First let me apologize for the long post...but I figure get all the information out first and go from their.
Second, I have read most of the other posts and found them very useful, so thanks in advance to everyone who asks and answers questions here...it really helps.
We are new to this military academy thing, no one in my extended family has ever applied or attended one. My question concerns my daughter who will apply to the Coast Guard Academy this fall.
Her Background---
She will be a senior in high school this fall, good grades (3.95 GPA, 1600 PSAT, 2000 on SAT). Will graduate 5th out of 550 students.
Plays goalie and forward on the varsity soccer team. Also plays forward on her spring travel soccer team (they have another goalie).
Throws shot and disk, long jump and runs 100 and 300 hurdles on the varsity track team.
She is 6'-1" and between 170 and 180 pounds.
No health problems other than what I will relate below. Has dislocated both shoulders at various times playing soccer, no surgery needed.
She attended the Coast Guard Academy summer program this July and passed their personal fitness exam. No problem with sit ups or 1 1/2 mile run....needs work on push ups. They indicated that the USCGA would schedule her for a physical exam for late this summer.
Here is where the "problem" occured........
She is a really good goalie on her high school soccer team (they play in the fall). She also likes to play forward. She gets a chance to do this on her spring team since they have 2 goalies on that team. It can be entertaining to watch as she usually begins the year playing like a combination bull in the china shop and a chicken with it's head cut off. (Her description, not mine
). She ends up running all over the field till she figures the game out again (this is after spending the entire fall season in goal).
Here's where we first encountered her problem. 2 years ago, when she first got a chance to play in the field, the first soccer game of the season was in early March, in Indiana, temperature 35-40 degrees. After running 25 minutes straight, she asked to come out, as she was having problems breathing. I have coached for years and know the difference between "out-of-breath" and an asthma attack. She was experiencing more than out of breath, but not a severe asthma attack. She stayed out of the game about 25 minutes, then went back as a goalie for the 2nd half. No more breathing problems.
As a precaution, the next week we went to our doctor to see if she had a problem. (I just went and reviewed her file so this is exactly what he said...)
He examined her, did NOT make any diagnosis of any type of breathing problem, but wrote a prescription for albuterol and singulair "to be taken if necessary". She was not referred to any pulmonologist. Her medical file states that she came in complaining of "a breathing problem while playing soccer in cold weather". There is no other notation or diagnosis.
She had one other incident last summer during a game in about 90 degree weather. Same symptoms.....DID use her inhaler, it helped a little but not much...she sat out 20 minutes or so, then went back in to the games with no problems. We did not see the doctor after this occurrence.
She does NOT have any problem at track. Runs the hurdles pretty well for a shot-putter! Never has a breathing problem. But could be because she only runs 15-45 seconds for each event.
My question is this. When she takes her physical exam for the CGA, what should she tell them? I most certainly want her to tell the truth, but don't want to screw things up. She has never been diagnosed with any kind of asthma, but does have a doctors record of seeking treatment (at my urging...now I feel stupid...I hope I didn't screw up her chances of admission). How should we handle this at the physical?
And assuming she were to pass the physical (or even if she failed but was then granted a waiver), what happens if this crops up later at the academy? It seems to only happen during the first part of a soccer season when she is not in the best of shape and during either very cold or very hot weather. If this happened at the Academy after being admitted, would they kick her out?
Thanks in advance for reading what is a very long post...I appreciate all your input and any suggestions you might have.
Mike
Second, I have read most of the other posts and found them very useful, so thanks in advance to everyone who asks and answers questions here...it really helps.
We are new to this military academy thing, no one in my extended family has ever applied or attended one. My question concerns my daughter who will apply to the Coast Guard Academy this fall.
Her Background---
She will be a senior in high school this fall, good grades (3.95 GPA, 1600 PSAT, 2000 on SAT). Will graduate 5th out of 550 students.
Plays goalie and forward on the varsity soccer team. Also plays forward on her spring travel soccer team (they have another goalie).
Throws shot and disk, long jump and runs 100 and 300 hurdles on the varsity track team.
She is 6'-1" and between 170 and 180 pounds.
No health problems other than what I will relate below. Has dislocated both shoulders at various times playing soccer, no surgery needed.
She attended the Coast Guard Academy summer program this July and passed their personal fitness exam. No problem with sit ups or 1 1/2 mile run....needs work on push ups. They indicated that the USCGA would schedule her for a physical exam for late this summer.
Here is where the "problem" occured........
She is a really good goalie on her high school soccer team (they play in the fall). She also likes to play forward. She gets a chance to do this on her spring team since they have 2 goalies on that team. It can be entertaining to watch as she usually begins the year playing like a combination bull in the china shop and a chicken with it's head cut off. (Her description, not mine

Here's where we first encountered her problem. 2 years ago, when she first got a chance to play in the field, the first soccer game of the season was in early March, in Indiana, temperature 35-40 degrees. After running 25 minutes straight, she asked to come out, as she was having problems breathing. I have coached for years and know the difference between "out-of-breath" and an asthma attack. She was experiencing more than out of breath, but not a severe asthma attack. She stayed out of the game about 25 minutes, then went back as a goalie for the 2nd half. No more breathing problems.
As a precaution, the next week we went to our doctor to see if she had a problem. (I just went and reviewed her file so this is exactly what he said...)
He examined her, did NOT make any diagnosis of any type of breathing problem, but wrote a prescription for albuterol and singulair "to be taken if necessary". She was not referred to any pulmonologist. Her medical file states that she came in complaining of "a breathing problem while playing soccer in cold weather". There is no other notation or diagnosis.
She had one other incident last summer during a game in about 90 degree weather. Same symptoms.....DID use her inhaler, it helped a little but not much...she sat out 20 minutes or so, then went back in to the games with no problems. We did not see the doctor after this occurrence.
She does NOT have any problem at track. Runs the hurdles pretty well for a shot-putter! Never has a breathing problem. But could be because she only runs 15-45 seconds for each event.
My question is this. When she takes her physical exam for the CGA, what should she tell them? I most certainly want her to tell the truth, but don't want to screw things up. She has never been diagnosed with any kind of asthma, but does have a doctors record of seeking treatment (at my urging...now I feel stupid...I hope I didn't screw up her chances of admission). How should we handle this at the physical?
And assuming she were to pass the physical (or even if she failed but was then granted a waiver), what happens if this crops up later at the academy? It seems to only happen during the first part of a soccer season when she is not in the best of shape and during either very cold or very hot weather. If this happened at the Academy after being admitted, would they kick her out?
Thanks in advance for reading what is a very long post...I appreciate all your input and any suggestions you might have.
Mike