Quitting a High School Sport, Need Advice

[sam_gordon]

Even if you stay, colleges don't count 'manager' as being part of a team sport where you actually participate. Coaches too often make it sound like the world revolves around being on their high school team and the reality is that it doesn't. Enjoy you senior year doing something else that can be a better use of your time.

It should still count as an extracurricular activity at the very least. AND it might help open doors at colleges... OP may be able to be part of the school field hockey team without playing. I actually had a partial scholarship for managing with the football team for a couple years.

OP, I agree with the others that you should enjoy what you're doing (even through the hard work). My only suggestion would be to sit down and talk to the coach and either let him know your concerns (if you're wavering) or the reason why you're leaving (if you've made your decision). I'm not sure what the field hockey season is, but I'd do it well before the season starts. Not because he needs to find a replacement for you, but he won't be as stressed over the start of the season if it's a number of months away.

As far as when to give up a sport, I started managing football when I was in 8th grade. Managed all the way through high school, and three years into college. I ended up getting a job in my field in my junior year and couldn't support both the job and managing. So I had to give up managing. While I wish I could have finished my college career, I don't regret the decision and would make the same one now.

 

[_19disnA]

However, if they give scholarships for being a manager is different from a scholarship given to top athletes who they expect to compete on their team.

 

[Ariel484]

If you quit the sport you will regret that choice years down the road.

I disagree. I was a diver in college and considered quitting every year, but could never quite work up the nerve to make the decision to give it up. Looking back, I wish I had - I had long fallen out of love with the sport, and it took up so much time. Like the OP, I didn't have many friends on the team (swimmer vs. diver weirdness)...and I had to spend a lot of time with them, time away from my non-swimmer friends. A good chunk of my college memories are associated with people that were never very nice to me.

OP - it's your senior year. How do you want to remember it?

 

[sam_gordon]

However, if they give scholarships for being a manager is different from a scholarship given to top athletes who they expect to compete on their team.

umm, how do you figure? Granted, I didn't get a full scholarship, but the scholarships I got went to the same items athletes got... tuition, books, meals, or lodging. Granted, top athletes in top sports might get full scholarships and managers MAY just get a partial, but when I was in school, the "head" manager got a full scholarship and everyone else split up a 2nd scholarship. It was a small school, so we only had 4(?) managers on staff.

The scholarship for managers would still come out of the athletic budget, it's not an academic scholarship, so what's "different"?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

 

[barkley]

i don't see a problem with it. if it's not for you then give someone else the opportunity to take it on and it might become their passion for the next few years. if you aren't mid season then you're not leaving the team in the lurch. there's enough months between now and your senior year for a replacement to be lined up (and that's on them to find-not you so don't take that responsibility on your shoulders)

the way i see it is-be it sports or other extracurricular activities, if you aren't getting enjoyment out them (let alone being made miserable by them) there's no value in continuing. sure, skills are learned from sports (and playing an instrument, dance, theater...) but years of already participating has likely instilled those in you already (that you are putting so much thought into your decision and seeking unbiased input shows you take your responsibility seriously) and you have an opportunity to explore other areas that might at this point be a better, more enjoyable option OR you can not do something during your senior year-it's a busy year as it is so it's nice to have some breathing room.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Sounds like a toxic atmosphere. I would bail.

 

[tink1970]

My DD is a senior and we have only a few months left. Let's face it, senior year is stressful. It may or may not be as academically challenging as other years but there are a lot of applying/waiting/interviewing processes going on. Honestly, you don't need more stress in your senior year-if this extracurricular activity won't give you stress relief and joy then why do it? Good luck, whatever your decision!

 

[iivye]

It sounds like it's time to quit. With new coach and team that is already ostracizing you, it's just not worth the stress to try and make it a more enjoyable environment. Enjoy your senior year and the extra time you will have and hopefully you'll get the internship you want.

 

[cabanafrau]

It's really interesting to me that there is such a drastic swing between the two coaches and who they consider their favorites, and that the new coach would immediately favor players "who were not dedicated". I'd be curious to know if the current bullying favorites felt they were ostracized under the old coach?

 

[_19disnA]

umm, how do you figure? Granted, I didn't get a full scholarship, but the scholarships I got went to the same items athletes got... tuition, books, meals, or lodging. Granted, top athletes in top sports might get full scholarships and managers MAY just get a partial, but when I was in school, the "head" manager got a full scholarship and everyone else split up a 2nd scholarship. It was a small school, so we only had 4(?) managers on staff.

The scholarship for managers would still come out of the athletic budget, it's not an academic scholarship, so what's "different"?

Most people on these threads tend to only read the latest few remarks. The OP hasn't really spoken to the issue of scholarships and wasn't part of their initial question. The advice to someone who is a star athlete on team they don't particularly like (i.e. loyalty/dedication) would be different from being a manager and being around people you don't care for and/or they don't like you.

 

[Cubbiecakes]

If you quit the sport you will regret that choice years down the road.

I disagree. Nothing you do before graduation will matter to anyone but you unless you are some kind of world-class talent (in which case, by high school you'd already be doing it).

If you don't enjoy something, ditch it. Senior year is stressful enough.

Do something fun. Learn something about yourself. Get ready for college, where your past won't matter at all.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Let me start by saying, I hate asking the Internet for advice, but I need some unbiased opinions, and all my friends/ family are biased.

I am going into my senior year of high school. I have been the varsity field hockey manager for the past two seasons, and i played my freshman year. I can no longer play due to tearing my meniscus 2 years ago and having a surgery that did not work.

Recently, my coach was “not rehired”, due to girls having problems with her. This coach and I were very close, and the people who got her fired bullied my best friend on the team and hated me.

The new coach, who was our JV coach and left last year due to problems with the head coach, is already ostracizing me, alomg with the other girls who were the old head coaches "favorites”. She is favoring 3 girls that were bullies and that have not been dedicated to the program.

That being said, I am considering whether it is time for me to quit.

The two main reasons I want to stay is it is my last year and my two friends are on the team, although one is also considering quitting.

The main reasons I am considering leaving is because I want to have good memories of my team and I am might be getting and internship that may conflict with the season.

I have been on a team that ostracized me and quitting to join my current team was the best decision I have ever made. It is hard to think of my senior year without playing, but it might be my time to go.

Any advice or opinions on my situation would be greatly appreciated.

Being on the team or being the manager is a voluntary activity. I see no problem with not doing it again your senior year in the fall.

 

[MrsDuck]

I'd quit. There's no shame in quitting under those circumstances at all.

 

[tvguy]

Let me start by saying, I hate asking the Internet for advice, but I need some unbiased opinions, and all my friends/ family are biased.

I am going into my senior year of high school. I have been the varsity field hockey manager for the past two seasons, and i played my freshman year. I can no longer play due to tearing my meniscus 2 years ago and having a surgery that did not work.

Recently, my coach was “not rehired”, due to girls having problems with her. This coach and I were very close, and the people who got her fired bullied my best friend on the team and hated me.

The new coach, who was our JV coach and left last year due to problems with the head coach, is already ostracizing me, alomg with the other girls who were the old head coaches "favorites”. She is favoring 3 girls that were bullies and that have not been dedicated to the program.

That being said, I am considering whether it is time for me to quit.

The two main reasons I want to stay is it is my last year and my two friends are on the team, although one is also considering quitting.

The main reasons I am considering leaving is because I want to have good memories of my team and I am might be getting and internship that may conflict with the season.

I have been on a team that ostracized me and quitting to join my current team was the best decision I have ever made. It is hard to think of my senior year without playing, but it might be my time to go.

Any advice or opinions on my situation would be greatly appreciated.

Well, if you haven't played in 2 years, should be an easy decision to quit IMHO.

 

[VandVsmama]

You should quit.

 

[Kellydelly]

I think you should quit. You are not even a player. Why waste your time worrying about the coach when you don't need to. If it isn't fun or fulfilling, just stop.

 

[Snowflakey]

Let me give my two cents

My daughter made varsity basketball her freshman year. This was pretty much unknown to happen (get varsity your freshman year). The experience wasn't great at all. Where we live we don't have a high school so you have to choose where you'd like to go. She was an "outsider" and was treated as such. She played two years and quit.

I disagree with everyone here saying you shouldn't quit, will regret it the rest of your life, yatta yatta ya.

She still says it was the BEST decision of her life. Life is too short not to be happy with what your doing.

 

[sam_gordon]

I disagree with everyone here saying you shouldn't quit, will regret it the rest of your life, yatta yatta ya.

Just for the record, ONE person has said that. The majority have agreed with quitting.

 

[robinb]

I will give my advice from the perspective of a parent of a child that stuck it out: quit now.