<p>My son goes to a large high school. Even though he's a very good athlete, our school is very competitive and I've been told that getting on a team is very "political". He has the basketball coach's son in his grade and the son of someone on the school board who's head of recreation. We also just moved back here so it seems like he has no chance of getting on the basketball or baseball team. Could he still play on teams outside of school and try to play for a division 3 school or use it to try to get into college?</p>
<p>Sure. If he gets involved in a sport with a club structure it would be just as good. College coaches are looking for kids who can play, run, swim, throw, jump, or whatever good enough to make a contribution to their team. They don't care where those skills were developed or where they were demonstrated. Unfortunately for a few sports high school is pretty much where it all happens, or at least where it mostly happens. It would seem to me that baseball would be a likely choice, depending on where you live, to get involved with a club team. I don't know how basketball is set up. But tennis, swimming, golf, volleyball, water polo, and a number of other sports have a whole world of competition outside of schools.</p>
<p>I think sometimes people fall into thinking that colleges put more value on ECs that happen in some way connected to a school, but it's really not true.</p>
<p>Do I have to put the fact that I did it outside of school? I am on my school's varsity nordic skiing team, but outside of school I also do alpine skiing (which I put on the additional info section). Should I write - "alpine skiing outside of school (9-12)" Is it disingenuous to leave out the "outside of school." part?</p>
<p>I agree with 'rent. However, one thing to watch out for - club sports are often even more political and more competitive than high school sports and there is often less oversite. This is not always the case, but check out any club pretty carefully before you pay the fees.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if you can do basketball and baseball outside of school when you're in high school? Do competitive travel teams go up that far in age? Someone once told me that in baseball it's what you do in the summer that counts. Does anyone know anything about travel summer baseball?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>AlexE, I don't think it matters whether you put "outside of school" or not.</p>
<p>amazon, I know there is some kind of league baseball in our area that teenagers play in, but I don't know anything more. (I just see reports on the local news about how the teams do at games... we live in a small town, so these things make the news ;) ) I hope someone with more knowledge can weigh in here.</p>
<p>The BB club circuit, unlike other sports (like soccer), is not considered to be a path in and of itself to the college level (any division). Club BB runs primarily through the spring and summer during the HS break and most teams attend four major tournaments per year where college coaches are allowed to attend. Even highly recruited division one athletes are expected to play for their HS. At the Division 3 level, coaches will want to recruit kids who they KNOW can balance basketball and academics at the same time. Check the rosters and bios on any college website: you are unlikely to see any players who did not play for their high school.</p>
<p>If the system is political and the HS is team competitive, then you need to do two things. For the political part: Become the friend of the coach and his program. Offer to run fundraising, be the president or treasurer of the booster club, put together the program, run the snack bar schedule, whatever. Become an indispensable part of the program. Donating is not in and of itself enough to get a kid playing time at most schools, but it doesn't hurt if you can afford it. Be involved at other levels with your kid's high school. Build your family's reputation as a pillar of the high school community so the coach cannot classify you as a "crazy parent" who doesn't understand the competitive nature of HS sports. Never, ever say a negative word about the coach or other players. Never. It does not help you or your child and is a cancer amongst the supporters of the program. Schedule a meeting with the coach and ask him if he can help guide your son to the div.3 level over the next four years. If he knows your son is serious, then he may take more notice.
Competitively: Find out where your son stands by having him evaluated by, say, the person who trains the coach's son. What club team does the son play for? Where do all of these high school BB players train and play? (Google them if you do not want to ask the coach) Your child needs to develop his skills so he is too good to sit on the bench. Your son will have to be good enough to earn a spot if he intends to play at the next level. Your son does not necessarily have to compete with the coach's son at first. Perhaps your kid will be on the frosh team and the other kid will move up to JV or Varsity. Play at the level where you get the most minutes.
Other factors: Grades matter. So do test scores. At the next level, body type matters. Look at the rosters and see if your son looks like/will look like other college players who play his position. Some college coaches run summer camps. It can be a good way to get exposure to a particular college coach. They are not always advertised.
As far as college EC's go: club BB will look like any other listed activity with the name of the activity and hours per week/weeks per year. Playing on the HS team will look better, especially if he can get MVP or Coach Award or team captain.
Try to temper your negative expectations. I have one friend who was told by the coach that her son would never play (this was at the info night 8th graders attended to find out about the following year and laughed in her face. Her son competed for spots among the coach's son and the coach's son's friends who had played with him for years.He got his starting spot eventually by being better than the rest. One thing coaches at every level like to do is win games. If your son can help him win games, then he will play.</p>
<p>One caveat: If this HS team is a nationally ranked team that travels and is sponsored by shoe money, then your son is unlikely to play unless he has division one potential. Even if he works his way up through the ranks, some hot shot nationally ranked player will be recruited in to play ahead of him. In that situation, playing club will allow him to play for his love of the sport, but will not necessarily help him to get recruited at the college level. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with Bessie, sometimes you just have to play the game. If your son is good enough to play college ball he should be welcomed even on the post political team with a small push. While our kids played sports both inside and outside of school and summers, the kids I saw get recruited for any college level were always stars on the HS team.</p>