I am currently 16 years old 6'0, 193lbs. My coach was talking to me about a possible football scholarship, and he says I have a chance to get one for long snapping. He says all I have to do is gain about 25-35lbs before my seniot year in High School, and I have a chance to get a football scholarship. On the other hand, I have swimming. I am currently about 2 seconds away from making state championships, and I would probably lose about 30lbs before november in order to get there. I also have a chance to get a swimming scholarship too. I know that I should probably pick one or the other because I know it isn't exactly healthy to go from 225lbs to 160lbs in a couple of months. So was hoping that maybe some people on this board have some experience with this topic and could give me some advice.
Since this is a swimming discussion forum, I would usually say go for the swimming and don’t try to have wildly fluctuating weigh gains, then weight drops in order to be a two sport athlete. If you could do both with minimum loss/gain that would be different.
However, my advice to you is to think about what is most important to you a college scholarship or the sport itself. My personal opinion is, if at all possible, choose what you do based on which sport you prefer and not based on scholarship potential; unless, of course, scholarship money is your only ticket into the college of your choice.
From your previous posts, it sounds like you have a passion for swimming, does your passion for football run as deep? If your real love is swimming, then be the best 190 pound long snapper you can be during football season and work the swimming.
If it comes down to a decision based on scholarship money, your better bet may be football. Many college football programs are in need of good long snappers, a specialty that receives little attention, unless of course you miss badly on the winning field goal snap with 3 seconds left in the game.
There are 142 division 1 and 50 division 2 colleges that offer swimming/diving scholarships to Men. That's a total of just over 1,800 swimming and diving scholarships. Spread that over 4 years, there are about 450 scholarships available for any given class. Very few of these are given as “full rides”, most are partials, so they can be spread around. If we assume the nations top 10-20 High School seniors in any given event will be offered full rides, then it would take a better than 50 second 100 fly for a full ride to a major school. Getting a full ride in swimming is a phenomenal accomplishment; getting any scholarship is amazing and just swimming on a college team great.
The bottom line is, if you are looking at which sport has the most financial rewards – it probably isn’t swimming (unless you’re like Michel Phelps). However if you’re able to follow your desires; then take some time to think about which you personally prefer. And don’t be swayed by coaches or others.
I was at my high school reunion a couple years back, and noticed that almost all of the football players had lingering, chronic joint problems due to their sport -- achy knees, arms won't go above shoulder, and neck and disc issues. (We're in our 40s now) On the other hand, at the pool every day I see these fit, vibrant, energetic septuagenarians. Not exactly a scientific sampling, but this suggests that swimming might serve you better in the long run.
although swimming may be healthier as a non biased view i think football may be more lucrative unless your at phelps level...all those ads he does now must make some$$$$$$,ive just returned a week ago from atlanta and saw him on an ad there!!but you must make your own decisions now because thats what life is all about..go with your gut feelings...gud luk!!!!
Originally posted by sparx35
although swimming may be healthier as a non biased view i think football may be more lucrative unless your at phelps level...all those ads he does now must make some$$$$$$,ive just returned a week ago from atlanta and saw him on an ad there!!but you must make your own decisions now because thats what life is all about..go with your gut feelings...gud luk!!!!
Well, the other side of the coin is that unless you're good enough in football to have a serious shot at turning pro (and the vast majority of college football players don't), it's basically going to be over once you're out of college. I've worked for several companies that had a company softball team, but I've never once worked for (or even heard of) a company that had a company football team. For those who aren't good enough to turn pro, the post college options are pretty much limited to watching, coaching, and backyard tag football.
Swimming, on the other hand, is a sport you can pursue for your entire life.
Have you thought about trying for the Military Academy/Colleges like West Point or the Air Force Academy? Free schooling, intense swimming programs --and football, and you can have a military career afterwards! When it was time for the swimming seniors to go to college, three of us ended up at the most elite military colleges.
JC, Type in rescue swimmer on your internet search. You'll find more than enough information. Mostly Coast Guard and Navy related web sites. College scholarships are the norm for enrollment as Ali said. After that you can get paid for swimming,... if jumping from a helicopter into 20' swells sounds like fun.
And I agree with Kelly about the weight range. It sounds like you're on the way to being a sturdy 200 lbs given your current height and age.
Ali is right JC...my son is in his Plebe year at the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY and they have an excellent swim program...and the entire Academy is set up around WATER type operations. GO SWIMMING.....Swimmers Rule!
If you’re thinking about joining the Marine’s, then another option is looking into Navy ROTC scholarships.
As for swimming scholarships, be prepared for a lot of competition for these dollars. My son is now a senior in High School, one year ahead of you. As a Junior, he was in the top 5 in the state in the 200 and 500 free, just missing the All-American cuts in both events. He is currently inundated with materials from schools around the country. HOWEVER, without a significantly better senior year, there are few chances for a big scholarship in one of his goal schools.
