Hello, this is my first post on this forum. I’m going to be a junior this fall, and I made a big decision to not continue my sport. For the past two years I have spent 6 days a week, almost 3hrs a day doing my sport, but I’ve decided that I no longer truly enjoy it and it has been hurting my mental AND physical health. I learned a lot, made friends, and had a leadership position this past year.
Anyways, I do have other activities/EC’s planned to replace my sport, but did I just waste my first two years of high school without doing anything to help me get into college? It must seem pretty weird to colleges that after two years of intensive involvement I’m quitting, so should I just choose to pretend that it never happened when applying? I’m worried that having minimal other EC’s during my first two years of high school will look bad. Thanks a bunch!
It is not uncommon for a high school student’s interests to change over the 4 years, sometimes an injury gets in the way of a sport etc. – that type of change is part of a typical growth and development process of a HS student. As noted above, unless you might be a recruited athlete (which can help in the admission process) a college won’t care if you drop a sport after two years as long as you have other ECs you are engaged in. You can list the sport as an EC for the years you participated.
Nothing wrong with your decision because it is the right one for you. IMHO, I think the people who focus heavily on sports and have absolutely no future in it are the ridiculous ones. You enjoyed it for many years but now it isn’t the right fit for you. Do what you enjoy!