Not playing a sport

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sound861

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Hello,

I wanted to ask about any experience of not playing a sport at USCGA. I would definitely consider walking on, playing club sports and everything like that but what was it like not having a sport throughout the years and also going through SWAB summer without one?
 
uscga.edu

Athletics - United States Coast Guard Academy

ATHLETICS Supporting physical development and promoting ethical conduct through sport. Leadership Through Athletics Physical development, health and well-being are fundamental to developing future leaders at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. In other words, this is not your typical college athletic...
uscga.edu uscga.edu

Until someone with first hand experience comes along. Like the students at the other US military academies you will be playing sports At the USCGA

Doubtful it will be varsity sports but likely club or intramural sports. Club competes against other schools club teams.
 
sound861 said:
Hello,

I wanted to ask about any experience of not playing a sport at USCGA. I would definitely consider walking on, playing club sports and everything like that but what was it like not having a sport throughout the years and also going through SWAB summer without one?
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Are you a HS varsity athlete thinking that you are not good enough to play D3? Or are you a non-athlete in HS?
 
If you look in the Corps of Cadets Regulations you'll see a requirement for athletics every year.
Cadets must participate in at least two seasons of an athletic activity, which include: NCAA sanctioned sports, club sports (rugby, hockey, lacrosse, etc.), Inter-Company sports, Windjammers and other qualified performance groups, and other athletic activities approved by the Assistant Commandant of Cadets. NCAA and Club sports will be given 1 sports season credit based on the season in which they fall. (See below matrix for these sports)
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I haven't got a current copy of the Regs, but it's still similar to this old one that has a big table of what sports are in which seasons, how many credits they're worth and what other activities count. But it's not hard to meet this requirement. The Windjammers are the marching band, for example, so even if you aren't a varsity athlete you should be able to find something.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
www.uscgasports.com

COAST GUARD ACADEMY CLUB SPORTS

COAST GUARD ACADEMY CLUB SPORTS
www.uscgasports.com

OK they don’t offer much in the way of club teams. But these are the ones they do. I have no idea about intramural or within school sports competition but they will have them.

Good Luck
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There are a few other club sports not on this list including Ice Hockey, Triathlon, and Water Polo that I know of. Some club sports (like rugby) are quite competitive and really should be considered a varsity sport. Others are definitely more for run.
 
From what I'm hearing, the club sports seem to be a lot more "fun" as well as less demanding and stressful. I've heard several people say this, but I'm sure a lot has to do with the team they are on. The varsity sports seem to take up a LOT more time as well and when they're first starting out, they are already so, SO busy. So what I'm saying is, don't discount the club sports. You might even be able to try something brand new.
 
That's pretty true. College is more intense than high school, even in division 3. Know yourself, but you can join and quit if you find yourself overwhelmed, or not join and try to come out next year. My DD played it safe and did Windjammers rather than a fall sport as a 4C, and then joined rowing in the spring (for the first time in her life) once she found her way. This fall she's rowing again and is having a blast with teammates from rowing hotbeds like KY, TN, OH and MN.

But you will do something much of the year. There are tons of options that are intense (like the perpetually ranked women's rugby team) or less so (like triathalon.) They have a boxing club where you can't hit each other (no coach so no sparring) and BJJ (where half the participants seem to be wearing bruises.) There's a large fair at the start of the year to see your choices.
 
sound861 said:
Hello,

I wanted to ask about any experience of not playing a sport at USCGA. I would definitely consider walking on, playing club sports and everything like that but what was it like not having a sport throughout the years and also going through SWAB summer without one?
Click to expand...
To specifically answer the part of your question about swab summer....there is no time for sports practices during swab summer so it doesn't matter too much for the summer. Everyone is getting the same physical activity every day with their platoon. Those who are recruited (and possibly those just interested) will have coaches time during swab summer. That is just time to meet the coaches for the team and to spend a little bit of time with other swabs who will be playing the same sport. That is one of the few times you get to relax a bit during swab summer and meet some people from outside your platoon.
 
CA946 said:
From what I'm hearing, the club sports seem to be a lot more "fun" as well as less demanding and stressful. I've heard several people say this, but I'm sure a lot has to do with the team they are on. The varsity sports seem to take up a LOT more time as well and when they're first starting out, they are already so, SO busy. So what I'm saying is, don't discount the club sports. You might even be able to try something brand new.
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I have know a lot of SA varsity types and not one of them ever suggested they would trade varsity for a club sport.

There are students slated for club who want to play varsity and try to play varsity. I have never seen it go the opposite direction.

varsity clearly does take up more time. Time you could be marching, doing PT with your company, cleaning the dorms, or on liberty or studying.

No varsity player would rather be spending their time marching or cleaning the dorms. Some might rather be on Liberty I will grant you.

Being a varsity type at any SA means you might do more in some areas (sports) and less in other areas the stuff ( other than leave or liberty) that most would gladly skip anyway.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
I have know a lot of SA varsity types and not one of them ever suggested they would trade varsity for a club sport.

There are students slated for club who want to play varsity and try to play varsity. I have never seen it go the opposite direction.

varsity clearly does take up more time. Time you could be marching, doing PT with your company, cleaning the dorms, or on liberty or studying.

No varsity player would rather be spending their time marching or cleaning the dorms. Some might rather be on Liberty I will grant you.

Being a varsity type at any SA means you might do more in some areas (sports) and less in other areas the stuff ( other than leave or liberty) that most would gladly skip anyway.
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Many Mids leave their varsity sport. My son is one of them. Some even do it their 1/C year.
 
brewmeist said:
Many Mids leave their varsity sport. My son is one of them. Some even do it their 1/C year.
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We have had stand alone threads on this issue of quitting or not quitting SA Varsity teams. Playing time usually is the reason given for quitting. .

And most , virtually all varsity types that responded , talked of how important their SA varsity sports team was to their SA experience.

. There are students who will leave the varsity team because they are not playing during games or they have been cut.

And I know there will be 1/C in at least one varsity SA sport that I follow that will quite possibly be cut this year. And I feel terrible for them if this happens. And while they are all hoping it’s not them in some cases it will be.

for those not getting playing time club may in fact be a more fun option.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
We have had stand alone threads on this issue of quitting or not quitting SA Varsity teams. Playing time usually is the reason given for quitting. .

And most , virtually all varsity types that responded , talked of how important their SA varsity sports team was to their SA experience.

. There are students who will leave the varsity team because they are not playing during games or they have been cut.

And I know there will be 1/C in at least one varsity SA sport that I follow that will quite possibly be cut this year. And I feel terrible for them if this happens. And while they are all hoping it’s not them in some cases it will be.

for those not getting playing time club may in fact be a more fun option.
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A 1/C that stopped this year was all-conference last year. It had nothing to do with being cut. She was just done. My son would not have been cut. I'm just stating a fact that varsity athletes do stop competing at the varsity level for many reasons.
 
brewmeist said:
I'm just stating a fact that varsity athletes do stop competing at the varsity level for many reasons.
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This is correct and I saw it among my classmates and teammates. Personally, although I was generally not a "starter",
the competitive fire never flickered out and I stayed all four years. We had a very good team my last two years and I
know that practices were often as tough or tougher than actual competitions and pushing the "stars" in practice made
them better on game day.
I remained very close to my team captain and years after commissioning we were both stationed in Norfolk and competed
against each other in pick up competition as if we'd never left USNA. Once in a while, I'd come out ahead and those were
like winning the lottery (maybe for both of us). Many years later, we unexpectedly ended up together in Newport for a week
at the same time and STILL went at it whenever we could.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
I have know a lot of SA varsity types and not one of them ever suggested they would trade varsity for a club sport.

There are students slated for club who want to play varsity and try to play varsity. I have never seen it go the opposite direction.

varsity clearly does take up more time. Time you could be marching, doing PT with your company, cleaning the dorms, or on liberty or studying.

No varsity player would rather be spending their time marching or cleaning the dorms. Some might rather be on Liberty I will grant you.

Being a varsity type at any SA means you might do more in some areas (sports) and less in other areas the stuff ( other than leave or liberty) that most would gladly skip anyway.
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I've seen a very different view on this. Perhaps we're just looking at totally different sports. Time not spent at weeknight Varsity practice is usually spent studying, from what I've seen. Still having time for club sports, being with friends, getting exercise, etc. AND having extra study time is seen as a win-win. Definitely a number of cadets who voluntarily chose the club over Varsity. Seems to be more the pressure and time commitment, rather than "not enough playing time". Just far less stress and more relaxed. Again, perhaps we are just looking at different sports here. The varsity teams at CGA are not high level, so some of the clubs have more skilled players than the teams. But there is a lot to say for those who commit to the varsity teams and I totally respect that.
 
CA946 said:
I've seen a very different view on this. Perhaps we're just looking at totally different sports. Time not spent at weeknight Varsity practice is usually spent studying, from what I've seen. Still having time for club sports, being with friends, getting exercise, etc. AND having extra study time is seen as a win-win. Definitely a number of cadets who voluntarily chose the club over Varsity. Seems to be more the pressure and time commitment, rather than "not enough playing time". Just far less stress and more relaxed. Again, perhaps we are just looking at different sports here. The varsity teams at CGA are not high level, so some of the clubs have more skilled players than the teams. But there is a lot to say for those who commit to the varsity teams and I totally respect that.
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Don't forget that most varsity sports are not "in season" for all three sports seasons so even the varsity athletes are doing more things with their companies during the off-seasons. For me that was the winter sports season when I did company intramurals and often did regular mid-type stuff in the afternoons although I did do a fair amount of time in the gym to try make up for what I didn't do when in season.
 
My daughter knows several cadets who were on varsity teams and either choice to quit or were strongly encouraged to quit in order to focus on academics. Although athletics is important, academics come first, so if a cadet is really struggling, they might have to step away from their sport, at least temporarily.
 
OldRetSWO said:
Don't forget that most varsity sports are not "in season" for all three sports seasons so even the varsity athletes are doing more things with their companies during the off-seasons. For me that was the winter sports season when I did company intramurals and often did regular mid-type stuff in the afternoons although I did do a fair amount of time in the gym to try make up for what I didn't do when in season.
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Maybe the differences in sports

One of mine played a fall sport and had team lifting and work outs in the winter and a full spring practice schedule with practice and games.. No time at all for anything but varsity.

Another one of mine plays a spring sport and they lift as a team in the winter and have a full fall practice schedule.

stepping away from a team unless someone is really unhappy, must be very difficult.

The team members become your family. Maybe your roommates as well. Not your company or brigade not compared with team mates.. Because as a varsity types i found mine did very little with their companies. Relatively speaking.

Over the years I have met dozens of fellow students friends of my kids. Virtually every single one, outside of a few room mates, were team mates.

And I give a lot of credit to those team mates on those teams for helping mine keep their head above water as far as courses. I believe mine would be worse off academically if not on a team.
 
CA946 said:
I've seen a very different view on this. Perhaps we're just looking at totally different sports. Time not spent at weeknight Varsity practice is usually spent studying, from what I've seen. Still having time for club sports, being with friends, getting exercise, etc. AND having extra study time is seen as a win-win. Definitely a number of cadets who voluntarily chose the club over Varsity. Seems to be more the pressure and time commitment, rather than "not enough playing time". Just far less stress and more relaxed. Again, perhaps we are just looking at different sports here. The varsity teams at CGA are not high level, so some of the clubs have more skilled players than the teams. But there is a lot to say for those who commit to the varsity teams and I totally respect that.
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Most varsity sports are a full time, year round commitment. Team lifts, captains practices and authorized NCAA off season practices take up a lot of time. At Coast Guard, there are very few, if any, varsity sports that also have a club team, so no, there are not club teams that have better players than the varsity teams. Yes, some recruited players leave, whether because of injuries, playing time, or academics, but it’s not common. Typically, their teammates are their best friends at the Academy.
 
Iwutke said:
Are you a HS varsity athlete thinking that you are not good enough to play D3? Or are you a non-athlete in HS?
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I played in high school and was recruited but not offered an appointment. Now I am in my first year of college, still playing the sport I was recruited for but there is not a spot open for this recruiting class. So I will have to to walk on. But I don't know how competitive walking on is and I wanted to see what life is like without a varsity sport.
 
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