Dilemma
 

I am have this dilemma: whether to finish football my senior year, or to drop and focus solely on academics and robotics. I have been contemplating for a month or two; I already told my counsellor, robotics mentor and my football coach that this year would be my last season. When my friends found out, I started having second thoughts. They asked me why I was going to do it; my first response was I never gotten my art credit, and I wanted to do 4 AP classes. Now on top of that I also wanted to focus 100% of my time on robotics and academics. Now I heard from another friend not in football that the robotics class really has nothing to do with what the team does, so I am not so sure about that aspect. My last reason was that Football just took up too much of my time; 3 hours of practice every day, that itself took its toll on my body and academics. I am not sure if it is feasible to pull off A's in 4 AP classes next year while I can only pull off B's in only 2 this year. Seems like a waste of 3 years in football to not play the 4rth. I have convinced myself that I won't be playing in college, but I am having serious second thoughts. I wanted to intern/do a summer program at Caltech or JPL during this coming up summer, that will not be possible with summer practice. Now that being said: both seem like a lose lose situation for me. Senior year will not affect my college stuff.

I really want to prepare for college even if the AP classes I will take my senior year will not affect my chances of going into college, but the knowledge and the experience gained in AP classes are priceless. So are the Friday Night Lights of Varsity football. I really want to leave a legacy on the robotics team next year, train up the programmers, even leave a deeper legacy. I have told a guy I knew who also took the route of dropping football his senior year and taking on solely academics (he was good too, starting center) he says he somewhat regrets not being able to play friday nights and seemed like a waste of 3 years. Now if I can find a way to balance all that it would be perfect, but I find that doing homework after practice is pretty hard. I guess I will talk it over with my counsellor and mentor and coach about it more. It really is a hard choice to make.

My mentality has always been finish what you started. Finish that drive, finish that block, finish that tackle. Now I am faced with this dilemma, I really feel like a deer in the head lights right now. Maybe I was acting too emotionally before when I said I was going to drop for sure. Hell yes football is fun, also is robotics.

Re: Dilemma
 

David,

Congratulations to you on your Senior Year.

One of the greatest freedoms we have is to make our own decisions.

You are now at a crossroads in your life. You will need to make decisions that will shape the rest of your life. You are faced with the same problem we face every year in build season...

Too little time.... too few resources..... more things to do than we can get done.

You will have to make this decision....
Whenever I have had to make a decision as hard as yours I sit and ponder... the answer comes to you in your heart. You will know what to do...look inside for your answer.

I am not going to presume to know what your pressures are... it certainly would be nice to be able to do everything we wanted to do... to be the star football player... the best student.... the greatest robot programmer... to get into every college we apply for...

I have never met anyone like this...

Great people take a path... and they follow it to its conclusion...they apply all of their effort and faculties to the problem and move towards greatness ...

There is no coincidence that there are no professional football players that have won the Nobel prize.
There is also no coincidence that no Nobel prize winners have ever won the Heisman Trophy...

In the end it has little to do with intelligence... it has to do with drive... and the direction you put your effort....

I would employ a student who works hard and does his best in a heartbeat over a
4.0 student who just coasts along and doesn't do their best.

Look deeply into yourself... find out what is right for you.... honestly evaluate the reasons you want to do certain things and then make a decision....

It is up to you...

Re: Dilemma
 

That was my mentality when I first made the decision that I would drop football next year. Because I realized my passion that my age will not be hindered by is robotics/programmimg. That was a low part of my life, right after hearing of a news of someone passing away. I don't want to say much, but he was an inspiration to me and others around him. I guess the choice I made was highly influenced by that. However, the disadvantages still do hold their weight. One may ask why I am making decisions about my senior year during my junior year, not even half a semester is done. It is just my personallity, I have to have plans, I do not like things unexpected very much.


Yes you are correct, it has to come from my heart, but your heart can sometimes be swayed by emotions. You know the teenage heart can easily be persuaded.

I don't know, I personally want to play that last year of football, but thinking of how well I can pull my grades off. Sometimes a man has to know when enough is enough.

I really want to pour out all my efforts into my robotics team next year and make it a great team (come on, 10 years of mediocracy?) I do not know if that will be possible with football.


May be I will opt out of that internship and do summer school and get my art credit so I can do robotics class and football. But I do not want to blow a big opportunity like that either.


Life is pretty harsh, such hard decisions at an early age. The choice I make now will affect the rest of my life...

Re: Dilemma
 

(I read through, but it's a long quote so have all of it)

I have two things:
1. I'm currently taking 4 AP's, so I don't have a life. When robotics starts, I won't have life or sleep. I considered not even doing robotics this year. School has always been rather easy for me, even taking 1 or 2 APs, if that gives you any perspective.

2. Don't try to do everything. You can't. You should make a decision, whatever it is (of course, take time to do so), and stick with it. At some point, reject any misgivings or regrets and just move on.

Re: Dilemma
 

David,
You are at a point that most people do not reach until senior year or beyond. The good news is you're thinking ahead. It seems from my cheap seat that you are weighing the difference between playing four years of ball over the possibility that additional AP classes and a summer internship could help you in the future. There is a real advantage to the AP classes and internship. The AP classes may streamline your class choices in college. Many AP class credits apply as college credit, right? That would allow you to take other classes that you would not have had time for. Maybe even enough for a double major. The internship would allow you to get some experience in a world outside of academics. Maybe you will find you really like some aspect of the work or you may find you really hate it. Either is valuable without having made a long term (lifelong) commitment. As to completing that last year of football, that also has some real advantages. Being able to look back at your high school memories and knowing that your were a four year member of a team is a good thing, too. Working towards a goal, even if it is only a personal goal, and achieving that goal is what all of us strive for every day.
Whatever your choice, do your best and have some fun. Be a great senior football player or be a great AP student. When we meet sometime in the future, I want to meet a David who is happy in the choice he has made.

Re: Dilemma
 

I have a slightly different view than Bob.

Great things are accomplished by pesons that take a path, follow it to its conclusion, .........

I know many "great people" that do a lot of different things (some great, some good, some poorly). I have read about (and even met some) people that have accomplished "great things", that I didn't think were all that great. There are also many "great people" that have accomplished "great things" as well.

Life is a series of compromises that you start making the day you start making decisions. Choosing to be un-compromising on a particular goal is really the choice to compromise other experiences you could have done. Finding "your balance" is up to you.

If you want to get really analytical about it, write out long term, mid term, and short term goals. The goals should reflect "the person" you want to be. Make sub-points of what needs to be accomplished to get you o these goals. List your current opportunities what is required of them, and how do they align with your goals.

Re: Dilemma
 

Two thoughts:

1) Physical health and fitness is, IMHO, important to metal fitness. If you decide to drop Football at least get into a regular exercise routine. My opinion is that athletics add an extra dimension to life that some people sorely miss. A vast majority of the students involved with a varsity team at my college were high academic achievers, including my class' valedictorian.

2) My junior and senior years I managed 3 seasons of competitive varsity and club sports, AP/Honors classes, a Dartmouth calculus class, and FRC. Find out what you're made of, it's a great time in life to do it.

Re: Dilemma
 

I have been an avid lifter since I was 13 in 8th grade, so lifting has been part of my life for a long time, its nothing to worry about when it comes to exercise. Yes I know this great guy that was all league receiver and had 4+ gpa and the greatest guy you can meet. Was the valedictorian and I honestly do not know how he pulled it off.

Re: Dilemma
 

I made a choice, I am staying with football for another year, I feel like that is the most appropriate choice.

Re: Dilemma
 

Best of luck with your decision, I hope it works out for you.

Above all else, just make sure you keep in mind that academics are the most important thing for you right now.

Re: Dilemma
 

Yea, I was thinking that, and since Senior year can't "make" but only "break" my college acceptance, I will be only taking 3 APs next year


Also I just took the PSAT today... Easy as hell... I aced that LOL. Its difficulty was similar to the CST (California Standardized Tests)
I finished each section in 15 minutes... And 20 for the writing

BTW, how accurate does the PSAT represent the real SAT?

Re: Dilemma
 

I guess you won't get your scores until what, early December? Post them when you get them.

Re: Dilemma
 

I will do

Re: Dilemma
 

Not well at all in my experience. The SAT isn't that bad, but the PSAT is just a cake walk.

Re: Dilemma
 

I agree with your choice. I struggled with this same decision concerning lacrosse. However, in the end you have to remember you have the rest of your life to be an engineer but only until the end of high school to play sports. (unless your one of select few people).

Just being honest, that makes you sound very hubris. I also thought the PSAT was easy; it doesn't mean you have to say it. Just sort of keep that in mind the next time you post.