Will not joining a sport affect my chances to top schools?

<p>Recently, I've been have some medical problems that have resulted in me only being able to join the JV swim team. I'm taking 5 APs and I'm behind in most classes for the exam. We swim 2 hours everyday for 5 days a week and we have swim meets about every week. My coach is chill and he isn't really strict or anything when it comes to practice. </p>

<p>My shoulders and other parts of my body ache most of the time as a result of my medical "condition" (no diagnosis as of now since it takes a while). My coach allows some of us to swim slower. I really love swimming but I kind of want to do exercises that I want and go with my routine (i.e. swim rest swim rest, strengthen my muscles, stretch) all on my own time. </p>

<p>Do you guys think I should keep this sport (paid 150 dollars for transportation) or quit it? Will not taking up a school sport (I played basketball last year) reduce my chances? How can I convey my love for sports to the adcoms without participating in a school sport? I really need help deciding. My grades have fallen to a couple of B's since taking up the sport. Would it be better for me to concentrate more on my APs, SAT IIs, and AP classes than to keep swimming? What would you do if you were in my current situation?</p>

<p>no not at all. the sports have nothing to do with u getting in. school is way more important unless u are a 5 star athlete/recruit who NEEDS</p>

<p>didnt finish that. who NEEDS SPORTS to get into an ivy. otherwise you should concentrate on your classes and SATs/APs</p>

<p>Yeah, but I really don't have any other ec's other than sports except for being a club president and very little amount of volunteering. Would simply working out be considered an ec? How can I make my love for sports more appealing?</p>

<p>join clubs of sorts that involve sports. raise money/donate sports equipment, get a job at a sports store, intern with a sports team, organize a sports event for say mentally challenged or less privileged kids, write articles for your sports section of your local paper </p>

<p>so many things you can do.</p>

<p>Could you become a team manager? It's a great way to be involved in sports. It's a volunteer position for all the sports at my daughter's high school.</p>

<p>Yeah, but I actually want to swim because I love swimming. If I quit my team, I'd swim everyother day and do workouts in between with adequate rest. I just want to do what I want to do with swimming. We just swim laps and laps and laps... Personally I think 2 hrs a day is too much. </p>

<p>Can I just put down swimming and working out at a fitness center as an ec?</p>

<p>Or... as a team manager I can help the coach find out drills and techniques (something I LOVE to do) and then do them on the side while helping out others?? I like to focus on effectiveness rather than plain training. My coach isn't really an expert on stroke technique and we just have to keep swimming laps...</p>

<p>If you quit the swim team, I would not recommend putting that down as an activity. I would not consider exercise an EC, either. Swimming is tough - my daughter swims on her high school and local Y teams, so I know about all those hours in the pool - but maybe you can find a way to continue your love for the sport in other ways. Volunteer to teach kids? Get certified to lifeguard and find a job at a local pool or community center?</p>

<p>The team manager is not a bad idea. I am the manager of our varsity wrestling team. I keep track of everyone's statistics and keep books during matches and tournaments. The math is very fun! It's also very interesting to me because I get to meet people I wouldn't otherwise talk to. Most of them aren't the most intelligent of guys, but they are some interesting people. Overall, it has been a pretty good experience for me.</p>

<p>it won't affect ...so far i've gotten into USC and Chicago, and I've only done rec. basketball</p>