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SkepticalDoc

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Nov 25, 2019
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My DD has accepted an appointment to USAFA. She has been a competitive swimmer all her life and is currently in Atlanta swimming at the State High School Championship meet. Last year, she decided she wanted to play soccer, and she went to tryouts this year and made the team. However, this was before she knew about the USAFA appointment. My wife and I strongly disagree about whether or not she should play soccer. I worry about her injuring herself (high school is rougher than club due to experience levels), and I think she should not play soccer and focus on getting fit for I day and keeping her stellar grades up (including 3 AP classes). My wife believes she should play soccer because she put it on her application to USAFA. I've never heard of anyone losing their appointment because they chose to forego playing a sport, particularly when they are not a recruited athlete. Compounding this disagreement is the fact that one of my daughter's friend, who plays soccer on a different high school team, just blew out her ACL. I invite any thoughts on the matter. Thank you.
 
I actually am having a hard time wrapping my mind around making the team already, if it's a spring sport...I must be missing something. My opinion, I would let her do whatever she wants, its her senior year. Bubble wrap your kid though:)
 
BBBRRRTT said:
I actually am having a hard time wrapping my mind around making the team already, if it's a spring sport...I must be missing something. My opinion, I would let her do whatever she wants, its her senior year. Bubble wrap your kid though:)
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In my area spring sports start in the next couple of weeks. Winter sports are finishing up now.
 
SkepticalDoc said:
My DD has accepted an appointment to USAFA. She has been a competitive swimmer all her life and is currently in Atlanta swimming at the State High School Championship meet. Last year, she decided she wanted to play soccer, and she went to tryouts this year and made the team. However, this was before she knew about the USAFA appointment. My wife and I strongly disagree about whether or not she should play soccer. I worry about her injuring herself (high school is rougher than club due to experience levels), and I think she should not play soccer and focus on getting fit for I day and keeping her stellar grades up (including 3 AP classes). My wife believes she should play soccer because she put it on her application to USAFA. I've never heard of anyone losing their appointment because they chose to forego playing a sport, particularly when they are not a recruited athlete. Compounding this disagreement is the fact that one of my daughter's friend, who plays soccer on a different high school team, just blew out her ACL. I invite any thoughts on the matter. Thank you.
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As someone who graduated from high school last year and played soccer, I believe you should let her play. It's an amazing sport that will get her in good shape for I day, but the only negative thing is the possibility of getting injured. I think she should have a solid backup plan just in case she does get injured, but hey positive thoughts only and fingers crossed everything goes fine. (also as someone who played both club and high school, I think club is way rougher ;) just my two cents).
 
SkepticalDoc said:
My DD has accepted an appointment to USAFA. She has been a competitive swimmer all her life and is currently in Atlanta swimming at the State High School Championship meet. Last year, she decided she wanted to play soccer, and she went to tryouts this year and made the team. However, this was before she knew about the USAFA appointment. My wife and I strongly disagree about whether or not she should play soccer. I worry about her injuring herself (high school is rougher than club due to experience levels), and I think she should not play soccer and focus on getting fit for I day and keeping her stellar grades up (including 3 AP classes). My wife believes she should play soccer because she put it on her application to USAFA. I've never heard of anyone losing their appointment because they chose to forego playing a sport, particularly when they are not a recruited athlete. Compounding this disagreement is the fact that one of my daughter's friend, who plays soccer on a different high school team, just blew out her ACL. I invite any thoughts on the matter. Thank you.
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Let her play soccer. Din’t let her regret missing out on it.
 
In Georgia, spring semester sports typically have tryouts and begin practice in January. Games begin in February. I've been at many a frigid lacrosse game in February and remarked, "Spring sport, my a$$."
 
BBBRRRTT said:
I actually am having a hard time wrapping my mind around making the team already, if it's a spring sport...I must be missing something. My opinion, I would let her do whatever she wants, its her senior year. Bubble wrap your kid though:)
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Sorry, I may not have stated it cogently. She played soccer last year. Georgia high school soccer is a winter/spring sport. She tried out, like everybody has to, three weeks ago. She actually found out about her appointment on the last day of tryouts. My wife is concerned that since she reported to USAFA that she planned to play soccer her senior year, that she might lose her appointment if she chooses not to. I've never heard of such a thing.
 
Mom2020AF said:
Let her play soccer. Din’t let her regret missing out on it.
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Since she just found out a friend blew her ACL, my daughter is having second thoughts. I have been trying to convince her to NOT play soccer and focus on getting fit for cadet basic training. It is my wife who is trying to force her to play. My wife thinks the Academy will revoke her appointment if she doesn't follow through.
 
The bigger concern might an injury which prevents her from passing her physical on I-day, which means she will be sent home. Check some of the posts recommending appointees be "bubble wrapped."
 
I would play it safe and not play soccer. I mean I wouldnt force her not to play, but some dumb accidental injury could change the whole trajectory of your life. It would be one thing if it was the sport she was playing all through high school and she competed at a high level, but to play in a second sport where there is a chance of injury, I would have to have second thoughts about playing.
What is even worse is that if you have it in the back of your head to make sure you dont get hurt, you will either get hurt or not play at your best
 
Your question about changing her “resume” after her appointment intrigues me. Did she report she was a team Captain? I’m curious what people think about that piece of your post. I’m not sure what I think.
 
If not playing soccer will render her application incorrect, then an addendum needs to be reported to admissions stating the reason for not playing and clarifying the truth.
 
justdoit19 said:
Your question about changing her “resume” after her appointment intrigues me. Did she report she was a team Captain? I’m curious what people think about that piece of your post. I’m not sure what I think.
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She’s not a team captain.
 
AROTC-dad said:
If not playing soccer will render her application incorrect, then an addendum needs to be reported to admissions stating the reason for not playing and clarifying the truth.
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I think she should probably discuss this with her admissions officer. However, I’m certain no one can compel her, and her appointment wasn’t based on her playing soccer (which in South Georgia is more like kickball).
 
SkepticalDoc said:
Since she just found out a friend blew her ACL, my daughter is having second thoughts. I have been trying to convince her to NOT play soccer and focus on getting fit for cadet basic training. It is my wife who is trying to force her to play. My wife thinks the Academy will revoke her appointment if she doesn't follow through.
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Although not USAFA, I'm pretty experienced with USNA and can tell you that dropping a previously planned spring sport would not be a problem and I would not consider it to be something that had to be reported. Just make sure that EVERYTHING ELSE (like studying, grades, etc) are not dropped as well.
I expect that USAFA would have a similar take on it.

Now as to whether she SHOULD drop it or not, I would go with her wishes. Does SHE want to play or not?
 
Plenty of incoming candidates play spring sports. Do some get injured to the point of not being able to report in on I-Day or R-Day? Sure. That *will* happen to someone. If there is no other change to their file, only the last minute medical change, they typically delay entry by one year and join the next class. But if you are not going to let her play a spring sport for the possible injury reason, then you'd better not let her leave the house at all! There are instances of candidates breaking a bone because they were jumping on a trampoline at a graduation party. I believe that someone at USAFA once tripped getting off the bus on I-Day and was a medical turn back due to the severity of their injuries. Anything could happen to her anywhere. Anything could happen during basic and, if severe enough, could render her a medical turn back for a year. You shouldn't just stop life because of what 'could' happen!
 
parentalunit2 said:
Plenty of incoming candidates play spring sports. Do some get injured to the point of not being able to report in on I-Day or R-Day? Sure. That *will* happen to someone. If there is no other change to their file, only the last minute medical change, they typically delay entry by one year and join the next class. But if you are not going to let her play a spring sport for the possible injury reason, then you'd better not let her leave the house at all! There are instances of candidates breaking a bone because they were jumping on a trampoline at a graduation party. I believe that someone at USAFA once tripped getting off the bus on I-Day and was a medical turn back due to the severity of their injuries. Anything could happen to her anywhere. Anything could happen during basic and, if severe enough, could render her a medical turn back for a year. You shouldn't just stop life because of what 'could' happen!
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As a West Point graduate who blew his knee between 2nd and 3rd years playing team handball (which was for fun) and hobbled to class for 6 months after an ACL reconstruction, I strongly disagree. Officers are supposed to learn to manage risks. Getting injured playing a sport that isn’t your strong suite and potentially losing your spot at USAFA isn’t managing risk effectively IMHO.
 
Play, play, play, play!

Every year, hundreds of candidates with offers of appointment to an SA play a spring sport (or winter sport, for those who got an early decision). Do some of them get injured? Sure. But most don’t. And even those who do, unless it’s truly debilitating, eventually make their way to the SA.

Don’t run scared. Don’t play to not lose — or to not get injured. Go live life and have fun. DD got her offers of appointment in the middle of her winter sport, which is a high-contact sport notorious for impact injuries. But the thought of quitting as soon as the BFE arrived never crossed her mind. She moved into her spring sport — a bit safer but still open to injuries — without any hesitation.

“Bubble wrap” means don’t do anything stupid or irresponsible. I hardly think playing soccer falls into either category.

By the way, what does your daughter think? I’m guessing she put down soccer because she believed that playing — and reporting that she would play — would help her application (even in a minor way). After all, who puts things down that won’t help their application. In which case, if she wants to play, I truly admire that. Sure, the chances of USAFA pulling the offer are slim if she doesn’t play. But integrity is what you do when you think no one is looking.
 
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