<p>You can contact the coaches yourself anytime you want. The coaches in most sports will start to get pretty active in recruiting during the summer when the new candidate files are just starting to open. I remember I really had no interest in the Service Academies until one of the coaches from USNA sent me the preliminary application and some info about the school and the team. I figured I really had nothing to lose. If you show interest, they should respond quite quickly and give you guidance about going the admissions process. If your times/stats/vitals are good enough, they'll push the admissions office with your file. </p>
<p>The great thing is that if you're recruited and you quit a team (like I did), you don't "lose your scholarship". You're not obligated to play for a team if recruited.</p>
<p>If you participate in a fall sport, do you train during Plebe Summer? I'm trying out for the Water Polo team, how different is Plebe year for competitive athletes? I'm sure we will still get our butts kicked.</p>
<p>Most of plebe summer consists of training with your fellow plebes. Towards the end there are tryouts for various teams- usually the actual tryouts occur after the reform of the Brigade in August. Keep in mind, plebes will compete with upperclass to gain a spot on the team- varsity, jv or club. Only a very small number of plebes actually see playing time during their plebe year if they make varsity.... most will attend practices and keep the benches warm! </p>
<p>The challenge for plebes is learning to balance the demands for sports (in particular, varsity competetion) with all the other duties, responsibilities and academics demanded of all plebes. Some handle it well, others find it too much. Over time, some will have to forgo athletics/eca's in order to stay afloat academically... the road is different for all. Keeping priorities straight is essential.</p>
<p>Excellent advice from navy2010. My son is a runner, and has learned that time mangement is exceptionally critical. Practice for him is pretty much daily (and takes the time in the afternoon his 2 roommates..who aren't on a Varsity team, and their ECAs definitely don't take place daily or even every weekday..use for their studying). He's up early every day for a personal workout, off to formation for breakfast, then classes, formation for lunch, more classes, practice for his sport, then dinner formation, then 2-3 hours of studying (plus learning his rates, doing watch/duty, and having mando fun when required, plus antics needed and enjoyed to be a true part of his company), then it's Blue/Gold, lights out. Saturdays are generally spent in competition for his sport, and sometimes it's travel on Friday through Sunday. Just depends... His roomies, thankfully, grant him some grace/space, and they all work together well for inspections (personal and room). But, he does realize that he'd likely have a 4. or near if he weren't a D1 Varsity athlete as a Plebe. This semester is even a bit tougher than last, with more hours that must be taken (18 credits), plus he added on ground school to the mix of his own accord. He's still doing very well academically, but he knows that at the <em>very</em> first instance of not understanding something, he's off to EI or to find a tutor in the company to help him get through/over it. Absolutely, toughest thing for him has been rates, as it seems to keep falling to the bottom of his priority pile. (Plus, he's got a roomie with photographic recall, which totally disturbs him. LOL.) It's really a balancing act, and that's part of the reason the BGO's/Academy are looking to see that you've had a very full h.s. career... You're more likely to be able to perform this delicate balancing act. Know that regardless how adept you are at it, however, you will have a point of failing in something. Part of the system. And, you will need to both ask for help, and give help. Son's advice: Eyes in the boat, and do what you're told when you're told to do it. Listen, listen, listen.</p>