Really, you're actually going to pick on squash?
I don't post here a lot, but that was a rather uninformed call out, so I feel this post is warranted. I currently have my loa, nom and have passed my medical, so I'm just waiting for my appointment to the class of 2014. As a recruited athlete (for squash), I recently went down to Navy to visit the team. I am trying to make sure that Navy is the right school for me as I am also into MIT. All I can say is that even if you don't think squash takes as much time, I can promise you those guys are more exhausted on a nightly basis than almost any other group of athletes on campus.
You should seriously consider your words before you go ahead and joke about the extra commitment of a varsity athlete at Navy, especially when you're going to single out a specific group.
Congratulations on your achievement. But if I were you, I wouldn't pretend to lecture me on this topic.
Would you leave room for the possibility that the reason you found the post so offensive was because you are a squash player and, as a result, took it personally?
I'm not saying squash is not difficult. I'm not saying it's not hard work. I sucked at it! But it does not,
and will not, consume as much of your free time as some of the higher profile sports do.
Time is at a premium in academy life. It is probably the most valuable of all the commodities. Well, next to sleep.
Believe me, the football players will be missing more classes, will have more practices, and will be missing many more functions than you ever will by being on the squash team. My intent is not to denigrate the sport of squash. I just picked it as an example of a varsity sport that does not take up as much of one's time than other sports. My point is: They are all not created equally. And they all take up considerable amount of time that a non-varsity athlete does not have to contend with.
Athletes may miss some parades - but the time savings by missing that parade is a drop in the bucket compared to the time consumed with their sport. They
deserve to miss that parade.
The varsity athletes will be at practice
during the parade and for hours
after the parade. The rest of the Brigade is going to march back to Bancroft Hall, hang up their rifle, take off the white gloves and chokers, and start studying for their Differential Equations quiz tomorrow. And the varsity athlete will
still be at practice.
It takes a special person to get high grades and participate in a varsity sport. Yes - even squash!
I respect those guys. But, I can assure you, they are making academic compromises. Don't forget, some people are perfectly content with a 2.8 GPA. For some, the
sport is more important than their grades.
And, depending what your service selection preference may be ... your grades may not matter that much in the long run.
Choices - choices - choices.