Walk On

Also not sure on your size, but if you enjoy football Sprint Football is an option. Take a look at the website for further info. It's a pretty fun sport to watch as it's a fast game.
 
I was specifically told that "there will be seven to fifteen practices during beast which several hundred athletes try out. of all these walk ons, 15 to 20 will be kept on the team".

Yea, those practices are called "mass athletics" during Beast. No idea what the numbers that the coach will take. In any given year, that's going to depend on number of returning players, what the team needs, and what the coach sees for potential in walk on players. Its not a high percentage, but there's always a chance. The suggestions to also look at other options you would be interested are definitely spot on as well. Life is 100% percent better at the Academy if you can find a club/sports team that you enjoy and have for support the four years you're there.
 
Yea, those practices are called "mass athletics" during Beast. No idea what the numbers that the coach will take. In any given year, that's going to depend on number of returning players, what the team needs, and what the coach sees for potential in walk on players. Its not a high percentage, but there's always a chance. The suggestions to also look at other options you would be interested are definitely spot on as well. Life is 100% percent better at the Academy if you can find a club/sports team that you enjoy and have for support the four years you're there.
is there any difference between 'mass athletics' and 'trying out for a team' - i read that you can only try out for one team a year, and if you don't make it, you have an extra hour of drill every morning for the year.
 
If your sport is 'in season' you might be exempted from early morning Company workouts. However, if you are playing a sport like football or crew - you are already up and doing your morning workout for them.
 
Your attempt to join a D-1 team is a great goal! However, you must put in hard work and be really ready to be a beast. The posters who say there will be 15 football walk-ons have no idea what they are talking about. There will be 1 or 2. Work out and be ready to shine. You will need to really turn the coaches heads. These coaches have been working on the class of 2017 recruits since the summer of 2016 and have identified many of the country's most gifted athletes. Aim towards that goal.
 
Your attempt to join a D-1 team is a great goal! However, you must put in hard work and be really ready to be a beast. The posters who say there will be 15 football walk-ons have no idea what they are talking about. There will be 1 or 2. Work out and be ready to shine. You will need to really turn the coaches heads. These coaches have been working on the class of 2017 recruits since the summer of 2016 and have identified many of the country's most gifted athletes. Aim towards that goal.
i wrote "I was told" there would be 15 or so football walk ons. I was told this by someone in charge. Are you an athlete at USMA or someone in charge?
Besides, It is not the USMa coaches who identify the most gifted athletes. it is the high school coach promoting to the newspapers, who then identify athletes for combine tryouts, and the combines then identify the athletes for D1 schools. No combine, no identification. If your high school coach thinks newspaper promotion is vainglorious, no identification. Best player on your high school team, and thus double and triple teamed every play, and still make 106 tackles in 8 games? no one knows except the opposing coaches.
 
i wrote "I was told" there would be 15 or so football walk ons. I was told this by someone in charge. Are you an athlete at USMA or someone in charge?
Besides, It is not the USMa coaches who identify the most gifted athletes. it is the high school coach promoting to the newspapers, who then identify athletes for combine tryouts, and the combines then identify the athletes for D1 schools. No combine, no identification. If your high school coach thinks newspaper promotion is vainglorious, no identification. Best player on your high school team, and thus double and triple teamed every play, and still make 106 tackles in 8 games? no one knows except the opposing coaches.
I'm not sure how many "non recruited" players will be picked up but you have to remember that the majority of the football team from USMAPS class of 2017 were recruited players so they will be moving up along with the recruits for this year that are coming to USMA, I'm thinking the number of Plebe football players is already around 30 - 40 (my oldest son was recruited by Army and Navy and played for NAPS so I am fairly familiar with the process). Not trying to discourage you but I would be shocked if 15 "walk-ons" make the team. If you have the talent and size you may have a chance. Did you attend any of the WP football camps and get to talk to the coaches?
 
I'm not sure how many "non recruited" players will be picked up but you have to remember that the majority of the football team from USMAPS class of 2017 were recruited players so they will be moving up along with the recruits for this year that are coming to USMA, I'm thinking the number of Plebe football players is already around 30 - 40 (my oldest son was recruited by Army and Navy and played for NAPS so I am fairly familiar with the process). Not trying to discourage you but I would be shocked if 15 "walk-ons" make the team. If you have the talent and size you may have a chance. Did you attend any of the WP football camps and get to talk to the coaches?
lightbulb....
thus a mission of usmaps.....
current usmaps roster is 13.....that's what that guy was probably counting...
 
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College recruiting is tough. There are hundreds if not thousands of kids for coaches to sort through. I get it- been there, done that, got the t-shirt. My DD as an Army brat got moved so often that she could not get the traction necessary to be heavily recruited.
I wish there were an easy solution, but if you are an uninvited walk on it's an uphill battle. You will have to have your A-Game from day one.
If you are not picked up and really want it, asks coach if there is something you can do to be looked at the following year. My nephew played Navy Club lax his plebe year after not making it as a walk on. Got picked up the second time.
 
What TNLS21 said! Spot on. It will be tough, but it doesn't mean it can't be done.

There are many avenues for recruitment in the sport of football. Other sports differ significantly in the recruiting process and are NOTHING like football.

Some h.s. coaches are better at helping players in the recruiting process. Others- not so much. Anyone familiar with h.s. football recruitment will tell you to not rely on your coach. Combines/camps are helpful. It's a process in which you will find yourself trying many strategies in order to get noticed. A number of high schools in the country are regular stops for coaches in the D-1, D-2, and D-3 and that is a big help. The process almost seems random and I'm sure many talented players get left out, and you may be one of those kids.

At USMA, the coaches have had regular contact with their recruiting targets for the past year, but I imagine that doesn't mean they wouldn't give a promising walk-on a solid opportunity.

However, for the O.P. all this talk of recruitment is water under the bridge as it sounds like he is getting ready for R-Day. OP- definitely give it a try and take most of the advice you are reading here with a grain of salt. I'm going to assume you need your cleats and gloves. Call and ask if you can bring them (to drop them off somewhere for storage) and get the information from the horse's mouth.

Good luck!!
 
I was specifically told that "there will be seven to fifteen practices during beast which several hundred athletes try out. of all these walk ons, 15 to 20 will be kept on the team".

My son was told the same thing, more or less. But the ass't D coach made it sound like it was open to all Beast CCs. I know there was a guy from my son's HS that went to the football open athletics and was trying out for a long-snapper position. I suspect he did not get picked up, but it surprised all of us that this CC (class of 2020) had football aspirations! So, yes, the football team has open athletic periods for CCs to attend.
My son was encouraged to attend while he is at Beast. But, I did not get the impression that one had to be invited to attend these sessions. The Assistant Coach told us that sometimes they would have workout sessions, but that they would also have hang-out sessions with food! As if the food was meant to be an enticing factor to get kids to visit them during open athletics.
Now, to put this in context, my son's HS football coach had contacted the WP Athletic dept regarding my son, my son did attend WP football camps, he sent Hudl info and my son did fill out an Athletics questionnaire. So, he was already in contact with the football dept.
Have you done all of those things too?
I would call the Athletics dept and ask one of the receptionists what they would recommend you do. They are very helpful!
In the final analysis, I think my son has decided to hang up his cleats, preferring to find a new sport, but after playing football for 12 years, he might feel a gravitational pull to something familiar during the stress of Beast. I will have my DS text the coach and ask him about the cleats and let you know his response...
Also, I get the feeling if you have what they are looking for, they will find you!!!
 
I'm not sure how many "non recruited" players will be picked up but you have to remember that the majority of the football team from USMAPS class of 2017 were recruited players so they will be moving up along with the recruits for this year that are coming to USMA, I'm thinking the number of Plebe football players is already around 30 - 40 (my oldest son was recruited by Army and Navy and played for NAPS so I am fairly familiar with the process). Not trying to discourage you but I would be shocked if 15 "walk-ons" make the team. If you have the talent and size you may have a chance. Did you attend any of the WP football camps and get to talk to the coaches?

I thought they had 75 Plebe players? Clearly, a very high rate of attrition.
 
My son was told the same thing, more or less. But the ***'t D coach made it sound like it was open to all Beast CCs. I know there was a guy from my son's HS that went to the football open athletics and was trying out for a long-snapper position. I suspect he did not get picked up, but it surprised all of us that this CC (class of 2020) had football aspirations! So, yes, the football team has open athletic periods for CCs to attend.
My son was encouraged to attend while he is at Beast. But, I did not get the impression that one had to be invited to attend these sessions. The Assistant Coach told us that sometimes they would have workout sessions, but that they would also have hang-out sessions with food! As if the food was meant to be an enticing factor to get kids to visit them during open athletics.
Now, to put this in context, my son's HS football coach had contacted the WP Athletic dept regarding my son, my son did attend WP football camps, he sent Hudl info and my son did fill out an Athletics questionnaire. So, he was already in contact with the football dept.
Have you done all of those things too?
I would call the Athletics dept and ask one of the receptionists what they would recommend you do. They are very helpful!
In the final analysis, I think my son has decided to hang up his cleats, preferring to find a new sport, but after playing football for 12 years, he might feel a gravitational pull to something familiar during the stress of Beast. I will have my DS text the coach and ask him about the cleats and let you know his response...
Also, I get the feeling if you have what they are looking for, they will find you!!!

Oh gosh, I abbreviated the word Assistant and it looks like I used a bad word! My apologies! My original post should read Assistant D coach, not, ***'t D coach!
 
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