Sports Commitment to USAFA

I was wondering about just how binding a verbal commitment to USAFA is for a sport. I received a Letter of Intent to play my sport after I committed. If I receive a Letter of Assurance to USAFA, and then rescind my commitment, would my LOA be taken away?

No. You cannot be forced to participate. Also remember though that an LOA is great, but not an absolute.

To agree to play to obtain an appointment, well...

If that is your plan, then rethink the plan. You are starting your military service off on a deception?

billyb said:

If that is your plan, then rethink the plan. You are starting your military service off on a deception?

Click to expand...

You're right. That's not my intent.

As mentioned already, a LOA is not a guarantee of an appointment. But yes, the LOA is given in reference to your recruitment as an athlete. But as mentioned, you aren't committed to being an athlete.

Now, whether that LOA would be taken away if you told the coach you weren't interested in playing; should you receive an appointment; no one can answer that question. It is quite possible that the LOA would be taken away. Thus, you'd be in the same position as every other applicant.

Having said that, I can tell you about a NUMBER of athletes who's #1 desire was to attend the academy, graduate, get commissioned, and become military officers. And I know quite a few "Recruited Athletes" (For lack of better terms) who used their athletics to receive their appointments. Then, once at the academy, they CHOSE to not be involved in the sport. They still get to be a cadet and remain at the academy. This isn't a college athletic scholarship. The military doesn't have those. So, if you USED your athletics to get an LOA and an appointment, and then once there give up on the athletics, you'll still be there as a cadet and get your degree, commission, and be an officer.

Of course, some will think this sucks. That if you weren't an athlete, and weren't recruited, you may or may not have received the appointment. But these same people think that most athletes aren't the same academic caliber as those applying to the academies who aren't recruited athletes. Me personally; I believe if you truly WANT to be a cadet, WANT to receive a degree from the academies, and WANT to serve your country as a commissioned officers, then do or use whatever it takes to get there. If that means using your athletic ability to get an appointment, then DO IT!!! Some people use their 4.0 gpa and AP/IB academics to do it. Some use their 35 ACT scores. Some use their JrROTC/CAP as their "Special Quality" to get an appointment. Some use their "Diversity" to receive an appointment. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It's up to use to exemplify your STRENGTHS in the application process to give you the edge in receiving an appointment. If one of your STRENGTHS is your athletic abilities, then USE IT to get you to the academy.

The academies are a Top-10 type of academic university. Whether you are there via sports, academics, extra curricular, etc. you are expected to be able to succeed academically and militarily and eventually become a commissioned officer and leader. If you think you have what it takes to succeed at the academy, then use WHATEVER STRENGTHS YOU HAVE to give yourself the edge and receive the appointment. If athletics helped you get there, and once there you choose not to participate in that IC sport, no big deal. I would recommend however that you wait until you receive the appointment and actually get through basic training before you decide or even mention not wanting to participate in sports.

best of luck.

Christcorp said:

As mentioned already, a LOA is not a guarantee of an appointment. But yes, the LOA is given in reference to your recruitment as an athlete. But as mentioned, you aren't committed to being an athlete.

Now, whether that LOA would be taken away if you told the coach you weren't interested in playing; should you receive an appointment; no one can answer that question. It is quite possible that the LOA would be taken away. Thus, you'd be in the same position as every other applicant.

Having said that, I can tell you about a NUMBER of athletes who's #1 desire was to attend the academy, graduate, get commissioned, and become military officers. And I know quite a few "Recruited Athletes" (For lack of better terms) who used their athletics to receive their appointments. Then, once at the academy, they CHOSE to not be involved in the sport. They still get to be a cadet and remain at the academy. This isn't a college athletic scholarship. The military doesn't have those. So, if you USED your athletics to get an LOA and an appointment, and then once there give up on the athletics, you'll still be there as a cadet and get your degree, commission, and be an officer.

Of course, some will think this sucks. That if you weren't an athlete, and weren't recruited, you may or may not have received the appointment. But these same people think that most athletes aren't the same academic caliber as those applying to the academies who aren't recruited athletes. Me personally; I believe if you truly WANT to be a cadet, WANT to receive a degree from the academies, and WANT to serve your country as a commissioned officers, then do or use whatever it takes to get there. If that means using your athletic ability to get an appointment, then DO IT!!! Some people use their 4.0 gpa and AP/IB academics to do it. Some use their 35 ACT scores. Some use their JrROTC/CAP as their "Special Quality" to get an appointment. Some use their "Diversity" to receive an appointment. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It's up to use to exemplify your STRENGTHS in the application process to give you the edge in receiving an appointment. If one of your STRENGTHS is your athletic abilities, then USE IT to get you to the academy.

The academies are a Top-10 type of academic university. Whether you are there via sports, academics, extra curricular, etc. you are expected to be able to succeed academically and militarily and eventually become a commissioned officer and leader. If you think you have what it takes to succeed at the academy, then use WHATEVER STRENGTHS YOU HAVE to give yourself the edge and receive the appointment. If athletics helped you get there, and once there you choose not to participate in that IC sport, no big deal. I would recommend however that you wait until you receive the appointment and actually get through basic training before you decide or even mention not wanting to participate in sports.

best of luck.

Click to expand...

Thank you Christcorp!! I know that this is what I want to do. I know that I belong serving my country in the U.S. Air Force. I greatly appreciate your response.

Service Academies are exempt from the 'signing' of Letters of Intent and verbal commitments mean nothing at all. If you have seen someone sign their LOI - it is not real - just a show.

The only way usafa can rescind your LOA is to not complete the actions spelled out in the LOA - playing sports at usafa will not be a condition.

ChristCorp is wrong to say your LOA can be rescinded

Cerberi. I am not wrong. You simply don't understand what I said. LOA's are generally only given out to athletes and a very few highly desirable applicants. It's PART of the application process. You are correct that the LOI (Letter of Intent) to play sports for the academy is just show. It doesn't have the same NCAA implications that a real LOI for an athlete that commits to a school.

However; the OP is questioning "IF" they get an LOA (Letter of Assurance) for an appointment. If they were to receive an LOA, it's most likely because the coach of one of the IC teams at the academy recommended the LOA because they are trying to recruit this individual. IF this is the case, and the individual informed the coach that they have no intention of playing IC sports at the academy, then either the coach WILL NOT recommend an LOA to this individual in the first place; or, if the coach already recommended an LOA, S/He (the coach) could recommend to admissions that the LOA be rescinded IF it was based on being a recruited athlete. Thus, the individual applying would be in the EXACT SAME application pool as everyone else.

But to clarify...... LOA's are NOT given out to any and all individuals applying to the academy who happen to play IC sports. In a freshman class of 50 "Recruited" football players, MAYBE 5-10 might be offered an LOA. Just because you are a recruited athlete doesn't mean you'll get an LOA. Most recruited athletes DON'T receive an LOA. Most sign LOI's as a "SHOW". Most are called "Recruited Athletes" ALSO as a SHOW. This is not the same as a traditional school. Of the 50 recruited football players each year, HALF will be cut from the team before spring practice. Some with QUIT the team. But ALL of these individuals are STILL cadets at the academy. They don't lose anything.

As for the poster, chances are, if they were one of the "ELITE" athletes, they would have already RECEIVED an LOA 2-3 months ago. The fact that they got an LOI/Commitment letter, and hasn't received an LOA, tells me they probably won't receive an LOA. An LOA is rare. Even among recruited athletes. And YES, I have seen LOA's rescinded. The individual went back into the NORMAL pool of applicants. But again, this is during the application process. It has nothing to do with your appointment to the academy once you're there.

I was simply recommending that IF an individual received an LOA, which apparently this poster hasn't, that they shouldn't mention any future possibility of retracting any interest in their sport. LOI's mean NOTHING. So you DON'T NEED to rescind an LOI. It's totally for show and meaningless. Only at a traditional college does it mean anything. The LOA on the other hand; IF an individual got one; they should continue on and get their appointment and attend basic training and the academy. They can change their mind later about participating in an IC sport. I wouldn't bring it up prior to receiving and appointment and completing Basic Training.

There is a big difference b/w being recruited to play a sport, given a LOA and then once at USAFA deciding not to continue the sport b/c of academics or something like that. Using sports to get an LOA and then telling the coach before you even get there that you don't ever intend to play on the squad just isn't right.

ChristCorp wrote:

'Now, whether that LOA would be taken away if you told the coach you weren't interested in playing; should you receive an appointment; no one can answer that question. It is quite possible that the LOA would be taken away. Thus, you'd be in the sameposition as every other applicant. '

The LOA contains conditions that must be met. NEVER do those conditions say anything about playing sports at the academy

Hence you ChristCorp are wrong to say the LOA could be taken away under that circumstances