BOTC - US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM (LI, CT, WC) Girls 2021 - 8th Grade Fall 2016/ Summer 2017

I don't need to do research. In case you couldn't tell by me saying that I am ex-Navy, I am an Academy graduate. I served 6 years as an officer on a ballistic missle submarine. If you wan't me to break down the hours that we worked under the conditions we worked in for the $52k I made I would be happy to have that conversation with you. The academy is a great place and does prepare you for life......But, it is also not your typical college experience and your service time is not going to be a cake walk. She's a lacrosse player, not David Robinson. I think people's points are, and mine included, is that choosing to attend a service academy in 8th grade is a very BIG DECISION and I doubt she necessarily knows what she is getting into. And, there is no reason to commit to a service academy in 8th grade. Look around. Find out what your options are. Grow up a little and maybe learn a little more about yourself and what you are looking for out of college. The decision could have been made a year from now if not more. It's all about the rush to say I'm committed and it doesn't benefit the player of the school really. There will be a very high rate of washout from the academies if they continue down this road.

I don't need to do research. In case you couldn't tell by me saying that I am ex-Navy, I am an Academy graduate. I served 6 years as an officer on a ballistic missle submarine. If you wan't me to break down the hours that we worked under the conditions we worked in for the $52k I made I would be happy to have that conversation with you. The academy is a great place and does prepare you for life......But, it is also not your typical college experience and your service time is not going to be a cake walk. She's a lacrosse player, not David Robinson. I think people's points are, and mine included, is that choosing to attend a service academy in 8th grade is a very BIG DECISION and I doubt she necessarily knows what she is getting into. And, there is no reason to commit to a service academy in 8th grade. Look around. Find out what your options are. Grow up a little and maybe learn a little more about yourself and what you are looking for out of college. The decision could have been made a year from now if not more. It's all about the rush to say I'm committed and it doesn't benefit the player of the school really. There will be a very high rate of washout from the academies if they continue down this road.

I don't need to do research. In case you couldn't tell by me saying that I am ex-Navy, I am an Academy graduate. I served 6 years as an officer on a ballistic missle submarine. If you wan't me to break down the hours that we worked under the conditions we worked in for the $52k I made I would be happy to have that conversation with you. The academy is a great place and does prepare you for life......But, it is also not your typical college experience and your service time is not going to be a cake walk. She's a lacrosse player, not David Robinson. I think people's points are, and mine included, is that choosing to attend a service academy in 8th grade is a very BIG DECISION and I doubt she necessarily knows what she is getting into. And, there is no reason to commit to a service academy in 8th grade. Look around. Find out what your options are. Grow up a little and maybe learn a little more about yourself and what you are looking for out of college. The decision could have been made a year from now if not more. It's all about the rush to say I'm committed and it doesn't benefit the player of the school really. There will be a very high rate of washout from the academies if they continue down this road.

I am not in her way , egomaniacal parents are in her way . Do not know this kid or her parents but I know the type . Overbearing , over controlling , parents who have the kid training 24/7 . Good point by previous poster of it was not about the parents ego then why commit now , what's the advantage . If the kid is good enough and bright enough the academies will have room for her in 3 years and obviously money is not the issue .

The older sister plays there. I am sure the family and the athlete have a good idea of what is involved in this decision.

Can anyone actually give a reasonable reason/advantage why its a good idea to have a 12-13 year old commit 9 years of their life .I must honestly be missing something. I have read the above posts and have yet to see a reasonable explanation as to why its a good idea. I get its a great school but it will be just as great in 3 years.

Can anyone actually give a reasonable reason/advantage why its a good idea to have a 12-13 year old commit 9 years of their life .I must honestly be missing something. I have read the above posts and have yet to see a reasonable explanation as to why its a good idea. I get its a great school but it will be just as great in 3 years.

Can anyone actually give a reasonable reason/advantage why its a good idea to have a 12-13 year old commit 9 years of their life .I must honestly be missing something. I have read the above posts and have yet to see a reasonable explanation as to why its a good idea. I get its a great school but it will be just as great in 3 years.

Its easy to sit here and judge a kid and family for making the decision but until you have those offers on the table...why not just say Congrats and hope it works out for her. Its easy to identify the negatives to early recruiting, but there can be positives for each girl/ boy that only apply to that individual.

Yeah, but she was the first 2021 to commit!! Aren't you jealous?

Obviously many people are.....

Obviously many people are.....

[quote=Anonymous]Can anyone actually give a reasonable reason/advantage why its a good idea to have a 12-13 year old commit 9 years of their life .I must honestly be missing something. I have read the above posts and have yet to see a reasonable explanation as to why its a good idea. I get its a great school but it will be just as great in 3 years.

You over-emoting people crack me up.

Fellas, if you have some gripes against early recruiting in general I get it. However, let's have a reality check for a moment. The 8th-9th grader that "commits" to play lacrosse at USNA is not signing a legal document that results in her foregoing her high school career and immediately being transferred to a submarine. So, you can get your collective shorts out of the knots they have formed and calm down a little.

What a kid is doing is "committing" to the application process to the USNA. She can change her mind an hour later. She can change her mind a year later. She can change her mind as a junior in high school. She can change her mind as a senior in high school. And, as pointed out above, she can change her mind in terms of "committing" to Naval service all the way up until the end of her second year in college.

Bottom line is this: She will have exactly ZERO ("0") obligation to serve until the end of her 2nd year of college when she will sign a commitment to serve 5 years upon graduation. Up until then, there is no commitment. Not even to lacrosse, which she can quit at any time and will not lose her scholarship for doing so because there are no scholarships.

Just like at other schools, as the girls get older they can and do change their minds. Or, maybe they do not even pass the admissions board. Or, maybe they fail a physical exam. The point is, as a parent, your daughter is really only "committing" to working hard on her grades, test scores, and lacrosse, and staying out of trouble. Those are goals that will serve her well regardless of where she ends up going to college.

Again, if you have concerns about early recruiting in general, I hear ya. However, to be clear about the main point, the 8th or 9th graders are locked into nothing. They can, do, and will frequently change their minds and there will be exactly zero consequences for doing so.

Great point. Nothing is locked in. And don't be fooled...the parents aren't deciding that "today is the day I want my child committed". The coaches are stuck with early committing and there is an overall pressure for the parents that there won't be any spots left on the team (reality for the top teams). As most parents know, you may want your child committed in the worst way, but the coaches are the ones initiating the process. Also, if you are fortunate enough to have a child being offered money, the money goes QUICKLY! I personally know of people who waited a year or so to commit from an offer, and lost scholarship $. Nothing will change without changes to NCAA rules overall. To blame parents is ridiculous and, although college coaches hate the process as well, they are stuck with it.

You over-emoting people crack me up.

Fellas, if you have some gripes against early recruiting in general I get it. However, let's have a reality check for a moment. The 8th-9th grader that "commits" to play lacrosse at USNA is not signing a legal document that results in her foregoing her high school career and immediately being transferred to a submarine. So, you can get your collective shorts out of the knots they have formed and calm down a little.

What a kid is doing is "committing" to the application process to the USNA. She can change her mind an hour later. She can change her mind a year later. She can change her mind as a junior in high school. She can change her mind as a senior in high school. And, as pointed out above, she can change her mind in terms of "committing" to Naval service all the way up until the end of her second year in college.

Bottom line is this: She will have exactly ZERO ("0") obligation to serve until the end of her 2nd year of college when she will sign a commitment to serve 5 years upon graduation. Up until then, there is no commitment. Not even to lacrosse, which she can quit at any time and will not lose her scholarship for doing so because there are no scholarships.

Just like at other schools, as the girls get older they can and do change their minds. Or, maybe they do not even pass the admissions board. Or, maybe they fail a physical exam. The point is, as a parent, your daughter is really only "committing" to working hard on her grades, test scores, and lacrosse, and staying out of trouble. Those are goals that will serve her well regardless of where she ends up going to college.

Again, if you have concerns about early recruiting in general, I hear ya. However, to be clear about the main point, the 8th or 9th graders are locked into nothing. They can, do, and will frequently change their minds and there will be exactly zero consequences for doing so.

Such a weak response. You make it sound as if the verbal commitment has zero meaning; if that is the case why bother giving your verbal commitment. As far as motivation , not being committed but wanting to be is more motivating especially on the lacrosse end.
Your response also shows a lack of character which is the exact opposite of what the Naval Academy is all about. You are giving your word and should be expected to follow thru on it. You act as if your actions have no negative impact if you decide last minute to bail on your verbal. It has an impact on the coaches ,your future teammates ,her sister in this case, and in the end you may have taken a spot of someone who intended to actually stand behind their commitment.
All of your arguments that she can just renege on her word anytime she wants is great argument for waiting to commit until they are old enough to actually know if that is the life they want.
Honestly I see it more and more people giving verbals as a fall back position till they find something better ,seems like a character trait I would not encourage in my kids.
Still waiting on the reason committing in this case as a 12 -13 y.o, was done other than ego, the argument that she can get out of the deal is not exactly a compelling reason.

LOL, you are a mess. Nobody is promoting making a verbal commitment and then reneging. But, somebody had to counter the ludicrous point that somehow the 14 year old was going to be shipped off to basic training. And if you consult with the coaches and the Academy you will learn how they feel about it, which in a nutshell is this: We recognize people change (especially young people) and we respect that and we do not want somebody here that does not want to be here.

The coaches know girls will change their mind, just like the superintendent does, and they get a lot less flustered by it than "Anonymous" on BOTC does.

Of course, being "outraged" is in vogue now, so have at it.

I think everybody else, other than the willfully ignorant get the point.

As for the explanation you are seeking, since you have nothing to do with it, and it does not involve your child, my guess is you will get the explanation you are entitled to which is this:

Nothing. No explanation. Buzz off.

Such a weak response. You make it sound as if the verbal commitment has zero meaning; if that is the case why bother giving your verbal commitment. As far as motivation , not being committed but wanting to be is more motivating especially on the lacrosse end.
Your response also shows a lack of character which is the exact opposite of what the Naval Academy is all about. You are giving your word and should be expected to follow thru on it. You act as if your actions have no negative impact if you decide last minute to bail on your verbal. It has an impact on the coaches ,your future teammates ,her sister in this case, and in the end you may have taken a spot of someone who intended to actually stand behind their commitment.
All of your arguments that she can just renege on her word anytime she wants is great argument for waiting to commit until they are old enough to actually know if that is the life they want.
Honestly I see it more and more people giving verbals as a fall back position till they find something better ,seems like a character trait I would not encourage in my kids.
Still waiting on the reason committing in this case as a 12 -13 y.o, was done other than ego, the argument that she can get out of the deal is not exactly a compelling reason.

Such a weak response. You make it sound as if the verbal commitment has zero meaning; if that is the case why bother giving your verbal commitment. As far as motivation , not being committed but wanting to be is more motivating especially on the lacrosse end.
Your response also shows a lack of character which is the exact opposite of what the Naval Academy is all about. You are giving your word and should be expected to follow thru on it. You act as if your actions have no negative impact if you decide last minute to bail on your verbal. It has an impact on the coaches ,your future teammates ,her sister in this case, and in the end you may have taken a spot of someone who intended to actually stand behind their commitment.
All of your arguments that she can just renege on her word anytime she wants is great argument for waiting to commit until they are old enough to actually know if that is the life they want.
Honestly I see it more and more people giving verbals as a fall back position till they find something better ,seems like a character trait I would not encourage in my kids.
Still waiting on the reason committing in this case as a 12 -13 y.o, was done other than ego, the argument that she can get out of the deal is not exactly a compelling reason.

Such a weak response. You make it sound as if the verbal commitment has zero meaning; if that is the case why bother giving your verbal commitment. As far as motivation , not being committed but wanting to be is more motivating especially on the lacrosse end.
Your response also shows a lack of character which is the exact opposite of what the Naval Academy is all about. You are giving your word and should be expected to follow thru on it. You act as if your actions have no negative impact if you decide last minute to bail on your verbal. It has an impact on the coaches ,your future teammates ,her sister in this case, and in the end you may have taken a spot of someone who intended to actually stand behind their commitment.
All of your arguments that she can just renege on her word anytime she wants is great argument for waiting to commit until they are old enough to actually know if that is the life they want.
Honestly I see it more and more people giving verbals as a fall back position till they find something better ,seems like a character trait I would not encourage in my kids.
Still waiting on the reason committing in this case as a 12 -13 y.o, was done other than ego, the argument that she can get out of the deal is not exactly a compelling reason.

LOL, you are a mess. Nobody is promoting making a verbal commitment and then reneging. But, somebody had to counter the ludicrous point that somehow the 14 year old was going to be shipped off to basic training. And if you consult with the coaches and the Academy you will learn how they feel about it, which in a nutshell is this: We recognize people change (especially young people) and we respect that and we do not want somebody here that does not want to be here.

The coaches know girls will change their mind, just like the superintendent does, and they get a lot less flustered by it than "Anonymous" on BOTC does.

Of course, being "outraged" is in vogue now, so have at it.

I think everybody else, other than the willfully ignorant get the point.

As for the explanation you are seeking, since you have nothing to do with it, and it does not involve your child, my guess is you will get the explanation you are entitled to which is this:

Nothing. No explanation. Buzz off.

Sorry, my kid graduated from USNA three years ago so I am nothing more than a surrogate speaking on behalf of whomever the parents of this young lady are.

As for you, what you lack in new material and meaningful insight, you more than make up for in your relentlessness.

Like I said, I can educate you and make you less ignorant, but I cannot do anything about willful ignorance.

I hope others have benefitted from the information above.

Good luck to you, your family, and your daughter.

[quote=Anonymous]Uh last I checked if a 8th grader is 14 and a 9th grader is 15 and a 10th grader is 26 and an 11th grader is 17 that would make a senior in high school 18. That guy is right, you are a mess. [/quote

Again you prove to be ignorant , if a kid is 14 now and in 8th grade they have either been held back or left back if they go to school on Long Island you dope .

[quote=Anonymous]Uh last I checked if a 8th grader is 14 and a 9th grader is 15 and a 10th grader is 26 and an 11th grader is 17 that would make a senior in high school 18. That guy is right, you are a mess. [/quote

Again you prove to be ignorant , if a kid is 14 now and in 8th grade they have either been held back or left back if they go to school on Long Island you dope .

Thanks dad now go take some of moms meds. The no explanation is because there is no reasonable explanation other than you are an egomaniacal important dad living thru his child. Actually the new vogue is your word and commitment means nothing just like you are advocating. Its interesting that you say a 14 year old when the 8th grader should be 12 or at most 13. Time to take your meds crazy dad.

The age cutoff in Maryland is Sept 15. So a kid born on Sept 19 will indeed be a 14 year old in 8th grade.

Idiot.

You know, you have been wrong in every statement you have made. This is yet another example. Do the math you clown.

Could you make it any easier to prove that you are a moron , cut off in NYS is December 1. Because you are such a simpleton I will spell it out for you , any kid who is currently 14 and is in 8th grade on Long Island is a hold back. I would abuse you some more but its just sad, maybe you and the dope with the fictitious kid who was a USNA graduate can get together and come on here with a legitimate reason a kid should commit to 9 years of service other than they can back out.

Something tells me that everyone has said there peace on this topic. Can I suggest you all move on with your life as this decision will not effect you in anyway throughout your life.

Good healthy debate is productive. This is not.

Something tells me that everyone has said there peace on this topic. Can I suggest you all move on with your life as this decision will not effect you in anyway throughout your life.

Good healthy debate is productive. This is not.