<p>Hello everyone,
i have a dilemma.
I have played soccer since i was 5 years old till the start of high school. When I got to High School, my school didn’t have a soccer program, so i started football. I am just ending my sophomore year, and this coming fall, the school is starting a soccer team. I’ve played JV football for two years, and so far haven’t lettered but expect to letter this year and next. I really enjoy soccer and have played club soccer this past year. We only have enough kids to field a Varsity team, so I would letter in soccer this year, and next.<br>
Here is my dilemma. I really enjoy soccer. My grades are solid but if I try to play both sports in the fall, I’m afraid my grades will suffer. The problem is I don’t want the Academy to think that I’m not “committed”, if I switch sports. What would you suggest? Do you think that I would have to explain dropping football to the Admissions Staff? Or should I just stick it out in football?
Thanks</p>
<p>I did the same, I had an issue where my school only had a varsity team but because of a paperwork issue I couldn't play varsity. So I basically "practiced" soccer all fall, eventually I just switched to baseball in the spring and played that through the rest of high school. The academy will see your two years of football as committment, and will see 4 as more committment, and if you switch to soccer they will see that your athletic ability is above average in that you can successfully manage different sports. If it were me, I would not do TWO sports in the fall, besides schedule conflicts I too would be worried about my grades. (thats just me). Ultimately it comes down to what YOU want, both will keep you in good shape, it looks like you have varsity experiences coming either way, and possible leadership roles starting a new soccer team. Good luck :)</p>
<p>Do what you're comfortable with. IF you feel you can handle academics and both, take the challenge and do it. Otherwise, choose whichever suits you best. They won't view it as not being committed.</p>
<p>I wouldn't let the academics suffer. Compete in what ever sport you want to compete in the most. If you love soccer then play it. Like the tv advertisement says, most students athletes go pro in an area other than their athletics.</p>
<p>Much less chance of injury (i.e. - failing a future DoDMERB physical) in soccer than there is in football.</p>
<p>However, I believe* that the leadership (i.e. captain) qualities from football are looked upon more favorably than any other high school sport.</p>
<p>*No hard evidence, just my own "feeling".</p>
<p>Thats not true at all, it doesn't matter what sport you are in, it's the leadership position that counts</p>
<p>I agree with both of you Patriot and Luigi. The Dodmerb physical is something that needs to be passed. And it really depends on the leadership positon not the sport.</p>
<p>oh and one other thing,
The football coach is pretty much my role model because I've known him since 6th grade, and we know each other really well, and he would probably be one of my recomendation letters, except if i join soccer, it means that I probably won't get him for a letter. so this makes my choice even harder. so far, I've figured I will sign up for getting called by the soccer coaches, see who they are and find out how the leadership positions are, and such, then also practice durring the summer "practices" for football, and before we start the actuall two-a-days, talk to my football coach and ask him to be totally honest, and tell him the whole situation. Ask if I should do soccer, where I could pretty easily get a leadership position, and get to play almost the whole game and if I'm just too skinny to be hitting the huge guys on our football team; or if I should just stick it out with football.<br>
so thats where I'm at now. I won't say yes or no to either untill practice gets closer. Hows that???</p>
<p>F22, some people may not agree with me, but I think honesty is the best policy in this situation. I don't subscribe to testing people character lightly. If this gentleman is a good enough role model to deserve the trust you have already placed in him, then I believe that person would write you a recommendation whether you played or not, based on your previous relationship as a player. </p>
<p>I would talk to my parents before I did anything and ask for their advice. </p>
<p>Some people are wonderful coaches and appear to want whats best for the student athlete. Others are interested as long as something benificial occurs for them,(ie. recognition for wins). A family is much more lasting and dependable. </p>
<p>For myself, being a veteran, my role models often were veterans. Sports is one thing, depending on people in difficult situations where there is no game clock is completely another.</p>
<p>definitely talk it out with both coaches, as well. explain the situation to them, they should put your needs of the academy above their personal interest, but be careful and remember even the good ones are still biased to their sport. i spent most of my springs fighting with the track and soccer coaches, whose seasons overlapped, trying to get them to let me do both. in the end i just couldn't get them to work with me so i quit track after my sophomore year. </p>
<p>the more sports, the better, <em>if</em> your grades don't suffer. but they really shouldn't if you manage your time well. </p>
<p>but don't choose to play or not play a sport because you think you MIGHT get hurt. that's ridiculous. the only way to be sure and prevent an injury is to lock yourself in a padded room. and i don't think usafa would be a fan of that. and i have to strongly disagree with luigi59 here, soccer is notorious for injuries, so don't for a second think you'll be "safer" with soccer.</p>
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<p>Your opinion is one thing, but facts are facts. And the CDC published data entitled HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS RELATED INJURY SURVEILLANCE STUDY, UNITED STATES 2005-2006, "strongly disagrees" with your opinion.</p>
<p>In fact, the data shows an injury rate for football competition almost three times as high as soccer.</p>
<p>I'm not suggesting that you cannot get hurt in soccer. But football injuries are FAR more common than injuries in a safer, non-contact sport like soccer.</p>
<p>Well, it's really not a decision on if I will get hurt, or not. I've been hurt many a time with extensive ankle and leg injuries in Soccer, and some stuff in Football as well. Its just that last year I got hardly any play time for Football, and I also enjoy playing soccer more, probably becuase I get to play alot, but still, I enjoy it more. My coach knows about me wanting to go to the Academy, and he knows the fooball coaches because every year he goes there for some meeting. I think that if I told him the situation he would probably give me a hanest answer. Otherwise I've already talked to my Parents and my Dad is absolutly positive he thinks that the Academy will grade me down for switching sports.</p>
<p>First, realize that the athletic part of you overall score for your admittance is only 20% of the whole thing. Second, the academy will understand doing two years of two sports that are in the same season, they will not view it as not being committed or what have you. Hornetguy, a current cadet, (and a very informative one at that) even says the same thing. It's good you're concerned about this, however, they are not going to grade your potential as an officer based off whether you play soccer or football. As far as your letter goes, if a coach won't write it because you aren't playing the sport he wants you to, then that's another problem in itself, in my opinion. Good luck</p>
<p>If you think you can only do one, choose what you will ENJOY. Again, sports, and team sports at that, are the key, no matter what it is. Yes, football has a slight advantage, but if you have to rely on that in order for you to enter, chances are that you may have trouble succeeding here.</p>
<p>I agree with the Z man and Hornet guy.</p>