Football

I am an accepted 2016 cadet and I am wanting to play army football. I am not a recruited player becouse I want aware they had athletic recruits. Do anyone have any information on how someone goes about "trying out".

I understand you show up for tryouts sometime during beast but I would like a little more information on it if anyone has any.

Hey Johnathan,

Im a cadet candidate too for the Classof1216 also interested in trying out.

We basically try out during Mass Athletics, which takes place during the latter portion of BCT.

Well its good to know at least someone else is thinkin about it too. I know for a fact the prep school kids will make it because they are up there all year and summer practicing. I'm not worries as I've played since I was 9 but its just there is no info on their workouts, what they are looking for or how hard it is to make it.

Well, as much as we like to make fun of the team, its a D1 team. You're going to have to be able to play at a high level and be in very, very good shape to make it. They do take walkons, but its not easy. If you aren't up to weight, there's the sprint football team to consider

Casey said:

Well, as much as we like to make fun of the team, its a D1 team. You're going to have to be able to play at a high level and be in very, very good shape to make it.

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Given that in many games the average player weight on the opposing team is 60 lbs more than the Army average, I have new respect for the Black Knights!

And the line average can occasionally be more of a difference. Not all teams are that much larger, but enough are.

Think about the knights when you are in plebe boxing and getting pounded by someone with longer reach and 20 lbs on you.

Hawk, I think you mistook my meaning. Cadets like to make fun of our team, mainly because when they lose we don't get the fancy privellages we were hoping for and look to take it out on someone, but we wouldn't change the fact that they are our team. I know I still have the utmost respect them and what they do. Yes, they're at a disadvantage, but they still are high quality football players which was the point I was making to the OP that if he was looking to just walk on, it might be tougher then he was thinking.

Casey said:

I know I still have the utmost respect them and what they do. Yes, they're at a disadvantage, but they still are high quality football players which was the point I was making to the OP that if he was looking to just walk on, it might be tougher then he was thinking.

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My bad, my post was not clear.... I was agreeing 100% with your point.

I did not "get" Army football until I had the context to understand the rigor they have to deal with compared to other teams. So even as corps squadders and whatever benefit they get from that, they are still cadets. And will serve, etc. Add to that some of the example from last year's team (4.0 engineering degree, etc), and my respect grew further.

I'm of the belief that the current semi-pro NCAA football teams have lost their way, and all college teams should be like academy ball

Got ya, fair enough.

There's a reason that they call Army-Navy America's game

Go to this website: www.goarmysports.com. Go to football. Contact the football coach. Ask him your questions.

I'm a Navy grad but this should still be good advice . . .

It is very difficult to walk on to the Division I varsity football team at one of the Service Academies. Before you make the commitment in time/energy/your hopes, start by looking at the roster of Army's team and, specifically, the biographies of the players. Do you match up in your physical stats? Do you have the type of honors (all-State, all-Conference) you see reflected in those on the Army football team? Were you recruited by any other college team? What level? (D3, DI?) If you were not recruited, this could be an indication that your talent does not match up with a DI program.

If you think your talent level matches up, do you have any film? Consider asking your high school coach to contact the Army coaching staff to provide them with film. Even if you have a high level of talent, it is hard to have a realistic chance of walking on in the limited amount of time in which the coaches' eyeballs will be on you. If they've seen some film and know your name, it could help. Alternatively, they might be able to look at the film and give your coach a candid assessment that they are not interested and/or that you would have a minimal chance of making the team, and you can investigate other opportunities.*

*Other opportunities -- check out Sprint Football -- it is a varsity sport and played at a fun, high level. You might also check out Rugby -- a lot of former HS football players go in for rugby at the SAs. Good team experience, lots of physical contact if you need to hit people to get out the frustrations of cadet/midshipman life.

Good luck.

Coach Ellerson will not respond to e-mails. You will get the opportunity during mass athletics to show the staff what you have. If you have never spoken with one of the coaches, do check out the position coaches and send them an e-mail. If you have any highlights from high school on dvd or YouTube that would be great way to get their attention. Before Ellerson took over football Army carried a much larger roster and walk-on cadets did make the team. I am not trying to discourage you but as mentioned above it will be difficult to get one of those 150 spots. Also, your company should have a football team and it is a great time.

Jonathan said:

Well its good to know at least someone else is thinkin about it too. I know for a fact the prep school kids will make it because they are up there all year and summer practicing. it.

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You need to know that a lot of the "prep school kids" you refer to are actually recruited football players who will be on the WP team because they were recruited for that team.

Jonathan said:

I know for a fact the prep school kids will make it because they are up there all year and summer practicing.

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This is an incorrect assumption. Not everyone who plays football at USMAPS makes the roster of the Army football team, not even all of the ones recruited for football.

2016 CA Mom said:

You need to know that a lot of the "prep school kids" you refer to are actually recruited football players who will be on the WP team because they were recruited for that team.

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IF they make the team, it will be because they earned a spot AFTER they've arrived at USMA, not simply because they were recruited.

There's also not a 100% guarantee going to the prep school will get you in the next year, particularly with the smaller class sizes. There's a number of prepsters who are USMAPS (let alone in the civil prep program) who won't get offers to USMA despite doing everything they were asked to while at the prep school (meaning these aren't people who failed anything - there just aren't enough slots)

The USMA rugby football team is a good alternative for agile American footballers, soccer players, wrestlers, and martial artists looking for a very fast paced, hard hitting sport that will test you in ways most other sports cannot. It also develops a sense of teamwork to a very high level (and probably one of the few SA sports that will be in the 2016 Olympics too).

The USMA rugby team is extremely competitive, travels nationally, and enjoys a good coaching staff as well.

Be sure to work on your cardio fitness because rugby matches are 90 minutes of sprint, wrestle, sprint, tackle, sprint, etc. etc. Check out some You Tube videos to get an idea of what you are getting yourself into (you might like it!).

As you might guess, I played rugby in college, adult club, and coached youth rugby for years. My daughter plays rugby for UC Berkeley and my son expects to play for USMA this year, so I am terribly biased.

It would not hurt to send an email to the rugby Coach Pohlidal to explain your abilities and request the opportunity to try out. Email Coach here: richard.pohlidal@usma.edu

Do not be disappointed if you receive no response as there is very little time and much to do at West Point between now and Beast, but he will get your message.