Varsity Sports worth it?

[almondqqq]

Hi Everyone! I am a 2026 applicant and I recently came to a predicament and I want to ask for advice. This is my 2nd year playing varsity football (starting outside linebacker/offensive guard) and I grown to not enjoy football. I can play the game decently, but I've grown to not enjoy getting hit and the fear of getting CTE along with the time commitment that always conflicts with my other ECs. I have other physical extracurricular activities (9 years of martial arts and 4 years of marching band if you count that as a sport), but I know West Point really emphasizes on sports, specifically team sports so I don't know if I should quit. I know people always say "if you don't enjoy it quit even though it helps look good with colleges" but it's not that I hate football and dread it, it's just I really don't enjoy it and think time could be spent elsewhere. I could tough it out for one more year, but I don't know if it will be worth it. Please give me your thoughts!

 

[MidCakePa]

Football is not a game you want to play “in fear of getting hit.” The fear is very understandable — it’s a violent game. But playing fearfully means playing defensively, and ironically is more likely to lead to injury. If you genuinely don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. No college is worth severely risking your physical or mental health.

The SAs value varsity sports because they teach teamwork, leadership, discipline, resilience, persistence and competitiveness. Those traits can be gained via any number of sports (and non-sports). Some 90% of appointees played a varsity sport, but not all of them played football.

Devote yourself to an activity that your genuinely enjoy. If you do it well, and with passion and commitment, you can shine in a way that’s seen favorably by SAs.

 

[almondqqq]

Football is not a game you want to play “in fear of getting hit.” The fear is very understandable — it’s a violent game. But playing fearfully means playing defensively, and ironically is more likely to lead to injury. If you genuinely don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. No college is worth severely risking your physical or mental health.

The SAs value varsity sports because they teach teamwork, leadership, discipline, resilience, persistence and competitiveness. Those traits can be gained via any number of sports (and non-sports). Some 90% of appointees played a varsity sport, but not all of them played football.

Devote yourself to an activity that your genuinely enjoy. If you do it well, and with passion and commitment, you can shine in a way that’s seen favorably by SAs.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[dutydidnotwait98]

Join cross country and track. Put yourself on a killer endurance train up program over the summer and walk on to the X-Team next fall. Those two sports are more about heart and effort instead of muscle memory/hand eye coordination. You will probably cost yourself a potential Team Captain slot for Football but it sounds like you weren't headed that way anyways.

 

[almondqqq]

Join cross country and track. Put yourself on a killer endurance train up program over the summer and walk on to the X-Team next fall. Those two sports are more about heart and effort instead of muscle memory/hand eye coordination. You will probably cost yourself a potential Team Captain slot for Football but it sounds like you weren't headed that way anyways.

Yea I was thinking about doing track as well. The track coach talked to me a few times and wanted me to do discus and I was thinking of joining last year but track season wasn't going to happen but football season was so I decided to go with football, but now I might do track instead. Also, yea I wasn't going to be captain. I was up there with the guys but there was definitely people higher up in the food chain especially because I joined 2 years late, but got put straight into varsity.

 

[Meowspike13]

Do whatever you think will be beneficial to your athletic aspect of yourself. The most important part is that you enjoy that sport or activity and that you should exemplify illustrate leadership (if possible). I'd like to think that when doing interviews for any of the SA's, the interview board would love to see a candidate that is very passionate and proud of what they do in their club/sport than a candidate that is all over the place and does not really like to do any of them.

Definitely reflect upon yourself and think on what you would like to do. Then plan and execute upon those thoughts and make the most out of it. Like for example, I'm about to go into senior year and in the process of starting an aviation club in which I am very determined to start and lead for future generations of students at my school.

Better to start now than never. Hope this helped and don't hesitate to PM me with any questions!

 

[almondqqq]

Do whatever you think will be beneficial to your athletic aspect of yourself. The most important part is that you enjoy that sport or activity and that you should exemplify illustrate leadership (if possible). I'd like to think that when doing interviews for any of the SA's, the interview board would love to see a candidate that is very passionate and proud of what they do in their club/sport than a candidate that is all over the place and does not really like to do any of them.

Definitely reflect upon yourself and think on what you would like to do. Then plan and execute upon those thoughts and make the most out of it. Like for example, I'm about to go into senior year and in the process of starting an aviation club in which I am very determined to start and lead for future generations of students at my school.

Better to start now than never. Hope this helped and don't hesitate to PM me with any questions!

thank you so much and good luck on your applications as well!

 

[CrabbittMom]

There are lots of questions on what you do and why you do it during the application /interview process. It will ultimately come out that you are not doing it because you love it anymore no matter how you try to mask it. What about transferring the interest into coaching youth football instead? My DD took the covid closure opportunity to start a community ed track program and loved it. Definitely find something that you truly enjoy for your senior year, it will here and gone before you know it. As the famous Ferris Bueller says “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in awhile you could miss it.”

 

[almondqqq]

There are lots of questions on what you do and why you do it during the application /interview process. It will ultimately come out that you are not doing it because you love it anymore no matter how you try to mask it. What about transferring the interest into coaching youth football instead? My DD took the covid closure opportunity to start a community ed track program and loved it. Definitely find something that you truly enjoy for your senior year, it will here and gone before you know it. As the famous Ferris Bueller says “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in awhile you could miss it.”

I never thought about it! I'll ask around my community if there's any positions needed! I have a good amount of knowledge about the sport so it wouldn't hurt to try! Thank you!

 

[dutydidnotwait98]

Yea I was thinking about doing track as well. The track coach talked to me a few times and wanted me to do discus and I was thinking of joining last year but track season wasn't going to happen but football season was so I decided to go with football, but now I might do track instead. Also, yea I wasn't going to be captain. I was up there with the guys but there was definitely people higher up in the food chain especially because I joined 2 years late, but got put straight into varsity.

It's okay to have a Plan B. You have to ask yourself if it's worth changing gears and quitting football or staying on the team until graduation. There definitely is no harm with adding discus for track. It doesn't take away from anything you are currently doing. It sounds like you had a valid delay with COVID getting in the way.

 

[almondqqq]

It's okay to have a Plan B. You have to ask yourself if it's worth changing gears and quitting football or staying on the team until graduation. There definitely is no harm with adding discus for track. It doesn't take away from anything you are currently doing. It sounds like you had a valid delay with COVID getting in the way.

I was also thinking of keeping football and also discus but I don't think I have time for both since robotics and band would be taking too much time.