Best sports to do to get into West point?

S

SCtoir

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2024
Messages
11
What are the best sports I should do in highschool to get into Westpoint?
 
SCtoir said:
What are the best sports I should do in highschool to get into Westpoint?
Click to expand...
Hi, I'm slow and need things broken down Barney style fairly often. You're asking which sports to "do" in high school to get into West Point?

Do you play a sport(s) now or just want to start in high school to pad your resume?
 
SCtoir said:
What are the best sports I should do in highschool to get into Westpoint?
Click to expand...
One that you're good enough at to get recruited.

Beyond that, many will jump up with "their" sport for one reason or another and you're sure to see
Cross Country and Wrestling on that list but, for a candidate who is otherwise in great shape and can
do well on the CFA, I'd say that there are different aspects to the various choices BEYOND the physical aspects
of running (Cross Country) or Physical Combat (wrestling/boxing/combative sports). Football, baseball, lacrosse
and Soccer involve more people working together so there is more of potential leadership then say Tennis or
Shot Put.

I'd advise you to go for the sport where you are the best if it is potentially recruitable and if not, the sport
that you enjoy the most as it might give you extra "oomph" in both doing it and the interaction (leadership) with
teammates.
 
Great advice from @OldRetSWO. I boil it down to this: You should play the sport that...

...you genuinely enjoy. So that you're more likely to stick with it.

...you excel at. So that you can potentially win accolades and honors.

...you do in teams. So that you can develop teamwork and leadership.
 
Devil Doc said:
Hi, I'm slow and need things broken down Barney style fairly often. You're asking which sports to "do" in high school to get into West Point?

Do you play a sport(s) now or just want to start in high school to pad your resume?
Click to expand...
I want to start sports to get into West Point.
 
OldRetSWO said:
One that you're good enough at to get recruited.

Beyond that, many will jump up with "their" sport for one reason or another and you're sure to see
Cross Country and Wrestling on that list but, for a candidate who is otherwise in great shape and can
do well on the CFA, I'd say that there are different aspects to the various choices BEYOND the physical aspects
of running (Cross Country) or Physical Combat (wrestling/boxing/combative sports). Football, baseball, lacrosse
and Soccer involve more people working together so there is more of potential leadership then say Tennis or
Shot Put.

I'd advise you to go for the sport where you are the best if it is potentially recruitable and if not, the sport
that you enjoy the most as it might give you extra "oomph" in both doing it and the interaction (leadership) with
teammates.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot! 👍
 
Football can help if wrestling isn't for you. But at the end of the day, any sport you're good at, that challenges you to become better, and one that you enjoy will help you get into West Point. Don't do things to "get into" West Point. Do things that'll make West Point want you.
 
Football and lacrosse are team sports that are “violent” so to speak—involve a lot of physicality. I have heard the academies look favorably on these types of sports because they are similar to what you would do in the military.
But as others said, do the sport(s) that can help you earn varsity letters and hopefully team captain.
Team captain and varsity letters likely count more than merely the type of sport itself.
 
Putting my vote in here for rugby - Army, Navy and Air Force all have top ten ranked rugby teams in the D1 category - it’s a bit on the fringe for us Americans, but that much more interesting if you like and excel as the talent/option pool is pretty small for these big D1 rugby schools…they usually have to rely on a lot of people switching from football once they are at the academy…
 
SCtoir said:
I want to start sports to get into West Point.
Click to expand...
That's what I was getting at with my question. I don't mean to sound discouraging here but high school is when kids start quitting sports. Why? Because they can no longer hit a fast ball. Because they got outgrown by a 230 pound 4.4-forty linebacker. Because they can't or don't want to practice after school for no playing time. I've coached football, baseball, softball, and basketball from t-ball to high school football and baseball in my state's most competitive region. Well, probably tied for most competitive. Coaches know who the players are before tryouts even start. They know who is coming back and know who is coming up. In my area, coaches get pleasantly surprised occasionally when a military kid transfers in and makes an impact. Look up Sunshine Remember the Titans.

All is not lost however. It was recommended above to play something you can letter in. Football and probably lacrosse don't do cuts. They need practice players so you can make the team and letter if you stick it out all season. Lots of coaches though require a certain amount of playing time on the varsity to get that letter. Maybe you're exceptionally athletic and a quick learner and will surprise everybody.

It was recommended above to wrestle. That's the toughest sport in high school. It may be your thing. One of my female students made states this year. She rassled boys during the season but competed with girls at the state tournament. She's also a cheerleader which you can also letter in. Can you run? Do track or cross country. I know a USNA grad who got in because she's a genius plus she was a cross country athlete. If you've never played baseball then it's too late to start in high school. Years ago my son had just made varsity baseball as a freshman and the coach let a 4.3 running back join the team with the thought of him being a pinch runner. He had just signed a NLI with Coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Everybody told the kid he was crazy to risk injury in a sport he hadn't played since he was a 10 year old. He was a fish out of water. He was an elite running back, one of the best in the country, and didn't know the first thing about running bases. He didn't last a week on the baseball team.

Unless you're a phenom, basketball is out of the question. Kids are making travel squads and getting private coaching as young as seven in soccer, baseball, et al. (My two grandsons). Starting sports in high school isn't impossible but not typical. I suppose there's something for you but it might also depend on the school size and competitiveness of the area, district, region. I wish you luck.
 
Last edited:
It's about the WCS points:

Participant: some points
Varsity: more points
Letter: even more points
Team Captain: lots more points
Significant Achievement (State Champion, etc.): extra points

Good enough to get recruited: If you are 3Q, you're in if the coach wants you bad enough. If not academically qualified, might get prep school if coach wants you bad enough.
 
Devil Doc said:
That's what I was getting at with my question. I don't mean to sound discouraging here but high school is when kids start quitting sports. Why? Because they can no longer hit a fast ball. Because they got outgrown by a 230 pound 4.4-forty linebacker. Because they can't or don't want to practice after school for no playing time. I've coached football, baseball, softball, and basketball from t-ball to high school football and baseball in my state's most competitive region. Well, probably tied for most competitive. Coaches know who the players are before tryouts even start. They know who is coming back and know who is coming up. In my area, coaches get pleasantly surprised occasionally when a military kid transfers in and makes an impact. Look up Sunshine Remember the Titans.

All is not lost however. It was recommended above to play something you can letter in. Football and probably lacrosse don't do cuts. They need practice players so you can make the team and letter if you stick it out all season. Lots of coaches though require a certain amount of playing time on the varsity to get that letter. Maybe you're exceptionally athletic and a quick learner and will surprise everybody.

It was recommended above to wrestle. That's the toughest sport in high school. It may be your thing. One of my female students made states this year. She rassled boys during the season but competed with girls at the state tournament. She's also a cheerleader which you can also letter in. Can you run? Do track or cross country. I know a USNA grad who got in because she's a genius plus she was a cross country athlete. If you've never played baseball then it's too late to start in high school. Years ago my son had just made varsity baseball as a freshman and the coach let a 4.3 running back join the team with the thought of him being a pinch runner. He had just signed a NLI with Coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State. Everybody told the kid he was crazy to risk injury in a sport he hadn't played since he was a 10 year old. He was a fish out of water. He was an elite running back, one of the best in the country, and didn't know the first thing about running bases. He didn't last a week on the baseball team.

Unless you're a phenom, basketball is out of the question. Kids are making travel squads and getting private coaching as young as seven in soccer, baseball, et al. (My two grandsons). Starting sports in high school isn't impossible but not typical. I suppose there's something for you but it might also depend on the school size and competitiveness of the area, district, region. I wish you luck.
Click to expand...
Thanks man.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top