Well, that's interesting, you ask, because I have yet to find information on how I could play sports in prep school. I've been wrestling for most of my life.
Congrats! My daughter is currently at NAPS and loving it. Any questions just ask. If you go to NAPS you would probably find the recruited wrestlers and practice with them. NAPS does have a wrestling team you can join - most of the varsity sports do not have enough players at NAPS so they welcome walk-ons.
Aksel2028 summed it up well. While NAPS has lots of recruited athletes they usually do not have enough to round out rosters. Walk ons will help with this. It’s a great way to stay in shape and make friends. It is a mixed bag post NAPS for walk ons at USNA. It even is for recruited athletes. A couple of examples, football. They will have 50+ recruits at NAPS and the same amount of directs. That is 100- 120+ for a class. Many will realize they just aren’t good enough and find another sport or passion. Some will hang on and play JV. Attrition naturally happens there too. Come senior day, 25-35 seniors are celebrated. If those maybe 15-20 saw real field time. It can be a lot of work to be in the practice squad. Basketball will have 8-10 or so at NAPS. Same thing with directs. That makes 10-20 for a recruiting class. Travel squad is 15. Senior day was yesterday, basketball had 2. Only 1 really saw the court. Wrestling has a pretty storied program at USNA. Continue at NAPS if you enjoy it. You will see how you far against the recruited wrestlers. Also wrestling is known for sending some of its prep candidates to Blair Academy as well. Worst case you wrestle at NAPS and have fun and see how you do. Best case you wrestle at USNA and get to travel.
My M/C is there now. He was recruited for football. Some of the players for football and other sports were NOT recruited and they tried out as walk ons once they got to Navy Prep. I can ask in our parent group who you would need to reach out to if you are still interested.
If you meet the conditions at the prep schools, you’ll get an appointment.
If you want USAFA then go USAFA. If you want USNA then go NAPS. Both are the Golden Ticket to getting in the following class year. But, yes, it will be a 5 year academic commitment, not 4. However, you get paid, brush up on your math, chemistry, physics and writing skills, learn military proknow and are a year stronger when you report to the Academy of your choice. Plus, you make many life long friends that you will have with you on InDoc/I-Day which the directs won't have.
From what I have read on other forums, as long as you perform well and don’t get into trouble, completing NAPS gets you into the academy the following year.
When u decide, if you want to join our prep group chat, just dm me ur snap and I’ll add you!
Is your group chat for USAFA prep? I have a DS going there, he might like to connect.
its for all prep schools!