NROTC Without Sports?

I am going to take a different approach.

That is the world you are walking into. It might also be why some posters are having issues with I can't, because when you go AD there is no I can't. There is only I will.

+1000 Pima:thumb: You made some very valid points. All applicants can do is everything to make themselves as competitive as possible, and at the same time, understand that they have very little (to no) control over this process.

Best of luck collegesomeday!
 
OP - you asked for opinion, so I'll give you what I would do. You are heavy in club involvement currently, and have zero team sport or individual sport. You are a little lopsided as far as the application is concerned.

Were I you, I would withdraw from any club I don't actually lead, and pick up just one spring sport. You might actually enjoy it more than merely "attend" some clubs. It will develop a new strength you don't currently possess. "Attending" or "being a member of" something doesn't actually carry any weight in ROTC applications, or college applications for that matter. It just shows you're busy, but doesn't show quality.

If you try but aren't able to qualify for any Varsity sport, so be it, but you should at least try. Cut back on Attending, and beef up Doing.

If you aren't able to get a Varsity letter, then you should be very prepared to show 1) your overall physical fitness level, by whatever means, and 2) how the lessons learned in your leadership in Debate will likely apply to becoming a good leader of a group of sailors under your command.
 
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Softball or Soccer this spring!

They are team sports. Most coaches will allow any kid that is willing to stick it out during all pre-season conditioning to remain on the team for the game season even if their skills are marginal. EC's are great to show you are not a loner, and that you can manage your time well. Team sports teach teamwork in physically and emotionally stressful situations. I respectfully recommend you make the time for a team sport this spring. (Put it this way, I wouldn't want someone leading me that didn't have experience with competitive team sports under their belt.)
 
There is a dynamic that can be found in a sports team that often cannot be experienced elsewhere. I believe that the unity you strive for in a team sport is a mirror of what an ROTC unit is attempting to accomplish.

Your interviews and essays for any colleges or scholarships will benefit from your ability to convey what you have learned from participating in a team sport. Yes, your EC's demonstrate great leadership and I commend you on your stellar grades, however, I think you will become a more well-rounded candidate for whatever you do next year if you join a team sport :) I believe in the long run the benefit will far outweigh any hardship!
 
One more thing to keep in mind for those candidates who find themselves entering senior year without having been on a sports team. The NROTC application will allow you to project your athletic activities for your senior year. If you honestly intend and expect to be on the track, tennis, or whatever other team during the Fall or Spring of senior year, you will have the opportunity to have it reflected on your application.
 
There is one more reason they like sports compared to clubs, and it is not necessarily tied to athleticism, but an emotional aspect...overcoming losing or being injured.

The fact is how does being on the hs newspaper, even in a leadership position, or FBLA or Drama, etc. match up to the kids that lose the district championship and come back again knowing the heartache? When was the last time debate member overcame an injury that changed their life. I.E. a torn ACL and came back to play again at the same level.

This is another reason why athletics is important to them. I admit team play is in clubs too, and I know that for some schools the leadership positions in certain clubs are as competitive, thus I did not approach that aspect.

However, for athletes they live this life over and over again, the physically fighting to make the cut. The physical injuries and still giving 110%. The enduring losing seasons year after year and still showing up for practice.

Our DS played FB every year in hs. Start of July, he was on the field at 6 a.m until 4 p.m., 5 days a week, rain or shine and in 90 degree weather. This training went up to the Friday before the 1st day of school. On that day he left for school at 6:45 and got home at 6 p.m. , again 5 days a week. Lost Friday nights game and they were at the hs Sat. 8 a.m. reviewing film. This was his schedule until Thanksgiving. In March he was back after school weight training with the team, if they weren't on LAX. Their commitment was not just the school year, but summers too. Before flaming me, remember I said earlier there is an option...become a lifeguard. If the clubs take up most of your time during the school year, they won't during the summer.

That is the life for many athletes. It is filled with physical pain and endurance and they keep getting up to do it over again. That is why IMPO they place emphasis on sports, because they know from an AD world and missions being accomplished , that there will be loss. There will be injuries. The weather will not be an air conditioned room, but more likely out in the open at a high stress level. That they can try to predict the opponent, but many times decisions will be made on the fly. That they have each others back. Sports translates easier in their opinion from a military perspective than clubs.

JMPO, you have a lot of athletic options out there if you want to do it. If not, stay On your path and accept whatever way the chips fall.
 
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Okay sooo yeah sports are important, but you can emotionally overcome things and fight to win things that aren't in the sports area.
In Quiz Bowl every year we practice and practice, and then we go and compete in many competitions and tournaments. Yeah we lose a lot but that doesn't mean we can't go back and try again.
For Band I go and compete at All-Region, All-State, Solo, Ensemble, Jazz, Concert competitions, etc. All of those I have to practice my butt off to even get close to making a 1 on anything and losing against others that are better than me.
For FBLA there are competitions where you can competitively compete in a debate/performance where you watch your competition then you go and perform.
IMO you can definitely overcome things emotionally (and sometimes physically) without being in sports.
 
Okay sooo yeah sports are important, but you can emotionally overcome things and fight to win things that aren't in the sports area.
In Quiz Bowl every year we practice and practice, and then we go and compete in many competitions and tournaments. Yeah we lose a lot but that doesn't mean we can't go back and try again.
For Band I go and compete at All-Region, All-State, Solo, Ensemble, Jazz, Concert competitions, etc. All of those I have to practice my butt off to even get close to making a 1 on anything and losing against others that are better than me.
For FBLA there are competitions where you can competitively compete in a debate/performance where you watch your competition then you go and perform.
IMO you can definitely overcome things emotionally (and sometimes physically) without being in sports.

I agree that activities other than sports can tax you mentally/emotionally and physically, but here is the thing you must remember in this process: when the scholarship board is reviewing applicants' info, they are compiling a "whole person score" based upon the applicants' accomplishments as a Scholar, an Athlete, and a Leader. Basically, all you can do is check as many boxes as you can. If a scholarship spot came down to you and another candidate who has the same (or close) stats as you in the Scholar and Leader categories, but they also have something under Athlete - and you don't - then I believe their "whole person score" is going to be higher than yours and they will probably get the nod. (For full disclosure purposes- that doesn't mean that someone with apparently lesser stats can't get the scholarship over someone with apparently higher stats. I have seen it appear to happen in these first two AROTC boards), maybe not, but why open yourself up to that risk?

Just my two cents. I do not claim to truly understand how the process actually works, but what I stated is how I perceive it to be.
 
In my heart I knew my post was going to rattle people, but I felt it was important enough that it needed to be posted.

Heck, I know you study your arse off for a competition, just like sports. I know emotionally it hurts just as much to lose.

The point I was also making was:
1. Athletics includes training when school is out.
~~~ For the third time, if you want to be in clubs during the school year, and not do sports , that is their choice, However, if you look outside of the box, you can get that squared filled over the summer. Don't want to lifeguard, fine. You can become a counselor for organizations like Young Life and teach equestrian. Teach tennis or canoing at a local day camp. Show some type of athletics in your portfolio/resume while you stay true to yourself.

2. ROTC is a lot of PT. don't pass the APFT upon arrival, and the scholarship will not be activated.
~~~Please look at threads in the Aug/Sept timeframe. There are hs athletes, non-recruited college, that bust this exam. Hence, another reason why they want to see athletics.

3. No offense, but again how hard is it to overcome a torn ACL and comeback for Quiz Bowl or FBLA? I am not taking anything away from these ECs. I am trying to illustrate that from the military many career fields will deal with physical risk and strength.

Finally, the real reality is they own the cards. They decide what parameters they set for selection. To them, athletics is part of their equation.

You can get over not having any sports, but you need to hit the rest out of the ball park to make up the loss in points for nothing in the athletic column,

I personally, don't bite off on the I can't do it because of all my clubs. The reason why is because serving in the military means personal sacrifice. The question is how bad do you want it? The other reason is because as I keep saying, you can fill that square if you are willing to think outside of the box.

Many people have given unique ways to fill the square without giving up any club. They can toss those options in the circular filing cabinet, they can make justifications of why they can't or they can decide to re-evaluate and move forward. However, in the end it is their life and they asked for our opinions, only they can decide what is in their best interest.

I get defending clubs. I do. I am just saying while you defend the clubs, be open to the reasons why they place an emphasis on athletics too. IOWs don't kill the messenger because you don't like reading the message.
 
+1 Pima...wise words

As I am going through this NRTOC/SA process with my senior DS (who is a 2-sport 6 varsity letter athlete..no worries there) my freshmen DD has become interested in the USCGA. She is NOT an athlete. She is a singer/showchoir/theater kid. And we are facing this dilemma...does she sacrifice something she loves for a sport to help her future goals?

Now, USCGA is not as adamant on the sports (according to the Chorale kids we just spoke to at a concert and according to the local liaison) and she knows that she could work up to the physical tests no problem...but we are looking into sports nonetheless. Mostly non-traditional outside of school (i.e. crew)

But she will have to make some tough decisions next year if she decides to pursue crew as it will conflict with showchoir and possibly her shows. It's hard to ask that of a 15 year old freshmen. I want her to be happy now, and then. But after going through this process with her brother, I understand the need for the athletics.
 
Other options

It is possible to think outside of traditional sports if you feel time is an issue. Run on your own time (at the gym or at home on a treadmill) and enter road races. Our oldest was a competitive swimmer but also competed in road races at the 5K, 10K and half-marathon distances. He often won his age group and listed this on his application. As home schoolers, we had to find "non-traditional" sports because we live in a state with no equal access.

At least as far as AROTC goes, I believe they are looking at the "whole person." Our boys didn't have a lot of what I consider resume-padding, box-checking activities. What they had were outstanding GPAs, 30+ ACT scores, athletics on a regional and/or national level, and the ability to play five to seven instruments. They also both worked 20+ hours a week as shift leaders. Both received 4 year scholarships to their top choices.
 
I could definitely do that txpotato! That is, run on my own and try to do some road races too. My school doesn't have any spring teams aside from tennis and softball (and I'm AWFUL at softball haha). The tennis team won't let me join because my after-school job coincides with practices and matches. Perhaps I could see if I could get a track "club" started for the spring (a varsity sports team takes over a year for approval)? I called and emailed two recruiters and both told me that the sports category isn't a huge deal as long as you explain why you couldn't do any and that you did plenty of exercise on your own time. I'll also put down that I'm planning on doing cross country this fall (they're a lot more relaxed about practices and I'll have my license which is the other big issue with sports...) so even if the club doesn't come through I'll at least have SOMETHING.
 
I could definitely do that txpotato! That is, run on my own and try to do some road races too. My school doesn't have any spring teams aside from tennis and softball (and I'm AWFUL at softball haha). The tennis team won't let me join because my after-school job coincides with practices and matches. Perhaps I could see if I could get a track "club" started for the spring (a varsity sports team takes over a year for approval)? I called and emailed two recruiters and both told me that the sports category isn't a huge deal as long as you explain why you couldn't do any and that you did plenty of exercise on your own time. I'll also put down that I'm planning on doing cross country this fall (they're a lot more relaxed about practices and I'll have my license which is the other big issue with sports...) so even if the club doesn't come through I'll at least have SOMETHING.

+1 collegesomeday - way to use your smarts and be resourceful.:thumb:
 
Okay sooo yeah sports are important, but you can emotionally overcome things and fight to win things that aren't in the sports area.
In Quiz Bowl every year we practice and practice, and then we go and compete in many competitions and tournaments. Yeah we lose a lot but that doesn't mean we can't go back and try again.
For Band I go and compete at All-Region, All-State, Solo, Ensemble, Jazz, Concert competitions, etc. All of those I have to practice my butt off to even get close to making a 1 on anything and losing against others that are better than me.
For FBLA there are competitions where you can competitively compete in a debate/performance where you watch your competition then you go and perform.
IMO you can definitely overcome things emotionally (and sometimes physically) without being in sports.

Of course it's possible to be a military leader without team sports. However, the fact is, participation in team sports makes people better military leaders. It's a characteristic the military looks for. If it wasn't important, they'd ask for participation in Band and Debate. They'd recruit the Drum Major rather than the Varsity Football Captain.

Ask yourself... would you rather your platoon leader be a two sport athlete / baseball team captain with solid SAT scores, or a first chair trumpet playing debate champion? (Who would you rather lead you in combat?)
 
Isn't the point of rotc to train you to be a platoon leader or something? And from what I know most people who do nrotc don't end up as platoon leaders...
 
Isn't the point of rotc to train you to be a platoon leader or something? And from what I know most people who do nrotc don't end up as platoon leaders...

The purpose of NROTC is to create naval officers who are capable of leading sailors in a combat/wartime environment.
 
Isn't the point of rotc to train you to be a platoon leader or something? And from what I know most people who do nrotc don't end up as platoon leaders...

Actually, NROTC Marine Options do become platoon leaders and the Navy options become division leaders aboard various sea craft, which is the naval equivalent of a platoon leader. And if you keep smokin' that stuff I'm not sure you'll get to college some day! :biggrin:
 
I took a look at the interview sheet that the interviewers use to grade applicants and it seems that they're really understanding about part-time jobs and the inability to get rides home from extracurriculars there. There is a lot of physical fitness stuff on the sheet and I think that my current exercise routine should demonstrate my fitness pretty well. I couldn't be the only kid who goes rotc who hasn't been able to play a sport due to financial and home commitments.
 
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