Multi-Sport Recruit

[Hopful_Mil_Kid]

Hello fellow netizens,

I am a Highschool Jr. in California, wondering if it would be possible to play 2 varsity sports at USNA.

Middle distance Track / Cross Country is my primary sport, but I'm also a competitive scholastic sailor. Assuming I am good enough at both sports to be recruited, will I be able to do both at the academy, and will it help or hurt my application to reach out to both coaches? From the coaches' perspective, they likely won’t want me dividing my time (which I get) but I want to hear an outside opinion

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated, and I am happy to provide more information if that would be helpful.

 

[Capt MJ]

Hello fellow netizens,

I am a Highschool Jr. in California, wondering if it would be possible to play 2 varsity sports at USNA.

Middle distance Track / Cross Country is my primary sport, but I'm also a competitive scholastic sailor. Assuming I am good enough at both sports to be recruited, will I be able to do both at the academy, and will it help or hurt my application to reach out to both coaches? From the coaches' perspective, they likely won’t want me dividing my time (which I get) but I want to hear an outside opinion

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated, and I am happy to provide more information if that would be helpful.

I have known mids to do 2 varsity sports, but it is rare. One did basketball and heavyweight crew. The in-season schedules abutted but did not overlap. It also helped she was a phenomenal time manager and a brilliant student. The transition from one sport sport to another was brutal for her. Different sets of muscles.

D1 sports are demanding, and the coach will expect commitment to support the schedule. You can research typical team schedules at www.navysports.com. You can also research whether you are competitive enough to make the team by looking at meet results or sites like this:

Navy Track & Field and Cross Country Recruiting Standards 2024

Find the times you need to be recruited or walk on at United States Naval Academy.

runcruit.com

The real answer to your question should be candidly discussed with coaches. The Navy Sports site has contact info for coaches. Some sports have online recruit interest questionnaires that can be googled.

You also have to navigate the long and difficult application process, be found medically qualified, physically qualified and academically (all other graded application elements) qualified, plus apply for nominations. You should be looking ahead to the service you want to be in for 5+ years and the officer specialties that interest you. The service academy is an interim goal.

Read every page, link and menu item on www.usna.edu, take notes on suggested high school courses, timelines, etc.

Imagine too your everyday life at a service academy, should you be offered an appointment, is a pressure cooker experience, where you can multiply your HS level of busyness by s factor of at least 5 and the exhaustion about the same.

You are smart to start researching now.

 

[MidCakePa]

Building on @Capt MJ, it’s less about “would it be possible” and more about “should you even try?” USNA is called N*OT COLLEGE for a reason. The demands, obligations and responsibilities are both extensive and intensive — and that’s without a varsity sport.

You must do well academically to hold your place and to position yourself for your preferred warfare community. You must do well athletically, above and beyond your sport(s). And you must hold leadership billets as you progress. All this while trying to squeeze in a few hours sleep and decent nutrition. There are major trade-offs without a varsity sport. Be ready to make them.

DD was a master time manager in HS. That skill was challenged to the hilt at USNA. She was a club athlete, so had maybe 50% - 60% of the time commitment as did varsity athletes. And yet she sacrificed so much to play her sport — whether it was lower grades or poor sleep or less time devoted to friends, depending on the year and season.

Of course, as with all things USNA: YMMV.

 

[NavyHoops]

This really comes down to what you want to do, how good you are, and the coaches. The better you are, the more coaches will flex. Middle of the road or end of the bench, doubt they allow the flexibility. Distance runners usually run 3 seasons at Navy, XC, indoor and then outdoor. It’s a lot. Granted majority of the meets are on the weekend, it’s still slot. Their training program is geared around this. The sailing program is top notch at Navy and there are plenty with tons of experience and novices. Really evaluate if you are qualified to be recruited? Which one do you enjoy the most?

 

[OldRetSWO]

Hello fellow netizens,

I am a Highschool Jr. in California, wondering if it would be possible to play 2 varsity sports at USNA.

Middle distance Track / Cross Country is my primary sport, but I'm also a competitive scholastic sailor. Assuming I am good enough at both sports to be recruited, will I be able to do both at the academy, and will it help or hurt my application to reach out to both coaches? From the coaches' perspective, they likely won’t want me dividing my time (which I get) but I want to hear an outside opinion

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated, and I am happy to provide more information if that would be helpful.

When you say "Scholastic Sailor", I assume you're talking small 1 or 2 person boats which at USNA is called "Intercollegiate Sailing". FYI, that team competes in both the Fall and the Spring which would only leave winter for track of you wanted to do IC Sailing. On the other hand if you really want to do Cross Country and Outdoor track since you said that they are your main sport then Intercollegiate Sailing is probably not achievable.
FWIW, a fairly high number of the Intercollegiate Sailors during my era were extremely highly regarded runners, mostly middle distance prior to coming to USNA with several of them running on USNA's Guinness World Record 100 Mile relays (100 runners each running 1 mile) in 77 and 78. I believe that their mile times were in the low 4 minute range.

 

[justdoit19]

Why not reach out to both coaches, and let them decide if they are interested in you, or not? And see what happens from there?

One of mine was a recruited track person. It was a lot. As already mentioned, the demands on your time are beyond what you can even imagine. There are trade offs (ie: no leave home, less involvement with your company, etc) that you will have to consider. Ultimately he left the program. And you could not have ever convinced me, going in, that he would.

You just never know, your personal situation, u til you get in there. The good news? Is that you are not tied to any sport (so, you COULD do two, and drop if it’s not working out) with your scholarship, like State XXX. So you do have options.

 

[Hopful_Mil_Kid]

First off, to everyone that replied, Thank you!! I was honestly surprised to see so many replies when I work up this morning!!

Why not reach out to both coaches, and let them decide if they are interested in you, or not? And see what happens from there?

I think I will. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't crossing some red line or something. I really want this, and I would feel stupid if I burned my opportunity by saying the wrong thing.

Imagine too your everyday life at a service academy, should you be offered an appointment, is a pressure cooker experience, where you can multiply your HS level of busyness by s factor of at least 5 and the exhaustion about the same.

Good to know. Thank you for the sage words.

DD was a master time manager in HS. That skill was challenged to the hilt at USNA. She was a club athlete, so had maybe 50% - 60% of the time commitment as did varsity athletes. And yet she sacrificed so much to play her sport — whether it was lower grades or poor sleep or less time devoted to friends, depending on the year and season.

Yeesh!

When you say "Scholastic Sailor", I assume you're talking small 1 or 2 person boats which at USNA is called "Intercollegiate Sailing". FYI, that team competes in both the Fall and the Spring which would only leave winter for track of you wanted to do IC Sailing. On the other hand if you really want to do Cross Country and Outdoor track since you said that they are your main sport then Intercollegiate Sailing is probably not achievable.
FWIW, a fairly high number of the Intercollegiate Sailors during my era were extremely highly regarded runners, mostly middle distance prior to coming to USNA with several of them running on USNA's Guinness World Record 100 Mile relays (100 runners each running 1 mile) in 77 and 78. I believe that their mile times were in the low 4 minute range.

Do you know what the practice schedule is for track and or sailing? Or somewhat it usually is like? In high school, managing practice schedules has always been the bigger issue, since you can compete less often in distance track (although I don't know how that will be different at the academy.) I will obviously ask coaches about this when I have one-on-one interactions, but I'm not sure when that will be

 

[LKNBrawley]

Hello @Hopful_Mil_Kid, my DS is an recruited Rugby player for the class of 2027. Currently as a high school senior, he is managing highschool swim team, rugby and SAISA sailing. His time mangement is insane considering he is taking a full load of AP classes! But he will be giving up swim and sailing at USNA. Rugby will eat up all his time! But since we are members of our local Yacht Club, we will have reciprocal access to the Annapolis Yacht club, he hope to just volunteer to crew for the yacht club members whenever he can. That is also a possibility if you want to keep your sailing skills up.

Good luck!

 

[OldRetSWO]

First off, to everyone that replied, Thank you!! I was honestly surprised to see so many replies when I work up this morning!!


I think I will. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't crossing some red line or something. I really want this, and I would feel stupid if I burned my opportunity by saying the wrong thing.


Good to know. Thank you for the sage words.


Yeesh!


Do you know what the practice schedule is for track and or sailing? Or somewhat it usually is like? In high school, managing practice schedules has always been the bigger issue, since you can compete less often in distance track (although I don't know how that will be different at the academy.) I will obviously ask coaches about this when I have one-on-one interactions, but I'm not sure when that will be.

Full disclosure, in addition to being a team member in the late 70's, I am a former Sailing Coach at USNA and also the parent of a team member in the class of '11.

Practice runs from 3:30 until 6 or so every day Mon-Fri with home and/or away (yes, often both) regattas most weekends in both the fall and spring seasons. In my experience most team members come down as early as possible to get set up and ready so its not uncommon for folks to be at the sailing center before 3 if they don't have a class that period.

 

[OldRetSWO]

Hello @Hopful_Mil_Kid, my DS is an recruited Rugby player for the class of 2027. Currently as a high school senior, he is managing highschool swim team, rugby and SAISA sailing. His time mangement is insane considering he is taking a full load of AP classes! But he will be giving up swim and sailing at USNA. Rugby will eat up all his time! But since we are members of our local Yacht Club, we will have reciprocal access to the Annapolis Yacht club, he hope to just volunteer to crew for the yacht club members whenever he can. That is also a possibility if you want to keep your sailing skills up.

Crewing at AYC is probably difficult at best and more likely not possible. Navy has its own offshore sailing crews and that is where a mid who wants to sail big boats should look and as previously stated, small boats are the Intercollegiate Team. I know a LOT of folks who were very accomplished sailors prior to attending USNA and NONE of them were sailing/crewing at civilian clubs while they were at USNA, at least during Ac year. There are many ways to keep up sailing skills within the USNA sailing ecosystem.

 

[LKNBrawley]

Crewing at AYC is probably difficult at best and more likely not possible. Navy has its own offshore sailing crews and that is where a mid who wants to sail big boats should look and as previously stated, small boats are the Intercollegiate Team. I know a LOT of folks who were very accomplished sailors prior to attending USNA and NONE of them were sailing/crewing at civilian clubs while they were at USNA, at least during Ac year. There are many ways to keep up sailing skills within the USNA sailing ecosystem.

Thanks @OldRetSWO I will let him know. He can always sail when he comes home for the summer. I guess he should look out for sailing opportunities within USNA whenever he can fit it in. But sailing is a skill that you can pick back up once school is done.

 

[OldRetSWO]

Thanks @OldRetSWO I will let him know. He can always sail when he comes home for the summer. I guess he should look out for sailing opportunities within USNA whenever he can fit it in. But sailing is a skill that you can pick back up once school is done.

Not sure but I think Rugby is a fall sport and there may be some opportunities to sail at least recreationally in the spring.

 

[NavyHopefulMom2027]

Hello fellow netizens,

I am a Highschool Jr. in California, wondering if it would be possible to play 2 varsity sports at USNA.

Middle distance Track / Cross Country is my primary sport, but I'm also a competitive scholastic sailor. Assuming I am good enough at both sports to be recruited, will I be able to do both at the academy, and will it help or hurt my application to reach out to both coaches? From the coaches' perspective, they likely won’t want me dividing my time (which I get) but I want to hear an outside opinion

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated, and I am happy to provide more information if that would be helpful.

My son is a USNA recruit for running and is contemplating walking on for swim. He has been told it's difficult but not impossible. Especially since the sports are complementary and seasons are adjacent not overlapping. I have no knowledge of sailing or the "season", but it appears from other posts above that the seasons would overlap, and I am not sure that is possible at any school, especially a D-1.

It doesn't hurt to reach out to both coaches. My son did. You should be able to get a fairly decent read on your running times compared to the results of current team members to gauge how competitive you would be as a recruit. (Again, sailing, I have no idea). I highly recommend coming out to sport camps in the summer if you haven't already. It gives you a glimpse of the coaches and a feel for being on the yard.

If multiple sports are really important to you, you might also look into the USMMA. They are D3 so the commitment for sports is less. (Less travel for meets, ect). We really didn't know anything about USMMA until our MOC office asked my son if he was at all interested in applying. We are very impressed with a lot of what USMMA has to offer. And both coaches are actively recruiting my son for two sports there. (Again, that probably only works if your sports don't significantly overlap seasons.)

Good luck on finishing out your jr year and getting started on your college journey!

 

[IronmanDaremo]

I'd just put out there to reiterate, the Academy is not regular college. The demands on you are coming from all directions. You soon learn that sleep is your favorite luxury, and will happen wherever possible (the library is like a pay-by-the-hour hotel for taking naps based on my kid's experience).

Being a true multi-sport athlete is incredibly difficult there from a time management and pure endurance standpoint. Navy running is also very demanding, and year round. I'd take a look at the walk-on and recruiting standards for the XCountry and Track teams. They are comparable to other top notch D1 schools for time requirements - in other words, no joke.

 

[momofusna1]

My son is a USNA recruit for running and is contemplating walking on for swim. He has been told it's difficult but not impossible. Especially since the sports are complementary and seasons are adjacent not overlapping. I have no knowledge of sailing or the "season", but it appears from other posts above that the seasons would overlap, and I am not sure that is possible at any school, especially a D-1.

It doesn't hurt to reach out to both coaches. My son did. You should be able to get a fairly decent read on your running times compared to the results of current team members to gauge how competitive you would be as a recruit. (Again, sailing, I have no idea). I highly recommend coming out to sport camps in the summer if you haven't already. It gives you a glimpse of the coaches and a feel for being on the yard.

If multiple sports are really important to you, you might also look into the USMMA. They are D3 so the commitment for sports is less. (Less travel for meets, ect). We really didn't know anything about USMMA until our MOC office asked my son if he was at all interested in applying. We are very impressed with a lot of what USMMA has to offer. And both coaches are actively recruiting my son for two sports there. (Again, that probably only works if your sports don't significantly overlap seasons.)

Good luck on finishing out your jr year and getting started on your college journey!

My daughter swims at USNA...swim is pretty much all year for the Men and Women, with required practices. They are not allowed to miss practices, let alone miss to participate in another sport. Academics and military obligations are a much bigger time commitment than most people think.
Also, the seasons absolutely overlap.

 

[Hopful_Mil_Kid]

My son is a USNA recruit for running and is contemplating walking on for swim. He has been told it's difficult but not impossible. Especially since the sports are complementary and seasons are adjacent not overlapping. I have no knowledge of sailing or the "season", but it appears from other posts above that the seasons would overlap, and I am not sure that is possible at any school, especially a D-1.

It doesn't hurt to reach out to both coaches. My son did. You should be able to get a fairly decent read on your running times compared to the results of current team members to gauge how competitive you would be as a recruit. (Again, sailing, I have no idea). I highly recommend coming out to sport camps in the summer if you haven't already. It gives you a glimpse of the coaches and a feel for being on the yard.

If multiple sports are really important to you, you might also look into the USMMA. They are D3 so the commitment for sports is less. (Less travel for meets, ect). We really didn't know anything about USMMA until our MOC office asked my son if he was at all interested in applying. We are very impressed with a lot of what USMMA has to offer. And both coaches are actively recruiting my son for two sports there. (Again, that probably only works if your sports don't significantly overlap seasons.)

Good luck on finishing out your jr year and getting started on your college journey!

Thank you so much. Interesting thought about the USMMA. It has sort of been on my radar, but your point about the sports makes me think I should consider that more strongly.

I’ll fill out the recruiting from tonight, and email the coach at USNA. Shoot my shot.

All the responses here have been exceedingly helpful, and I feel I have a better idea of how to move forward.

 

[Hopful_Mil_Kid]

My daughter swims at USNA...swim is pretty much all year for the Men and Women, with required practices. They are not allowed to miss practices, let alone miss to participate in another sport. Academics and military obligations are a much bigger time commitment than most people think.
Also, the seasons absolutely overlap.

Interesting. In distance running (even at the elite level) half your training days are super easy (go run 6 miles at 7 min pace, which is basically a jog.) That’s always been the saving grace for scheduling, since I can do those days on there own. As previous posters have said though, d1 collage is a whole different kind of intense, so I’ll just have to feel it out with coaches

 

[NavyHoops]

One of my room mates was a runner… it’s way more than that at the college level. Most mornings is when they did those kinds of runs. Then afternoon workouts too. Then maybe weights and stretching at lunch, then team meal. And maybe you have duty that day and an exam also. Indoor is its own season on a small track. There is different training for that. Coaches are also assessing for the long game over 3 seasons for these sports too. It’s not high school. I played basketball at USNA. Your coaches make a living (mortgage payments and food on the table) based upon their ability to recruiter 17-18 year olds, continue to develop them and have them perform at the highest level to keep their job. I know that seems weird to say, but it’s the truth. Not to mention, everyone is good! Time is the most valuable asset someone has at a SA. You can’t make more of it. How you use it directly correlates to your success. Have you looked at the sports website and really looked to see if your times align with recruitment standards?

 

[IronmanDaremo]

For D1 distance runners, expect 70 - 100 mile weeks almost year round. So, two-a-days nearly every day. It is not even remotely like high school.

 

[OldRetSWO]

My son is a USNA recruit for running and is contemplating walking on for swim. He has been told it's difficult but not impossible. Especially since the sports are complementary and seasons are adjacent not overlapping. I have no knowledge of sailing or the "season", but it appears from other posts above that the seasons would overlap, and I am not sure that is possible at any school, especially a D-1.

It doesn't hurt to reach out to both coaches. My son did. You should be able to get a fairly decent read on your running times compared to the results of current team members to gauge how competitive you would be as a recruit. (Again, sailing, I have no idea). I highly recommend coming out to sport camps in the summer if you haven't already. It gives you a glimpse of the coaches and a feel for being on the yard.

If multiple sports are really important to you, you might also look into the USMMA. They are D3 so the commitment for sports is less. (Less travel for meets, ect). We really didn't know anything about USMMA until our MOC office asked my son if he was at all interested in applying. We are very impressed with a lot of what USMMA has to offer. And both coaches are actively recruiting my son for two sports there. (Again, that probably only works if your sports don't significantly overlap seasons.)

Good luck on finishing out your jr year and getting started on your college journey!

Sailing does not really differentiate on D1/D3 type levels. Top teams like USNA and include both USMMA and USCGA have active competitions from start of fall school through November and then pick up the Spring Season starting in March. Again, those are competitions so expect practices to be taking place starting sometime in February. I'd expect the other big programs to be running some level of practice/training before early March. NOTE: I'm not talking about off-season lifting/conditioning which also happens during the winter.