps go, the only ECs that matter are those in which the kids are exceptionally good. And those are usually the ones they chose out of "love".</p>
<p>Muffy, I agree. I'm talking about a kid who does the full workout, but is just not good enough to run in the meets or place high enough to get a letter. Not the kid who takes shortcuts when the coach isn't looking. I was thinking about fitness, not a phoney sports participation.</p>
<p>I worried so much about the sports question. D1 was good but her hs team was great so making varsity was just a huge year-round time commitment. The coach like her a lot and encouraged her but wanted her to train all the time. At the end of sophomore year she just said "enough" and slacked off. The academic challenges were becoming really enormous plus she was taking on leadership roles within the school and getting involved in academic competitions, outside research, volunteering. She still played on the team although at the jv level and withstood a lot of disapproval from the coach and some teammates. Many a team parent gave me the lecture about how being great at a sport was absolutely necessary to get into a top school. Many on CC have seen their kids succeed wonderfully through sports. Mine seems to be fairing quite well without sports as a big strength. Like all these decisions, it's probably best to just let the student decide. I worried an awful lot over this but have to admit my D's instincts were better than mine.</p>
<p>Sports are not necessary. My D got into top schools without them (well, she did play volleyball on the freshman team, but that's it). S has NO interest whatsoever in organized sports. He snowboards, but that isn't a team sport. His overwhelming passion is music ... but not organized music. He plays electric guitar in a couple bands, writes music for his bands, designs/updates webpages related to his muscic ... you get the idea. My feeling is that he would not be comfortable in an environment where his passion is not considered important. If that limits his access to certain colleges when application time rolls around, I think that's probably a sign that he doesn't belong at those schools.</p>
<p>What an amazing group of people...such wise words, and they ring true. I think you have hit the nail on the head. Thank you for being both comforting and helpful. It makes sense that even if a child is not cut out for organized sports, some kind of regular physical activity is important for their health and well-being. As parents, we can't lose track of what is best for the kids overall.</p>
<p>S1, two years of JV football (not a star), part-time job as main h.s EC, excellent grades/scores..accepted to 3 state u's with scholarship offers from all..is at one of them on a full ride. I'm certain it was not the JV football that did it,lol.</p>
<p>S2, four year high h.s football starter, worked as vol. at football camp for kids every summer, same part-time job as S1, no other real ec's, very average grades and mediocre test scores...has been accepted at 2 state u's and will attend one of those with us paying the full freight. With his grades and test scores, I do believe his demonstrated committment to his sport while also holding down a job might have helped gain his admission. </p>
<p>I think showing a commitment to anything that is important to the student is beneficial.</p>
<p>My sons' only sport is the mile and a half walk to their high school. Older son got into some top schools. Mind you I'd be happier if they did something active for fun and fitness. Right now they're stringbeans, but it's unlikely to last.</p>