Decision to discontinue journey
- Thread starter Raptor22
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FastFalcon7
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Don't give up. As stupid as it sounds, superstars are made, not born. Cliche, cliche, I know, but it's true. Message me if you need to discuss a plan for further action. It's better the academy dq's you than you do that to yourself.
Keep it up mate.
Keep it up mate.
- Joined
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Raptor, from your few posts, it looked like your heart was never really in it. You asked one question and never came back and then left a comment on another post about not being good enough. No one can help you if you don't at first help yourself. You have to reach deep within to discover what you really want and then decide to make it happen. No one here can do that for you. I truly wish you well.
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Discernment of your life's vocation can be difficult, and I wish you the best.
Raptor22, good luck in your future endeavors.
For those who are still pursuing an Appointment to a SA a point of clarification. The academies are not for superstars. Granted, there are a lot of cadets/midshipmen who are superstars. But there are also a lot of very ordinary people, and to be blunt, some below average folks as well. It's a Bell Curve of talent. The SA's have a lot of people who don't quit when faced with a difficult task. In my very uneducated opinion, I think that's what the SA's are looking for in their applicants and every step in the admission's process is geared to identify those people.
Let's look at one thing, the Varsity Letter. There's a whole sticky about this subject on this forum about the importance of getting a letter. It's not that they want a stud athlete. They want the person who is willing to put in the work, manage their time and maybe get out of their comfort zone in the process. I'm no athlete, but I wrestled in HS. It was daunting showing up on Day 1 with about forty other kids ready to be the next Dan Gable. After about two weeks only fifteen of us were left. It's much nicer to stay in bed in December over Christmas Break then it is to get up and go push yourself physically until you're about ready to puke. Occasionally that line was crossed.
When I first started wrestling I wasn't very good, but by the end of the season I was OK. By the end of the next year I was good, but I was never a District or State champion. But I had two years of Varsity letters to show for it and the CFA was a breeze. I also had a JV introduction to time management. I got my Varsity introduction at the Zoo. With my DD we just repeated the process with Cross Country. As an aside, if you are a stud athlete with good grades the academies want you too, so don't get discouraged. 
So if you're a 7th/8th/9th grader wondering how to get into a SA, there's part of the answer. Accept the challenge, work hard and don't quit. Now how do I get off of this soapbox? Or maybe it's a high horse.
For those who are still pursuing an Appointment to a SA a point of clarification. The academies are not for superstars. Granted, there are a lot of cadets/midshipmen who are superstars. But there are also a lot of very ordinary people, and to be blunt, some below average folks as well. It's a Bell Curve of talent. The SA's have a lot of people who don't quit when faced with a difficult task. In my very uneducated opinion, I think that's what the SA's are looking for in their applicants and every step in the admission's process is geared to identify those people.
Let's look at one thing, the Varsity Letter. There's a whole sticky about this subject on this forum about the importance of getting a letter. It's not that they want a stud athlete. They want the person who is willing to put in the work, manage their time and maybe get out of their comfort zone in the process. I'm no athlete, but I wrestled in HS. It was daunting showing up on Day 1 with about forty other kids ready to be the next Dan Gable. After about two weeks only fifteen of us were left. It's much nicer to stay in bed in December over Christmas Break then it is to get up and go push yourself physically until you're about ready to puke. Occasionally that line was crossed.
When I first started wrestling I wasn't very good, but by the end of the season I was OK. By the end of the next year I was good, but I was never a District or State champion. But I had two years of Varsity letters to show for it and the CFA was a breeze. I also had a JV introduction to time management. I got my Varsity introduction at the Zoo. With my DD we just repeated the process with Cross Country. As an aside, if you are a stud athlete with good grades the academies want you too, so don't get discouraged. So if you're a 7th/8th/9th grader wondering how to get into a SA, there's part of the answer. Accept the challenge, work hard and don't quit. Now how do I get off of this soapbox? Or maybe it's a high horse.
I have friends who have gone to USAFA/USMA/USNA - they weren't "superstars." They were however individuals who took that leap of faith and applied to their respective SA and got in; again, these individuals were by no means superstars or people you dropped your jaw at. They worked hard and believed in themselves and got in.
If it's something you really want, don't give up.
If your heart simply isn't in it, I wish you the best of luck in your future.
If it's something you really want, don't give up.
If your heart simply isn't in it, I wish you the best of luck in your future.
USAFA83GradWife
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I'm confused, Raptor. You decide to not pursue a career in the military because the academies are looking for superstars (other have addressed the superstar credentials so I won't repeat them.) You do realize that the Academies aren't the only way to pursue a military career, right?
Or are you using this as an excuse not to pursue a military career? You don't need an excuse! If that life isn't right for you, then kudos to you for recognizing that. Go after what you want! Don't look for excuses.
Or are you using this as an excuse not to pursue a military career? You don't need an excuse! If that life isn't right for you, then kudos to you for recognizing that. Go after what you want! Don't look for excuses.
Flyboy's Dad
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- May 10, 2013
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My son was not a superstar. Never was team captain. Didn't even start varsity. Got good grades, but nowhere near valedictorian. SAT/ACT scores, good but not great. He did have other things going for him, but most of all, he wanted this bad: bad enough to go after it with everything he had and willing to fail miserably if that's the way it played out. That was over four years ago. He's about to graduate with a B.S. in management from the United States Air Force Academy and a commission in the greatest air force in the world. But he wanted it bad. Do you? If you do, DON'T GIVE UP! Whether or not you get an appointment is not the most important thing; going after it is. The magic is not in the varsity letters or GPA's or test scores; it's in YOU. It IS you.
5Day
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Attending a SA and serving your country through the military is not for everyone. If a SA and military career are not for you, then there are many ways to to lead a productive and fulfilling life. Just follow your passions, and be the best you can be.
Daretodream
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Superstar may be in the mind of the beholder. My son made a decision in the sixth grade that he wanted to attend a SA. Heck, he made the decision he wanted to attend the USAFA in the sixth grade. I think the world of him because he never wavered and made his own decision to forego some social aspects of growing up to pursue his dream. However, he is not a superstar. He is extremely smart, but he worked hard in other areas to build his all-around resume for the SA. He also understood it would be tough and thought through the plan B process.
In the 7th grade we moved to a new town and state and he went from a small school with a total enrollment of less than 500 to a class with an enrollment of a 1000. He played soccer but was not good enough to play for the school teams. His high school won 18 state titles and was named the top athletic program in the country for 2 of his 4 years. He quit soccer and took up tennis in the 8th grade. The tennis coach didn't cut kids who would commit to getting better. My son's goal was to earn a letter by his senior year. He worked hard and got better. He got good enough to letter for 3 years on a team that won 6 straight state titles. He was never good enough to crack the top 6 but he learned some great life lessons on the court.
He joined CAP and worked hard to promote. He was rarely chosen for leadership roles as those tended to go to Cadets of CAP members. He kept at it and earned the Billy Mitchell. He was finally given a flight leadership position and excelled at it. He never complained because this was part of his process to reach his goal.
He took the hardest curriculum offered at his school. He did not care about finishing first in his class, but cared about preparing himself for a tough college program. He is not in the top 10 in his class but did well enough to finish in the top quarter. He started taking the ACT as an 8th grader and kept taking it once a year through his junior year. Each year he improved his score going from a 25 to a 34. It took work.
He also worked full-time in the summer and on weekends during the school year. The schedule forced him to learn time management and to sacrifice much of his social time. He never complained because he had a goal. I have learned a lot myself by watching him work towards his goal.
The message is that he is an extraordinary person with great drive and determination, but he was not a born superstar. He made himself into who he is by working hard and never giving up or listening to those who told him he could not do something.
In the 7th grade we moved to a new town and state and he went from a small school with a total enrollment of less than 500 to a class with an enrollment of a 1000. He played soccer but was not good enough to play for the school teams. His high school won 18 state titles and was named the top athletic program in the country for 2 of his 4 years. He quit soccer and took up tennis in the 8th grade. The tennis coach didn't cut kids who would commit to getting better. My son's goal was to earn a letter by his senior year. He worked hard and got better. He got good enough to letter for 3 years on a team that won 6 straight state titles. He was never good enough to crack the top 6 but he learned some great life lessons on the court.
He joined CAP and worked hard to promote. He was rarely chosen for leadership roles as those tended to go to Cadets of CAP members. He kept at it and earned the Billy Mitchell. He was finally given a flight leadership position and excelled at it. He never complained because this was part of his process to reach his goal.
He took the hardest curriculum offered at his school. He did not care about finishing first in his class, but cared about preparing himself for a tough college program. He is not in the top 10 in his class but did well enough to finish in the top quarter. He started taking the ACT as an 8th grader and kept taking it once a year through his junior year. Each year he improved his score going from a 25 to a 34. It took work.
He also worked full-time in the summer and on weekends during the school year. The schedule forced him to learn time management and to sacrifice much of his social time. He never complained because he had a goal. I have learned a lot myself by watching him work towards his goal.
The message is that he is an extraordinary person with great drive and determination, but he was not a born superstar. He made himself into who he is by working hard and never giving up or listening to those who told him he could not do something.
5Day
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@Daretodream The example your DS made is not specific to gaining admittance and succeeding at a service academy. It is the same for any competitive college. The top schools what scholars with something extra. Great grades, leadership responsibility, EAs. The SAs want leadership through athletics which IMHO is the only differentiator, along with the nomination and dobmerb process.