<p>With all the talk of everyone currently on the NWL waiting to hear about a slot, I would like to know more about how many slots are reserved for recruited athletes. Lists of recruited athletes are released throughout the spring each year on the athletics website, with the notable exception of the football team, whose list is always released on R-Day. If you add up the number of individuals on these lists (with football coming in at about 80 alone), it appears that well over 10% of the incoming class already had slots set aside for them by virtue of their athletic prowess. Can this be right? Athletes do need to obtain a nomination like everyone else, right? It sounds like if an academy really wants you for sports, the coach and the brass will make that happen. I am most familiar with USMA, but am also curious about how this works at the other academies. Please, discuss </p>
<p>athletes definitely have it easier at the academies after the initial summer…ie they usually dont have to put up with the same bravo sierra that normal mids/cadets do during the school year…they usually will get excused on the basis that they were busy with their sport…i for one hand am not in favor of this blatant double standard…if we all all to be commissioned officers, shouldnt we be held to the same standards?</p>
<p>Be carefull puttting every recruited athlete in the same bucket. You will find some recruited athletes graduating near the top of their class, and being a recruited athlete doesnt necessarily mean they wouldnt have been offered an appointment anyway. When our 2nd Lt was a cadet on one of the corps squads i was amazed at how much practice time was required on top of all the other duties and academics. The standard cetainly didnt appear to be any easier—different, probably at times with all the travel required, but easier? Naw. The majority of cadets have already demonsstrated some athletic prowess whether they are a recruited athlete or not—most have at least one varsity letter from high school and many have multiple letters. In fact, it is more likely that a cadet was a varsity athlete in High School than not.</p>