Hello. This is my first post on this forum, but I have been reading a lot trying to seek advice. As a Junior in High School, Covid had a really big impact on schools, especially sports. I was in my freshman year when quarantine started so sports were out of the question. I did do cross-country at a low varsity level and did swimming junior varsity before quarantine started, but that's about it. Sports is starting back up with various precautions, but I was curious how this current condition would affect the application process to the academies. Thanks in advance!
Sports Advice due to Covid
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COVID itself, is NOT DQ. Manifestations of COVID, can be (Examples: Lost of smell, pulmonary deficits, etc). Those DQs can be waived and those DQs are NOT permanent, if/when normal functioning resumes. 
Kierkegaard
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I think the question is about how due to covid lockdowns, many young people lost the opportunity of playing sports. Not that OP has covid.COVID itself, is NOT DQ. Manifestations of COVID, can be (Examples: Lost of smell, pulmonary deficits, etc). Those DQs can be waived and those DQs are NOT permanent, if/when normal functioning resumes.
OP, I would not worry much about this. Many applicants were affected the same and I’m sure Admissions is tracking. If you will be playing sports again now that you are able, I’d say that’s a good thing.
UHBlackhawk
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This is where you demonstrate an ability to adapt to a difficult situation. What did you do during COVID to maintain physical conditioning? Hiking? Bike riding? “Playground workout”? Or did you exercise your fingers while binge watching TV shows? You don’t just need a school team to demonstrate athletic ability and leadership capability.
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Within your two sports, swimming may have been difficult because many pools were closed for a long time in some areas but running , especially cross country type running (as opposed to shorter tracks) has been something that people could do throughout most of COVID time to a great extent. I get that school itself might not be operating their athletic programs but motivated athletes have largely been able to continue to train. That said, we've had candidates here on SAF and among my students who were not allowed by their parents to run outdoors during the pandemic.
Is there a place on the application that I can talk about what I've been doing with sports during COVID? I too do swimming, however since COVID the pool has been closed and the competition season cancelled. In my area, there's little to no hiking (considering most of it is swampland) however I've travelled multiple times with my family since COVID to do what I consider to be strenuous hikes, such as the Goat Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains as well as Yellowstone's Half Dome cable system. We've done multiple 10+ mile hikes, usually uphill, all of which I consider completing an achievement, however I was unsure if I could somehow talk about this in my application considering it's not an organized team sport and just me and my family having fun.
EDIT: I also wanted to add that on my swim team, for some reason there is no Captain position. It was removed when our new coach came a couple of years ago. I don't see a place on the application to make remarks on this, and I don't want admissions to think that I was passed up for captain when it simply doesn't exist. How can I address this (if I can) in my application
EDIT: I also wanted to add that on my swim team, for some reason there is no Captain position. It was removed when our new coach came a couple of years ago. I don't see a place on the application to make remarks on this, and I don't want admissions to think that I was passed up for captain when it simply doesn't exist. How can I address this (if I can) in my application
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Old Navy BGO
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Things like sports participation/ captain of team are all included in the personal questionnaire and get rolled into the whole person multiple. ( To avoid this thread going off on a tangent, No one here can tell you how any particular factor affects a Candidate!). Success in team sports and being selected as Captain are desired traits, but they don't make or break an applicant.
As far as I know, there is no specific question on the application about how COVID has impacted a Candidate,, and if it were there -- I would caution against using it as "excuse" for why someone did or didn't get something done, but instead use it to demonstrate resiliency and what you did to overcome. If you've done something significant, build it into your personal statement or discuss with your BGO. I asked Candidates last year, and commented in my write up when appropriate.
Finally, Admissions doesn't "dock you points" if you aren't the Captain; you "get points" if you are. Thus, there is little benefit to explaining you aren't the Captain because they don't have one. (In fact, it might appear a bit presumptuous to say you would have been Captain if no one is selected). However, if you are serving as a "defacto" Captain , leading your team when no one has the official title, by all means, tell your BGO. That is one of those off the record bits of information that we like to include in Interview write ups.
I was planning on doing cross-country, but my school canceled fall sports as a precaution. Our school is very small and new (like we are literally in a small 3 storied building in a very busy city and the founding class graduated last year), and if a student gets Covid, it can easily spread throughout the whole school, not to mention we share the building with the elementary kids. Winter sports are pending right now, but boys basketball, soccer, and wrestling are offered at my school. I probably won't be allowed to be part of wrestling by my parents, but maybe basketball as I used to play in middle school before Covid. For spring, there's baseball, swimming, golf, and tennis, but if Covid cases die down then I will probably continue swimming.
Heatherg21
USNA '24 Mom BGO Bacon Lover Dog Lover
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This is a great opportunity to adapt and overcome.
No, you may not be able to participate in traditional high school athletics. What did you do on your own? What workout regime? What small off campus socially distanced group did you start? Safe outdoor yoga? Socially distanced long distance running? Find your niche. Own it.
Because my mom's immune system is weak due to her medications, I'm sort of shackled to small exercises like jump ropes, walking instead of taking a car ride if possible, and push-ups. We recently moved out of a neighborhood that my mom said was unsafe to go out, to a neighborhood she's comfortable in, so I've planned out a one-mile route, for now, to run and time myself. I've been doing a lot of extracurriculars instead of sports, and I'll link my post where I list them out here. I'm currently a Junior, so a lot of my beginning high school experience was affected by Covid. Come to think of it, I never had a proper full year of high school. But I appreciate your help, and any further advice or critique would be great. Thank you!
Sports vs Extracurricular during Covid
I have posted before about sports being affected by Covid, but being in a big city in California, it is hard to participate in sports. It is especially hard for me as if I get it, then my mom could have a possibility of being affected immensely as her immune system is weak due to her...
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Heatherg21
USNA '24 Mom BGO Bacon Lover Dog Lover
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Props to you for seeing an opportunity. Every applicant has a story. Every applicant may have a challenge. How can you communicate your challenge and the subsequent plan to overcome.
You are not alone in your Covid experience. How you find the diamond in the rough in that negative experience is critical.
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Academics. Leadership. Physical fitness. Those are the 3 pillars gauged…where you need to be able to demonstrate your abilities.
I would suggest SEARCHING here on the forums (use the search function) for tons and tons of discussion about your questions. Last year, kids were appointed amidst the same restrictions (even more), no sports. Locked down. Like @Heatherg21 said, adapt and overcome. You have to figure out what that looks like for you. And honestly, that piece (adapting and overcoming) is exactly the kind of person who will be a successful Midshipman and Naval/Marine Officer!
I don’t mean to sound rude, but reading both of your posts this morning read as ‘excuses’. Which is fine for general convo here for advice/questions, but figure that out when it comes time to apply. BC there ARE no excuses in the military. Period. As my boys tell me when recounting a story.
All of your geographically located competition will be in a similar boat as you. So you are not alone in your challenges. Look at them all thats way, as challenges, and ‘find a way or make one’. Go to battle for that appointment!!
You will have essay material when the time comes, that others don’t. This is an OPPORTUNITY to show your stuff that others don’t possess. Turn all this into an advantage for YOU. Why YOU should be appointed.
Don’t be deflated. You can do it !
I would suggest SEARCHING here on the forums (use the search function) for tons and tons of discussion about your questions. Last year, kids were appointed amidst the same restrictions (even more), no sports. Locked down. Like @Heatherg21 said, adapt and overcome. You have to figure out what that looks like for you. And honestly, that piece (adapting and overcoming) is exactly the kind of person who will be a successful Midshipman and Naval/Marine Officer!
I don’t mean to sound rude, but reading both of your posts this morning read as ‘excuses’. Which is fine for general convo here for advice/questions, but figure that out when it comes time to apply. BC there ARE no excuses in the military. Period. As my boys tell me when recounting a story.
All of your geographically located competition will be in a similar boat as you. So you are not alone in your challenges. Look at them all thats way, as challenges, and ‘find a way or make one’. Go to battle for that appointment!!
You will have essay material when the time comes, that others don’t. This is an OPPORTUNITY to show your stuff that others don’t possess. Turn all this into an advantage for YOU. Why YOU should be appointed.
Don’t be deflated. You can do it !
UHBlackhawk
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Great to hear.
Just about any physical activity you can do outside is healthy and helpful. Even with COVID one of the best things is to get outside in fresh air. I previously mentioned “playground workouts”. If you Google it you can come up with stuff such as pull ups.
Walking and running are great. If there is a hill nearby incorporate hill workouts. It does not need to be a large hill.
The key is consistency. Find the time to train your body, even you take 20 minutes.
As many of us previously wrote, this is the time to demonstrate resiliency and discipline in the face of adversity.
I see. Thank you. I will definitely work harder on my physical fitness.
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The GREAT news is that you have time. Eye on the prize!!
And, keep in mind, despite all your best efforts, you may not receive an appointment. Every year, there are too many amazing candidates, for too few spots.
Do your best. It’s not easy. And it’s why it’s such an accomplishment. Good luck to you!!