Infantry Skills Team vs D1 sport

[Honor24/7]

Can someone please share advantages and disadvantages to being on a D1 sports team compared a club like the Infantry Skills Team (IST)? It is my understanding that both are hard to get selected for and you can’t be on both teams at the same time. Is this correct? Is one or the other more advantageous to service selections or rankings? Is it easier to balance academics with one or the other? Is one more respected (not sure this is the best word to use so hopefully you know what I mean without being offended)?

Thank you

 

[Humey]

The first thing that comes to mind is do you qualify to play D1 sports? Are you a hotshot high school athlete? You dont just say I want to play D1 sport and join. The next step up from a D1 sport is a playing for a professional or minor league team. There are 3 levels of college sports from D1 to D3 and only the best in the country get selected to play D1 and it is no easy thing to play for D2 or D3 teams either. I dont know how the academies work it, but in a civilian college, most of the players on the team are selected while they are in high school. Many schools have walkon tryouts but I dont think they take a lot of players. Of course it depends on the school. UCLA probably hand selects every player on the team before they even apply while small colleges who have D1 programs may take in walk ons. An academy probably isnt that different.

 

[Honor24/7]

Sorry maybe I should have clarified. Lets say you have already made one of the D1 teams but are considering IST.

 

[MidCakePa]

Attending an SA is hard enough. Playing a D1 sport is hard enough. Doing both...well, you get the point. Do the one that speaks to your heart, the one for which you have the most passion, the one that will seem like the least of a grind when you’re in the absolute pit of despair trying to keep up with all your obligations. If you do that, everything else should fall into place.

 

[USMA 1994]

Being a DIV 1 athlete is almost an additional full time job that you must balance with the rigors of the academy. While in season, you will practice 2-3 hours a day 6-7 days a week. It is hard work and you really have to do it for the love of the sport. Clubs Sports and other activities are a significant step down in the time and effort commitments. While I am sure the IST team does some cool things, it will only be a few days a week at most. It would be much easier to balance academics with a club than a DIV 1 sport. Typically Non-D1 cadets think the athletes are getting over as they miss some of the more dreaded activities, like drill and ceremony. The athletes always think they have it harder. It just depends on your perspective.

 

[OldRetSWO]

Attending an SA is hard enough. Playing a D1 sport is hard enough. Doing both...well, you get the point. Do the one that speaks to your heart, the one for which you have the most passion, the one that will seem like the least of a grind when you’re in the absolute pit of despair trying to keep up with all your obligations. If you do that, everything else should fall into place.

But there are folks who do the academics, the military and doing well athletically at the D1 level. Personally, I was OK academically, especially considering that I had a very substandard high school prep so plebe year academics were a huge mountain to climb but my grades improved steadily and my Cum QPR went up every semester from my first through graduation and I did D1 sports all four years. My son majored in Aero Eng and just missed the top hundred academically while being a D1 athlete. I know plenty of high level stripers who were also D1 athletes with very good grades. It can certainly be done but you really have to work at it steadily and be really organized. Considering how organized and dedicated lots of mids are, it takes even more to balance D1 with the rest but it can be done.
Hopefully NavyHoops will weigh in here on this topic.

 

[brewmeist]

My son is a recruited athlete and a current Plebe. At PPW, he told us he is considering not doing his sport. He grew very attached to his company this summer, and never expected the bond to be that close in such a short period of time. He would be away from them a lot with his sport, and he doesn't want that. I was shocked at first, but fully respect his decision, not matter what it turns out to be. He wasn't a top recruit, and the team will do fine without him, so he knows he is not hurting the team if he leaves. I couldn't even give him advice. Either decision will be the right one.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

If you are wondering whether participating in IST is going to have some advantage because it makes you appear motivated, gungy (do they still use that word ?), or that it will prepare you for the military, my opinion is NO. You will get all the military training you need once you get in, and frankly, may learn things the wrong way with an IST program.

 

[usna1985]

There's enough at USNA (or any SA) that makes you miserable. Like P-rades, plebe chemistry, pro knowledge tests. Your sport/ECAs shouldn't be among them. Rather than worry about what others think, consider what interests you. What will lift your spirits when you're down. What will enable you to meet other mids outside of your company doing something together that you enjoy. What do you want to do in the limited free time that you have?

I would say it is probably easier to start with a varsity sport and then drop it if you lose interest, find it takes too much time, don't enjoy it, etc. than to try to join up after plebe year. But not impossible. I know someone who was recruited for a sport, lost interest plebe year and quit, then rejoined and had a great three final years in the sport.

WRT ECAs, I don't think most mids pay much attention to what other mids are doing. There are lots of ECAs and most mids find one or two that really speak to them for whatever reason. Unless things have changed, most mids other than maybe your roommate don't even know what other mids are doing for ECAs, other than maybe those requiring travel like D&B and some of the musical groups.