Why would they do this--sports team related?

[undertheradar]

So these seniors get scholarship offers for this coming Fall? I guess these nation leading scholars that attend your daughter's(op) school don't have the same deadlines for accepting school offers as the other students in the United States? Sorry, but there is too much drama in your little Minnesota high school.

As for the choice that the senior player makes about playing or having a graduation party, nobody should judge her for it. We all have times when we must choose one activity over the other and I'm sure that the average person doesn't care to be second guessed by a bunch of holier than thou posters on an internet chat board. I'm sure that the senior girl's character is just fine.

 

[SeaShelley]

Golf must be different but in baseball scholarships are not based on whether the team makes it to state, its how the PLAYER plays that gets the scholarship. There are very talented players on very weak teams and one player cannot take any team to state.

If these girls have a chance in getting a scholarship, its on them not on the choice of another player.

I also do not think it is fair to judge this girl's character over one choice (and only one side of the story on that choice). I hardly believe that we are all so perfect that none of us have ever had a lapse in judgement, especially as a senior in high school.

Sports are great and wonderful. They teach great life lessons and can help provide an education. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for DS's years of baseball. And I am thankful that he learned the lessons he did from it. But I don't think that sports are the end all and be all and I don't think that any kid should be expected to give up their life to be on a team.

Very well said!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Like it or not, character speaks for itself.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Like it or not, character speaks for itself.

That is the undeniable truth. That is why I've got a pretty good take on the character of some of these, so-called, "teammates" who are prejudging a peer, without knowing anything about the reasoning for her choice.

 

[undertheradar]

Like it or not, character speaks for itself.

How true that statement reads . After all, we are talking about a 17 or 18 year old. We are also only being given one side of the situation.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

That is the undeniable truth. That is why I've got a pretty good take on the character of some of these, so-called, "teammates" who are prejudging a peer, without knowing anything about the reasoning for her choice.

It seems there's a lot of judging going on here, and it ain't just from those discussing the girl.

Is "holier than thou" not a judgemental statement?

 

[Toad_Passenger]

It seems there's a lot of judging going on here, and it ain't just from those discussing the girl.

Is "holier than thou" not a judgemental statement?

Did I use that term?

 

[allison443]

FWIW, I am far more annoyed for the other seniors on the team who are not already sitting pretty with a soccer scholarship. Golfgal is right that Title IX pumps a lot of money into women's sports on the college level and golf is one of them. It does in fact mean SQUAT if those senior girls miss out on a scholarship offer because they missed the Championship Tournament because Miss #6 wasn't there to play. It appears that the JV girl is not the same caliber and they are now down to taking the best of 5 scores instead of 6. Miss I-Already-Got-Mine-#6 has left her team, and especially those seniors, at a disadvantage.

I think it is way too late for current seniors to be looking for scholarships. Commitment letters were signed long ago. However, even for the underclassment on the team, I don't know how far the team winning a championship would go in getting a scholarship, such as for the JV girl mentioned above.

My kids were not involved with golf, but to me, it seems to be a sport (similar to track or swimming) where the individual ability of an athlete is easy to measure. An individual can score very well at golf and those scores stand regardless how the rest of the team does. Like in swimming or track, you get a certain time for a set distance, etc. It's different from something like soccer, where maybe your team was in a league with very strong or very weak competition, or you were a good player but your team didn't have a great goalie so you lost many games, etc.

 

[jrmasm]

That is the undeniable truth. That is why I've got a pretty good take on the character of some of these, so-called, "teammates" who are prejudging a peer, without knowing anything about the reasoning for her choice.

Oh snap!

 

[SaraJayne]

I agree with Robin, but I also think you are missing the bigger point. To be a part of something like that is to be revered because it isn't something that falls into you lap, it's earned through hard work and perserverance, sometimes excruciatingly so. Playing is a priveledge, an honor, a right. For a young man or woman, it can indeed be formative, inspirational, driving. You blow it off, you lose opportunity. You let people down. You give up. You don't care. You ultimately lose integrity.

When balancing the positives with the negatives here, it doesn't make sense not to see it through.

Bottom line is that this girl made her choice, and that choice speaks volumes about her character. And I don't care who's coming to the party.

Oh puh-leese. It's a high school tournament. It isn't the freaking Olympics.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Did I use that term?

Did I say you did?

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Did I say you did?

I thought your "holier than thou" response was directed at me, and I didn't think I had used the term, or came off that way. Another misread on the Internet. It's all good.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Oh puh-leese. It's a high school tournament. It isn't the freaking Olympics.

Guess it doesn't matter then. Tell that to brerrabit's teams.

 

[robinb]

I think it is way too late for current seniors to be looking for scholarships. Commitment letters were signed long ago. However, even for the underclassment on the team, I don't know how far the team winning a championship would go in getting a scholarship, such as for the JV girl mentioned above.

My kids were not involved with golf, but to me, it seems to be a sport (similar to track or swimming) where the individual ability of an athlete is easy to measure. An individual can score very well at golf and those scores stand regardless how the rest of the team does. Like in swimming or track, you get a certain time for a set distance, etc. It's different from something like soccer, where maybe your team was in a league with very strong or very weak competition, or you were a good player but your team didn't have a great goalie so you lost many games, etc.

Good point about the seniors. My DD isn't in HS, so I don't have the timing down yet .

Still, there are bound to be recruiters at the tournaments and the underclassmen will get a look from them. I still think there is an economic & educational advantage for the girls to play in the highest tournament available to them. Sure, golf is an individual sport and easy to measure but the girls get seen more by playing in more important tournaments.

 

[allison443]

Having had two kids through hs already, and one starting, I guess I just see this as one of many situations the kids encounter, and another learning experience through sports. The lessons I would want my kids to take from this are:

Life isn't fair. Think of all the times top players get hurt during the season and the team suffers because of it.

Other parents/families do not have the same views on things as our family. This applies to many areas, not just sports.

We can't control what other people do, we can only control how we react to it.

Try to look on the bright side...this JV girl will probably move up to varsity next year (since she's the next in line golfer, and some current seniors are leaving) and by golfing in this tournament now, she is getting experience at a high-level tournament which may serve her well in the future.

What's done is done. Being upset about it isn't going to change anything, and could taint what should be a positive experience for the other team members. I would hate if my kid was on the team and when talking about the 2010 season, the first thing they remembered was "the time that senior bailed on the final tournament."

 

[allison443]

Forgot to say, OP, good luck to your dd in the tournament! I hope she does well.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I have to say that women's golf is the exception to this rule. Most colleges use women's golf as the equalizer for men's scholarships and offer quite a few scholarships for women's golf. In the past 3 years, ALL of the graduating seniors on DD's team have gone on to play college golf-at all 3 levels, DI,II, III. Heck, one of the second string JV players was offered a golf scholarship-she is attending a tiny Bible College in Iowa. The seniors this year could all play at the Division II or III level and be a contributing varsity player (would probably be the top player at DIII level) but one girl is going to Notre Dame and the other to the U of MN-they aren't DI caliber players. They are both looking to play intermural golf (which I didn't know either school has). The 3rd girl could still play golf in college if she chose. There are girls that can't break 100 that are getting golf scholarships.

See this is where I get confused, there is your information and then the information I am reading off of scholarship/college sites: for example this is from a site called financialaidfacts.org. The information is the exact opposite of yours. I can only speak from experience in DD's school, and no one on their golf team have received scholarships since her freshman year (I checked). So it may be that in your state it is common, but here, not so much.

Golf Scholarships

Golf is growing more popular than ever in the United States and more students are interested in playing golf in college. However, finding and receiving USA golf scholarships is becoming quite difficult. Division I schools are only allowed to give 4.5 scholarships each year to men and 6.0 to women. The scholarships that are awarded are typically not full scholarships: the 4.5 or 6.0 scholarships are totaled, then divided and distributed to all the players on the team. The number of scholarships that are permitted decrease in Divisions II and Division III colleges are not permitted to award scholarships at all. Therefore, even if a student is able to secure a USA golf scholarship, it certainly will not be a full scholarship. Students who want a golf scholarship might find the most assistance from organizations other than their college.

High school girls who are involved in the game of golf may be considered for a scholarship sponsored by The Women's Western Golf Foundation. Candidates must be U.S citizens and have plans to attend an accredited post secondary institution. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted as well as a Preliminary Application. This USA golf scholarship is awarded based on academic record and financial need; a student's participation in the sport are also a factor but ability and skill are not considered.

The North Central Pennsylvania Golf Association (NCPGA) is an example of an organization that awards small golf scholarships. Each year the organization gives out two USA golf scholarships to high school seniors. The Matthew P. Faylor Memorial Scholarship and the Todd E. Clark Memorial Scholarship are both $2,400 awards that are distributed over the course of four years. Students must have participated in the NCPGA junior golf program to qualify for the scholarship.

Golf is one of those sports known as an equivalency sport, meaning that one golfer does not customarily receive a full scholarship: one scholarship may be divided among many golfers at one college or university. Another difficulty with finding golf scholarships is getting recognition and exposure. Recently the caliber of college golfers has increased and so has the competition for scholarships. It is imperative that junior golfers who are searching for scholarships have the skills and experience that is expected of college athletes.

Junior golfers who are determined to go to college on a golf scholarship should start working toward this goal at an early age and by high school should be competing locally. Gradually progressing to state and finally to national levels of competition should get a young golfer on the right track to gaining the recognition of coaches. The American Junior Golf Association holds competitions all over the United States and is a great opportunity for gaining exposure. Nearly seventy percent of the junior golfers who have competed in these competitions have been able to receive some type of golf scholarship. All tournaments and competitions should be documented, including scores and all necessary statistics. This will be very useful information when creating a resume to submit to colleges.

Since golf scholarships among colleges and universities have become so competitive, students should always be searching for alternative scholarships that may be given out locally. One such scholarship is the Burkart Scholarship that is awarded by the Iowa Section of the PGA. Every year, $4,000 golf scholarships are given out to cover four years of college. This scholarship is available for high school seniors in Iowa and western Illinois who show potential in the game of golf

© Copyright 2010 | FinAidFacts.org | All Rights Reserved

 

[luvsJack]

Like it or not, character speaks for itself.

You cannot possibly think that you can judge someone's character from one small snapshot of their lives. In order to make that kind of judgement you need to know the choices that were given to her, the reasons why her choices may have been limited, why she made the choice she made and how she felt about it.

For all we know the girl did not feel she had a choice and was heart broken about it and is truly upset that she has let down her teammates.

This girl worked just as hard as anyone else to make the varisty team. She has already earned her spot on the team and she played it. So the privlege, the right and the honor were already earned. To give up her spot in this tournament is ONE choice, it is not something that defines her life.

 

[allison443]

I have to say that women's golf is the exception to this rule. Most colleges use women's golf as the equalizer for men's scholarships and offer quite a few scholarships for women's golf. In the past 3 years, ALL of the graduating seniors on DD's team have gone on to play college golf-at all 3 levels, DI,II, III. Heck, one of the second string JV players was offered a golf scholarship-she is attending a tiny Bible College in Iowa. The seniors this year could all play at the Division II or III level and be a contributing varsity player (would probably be the top player at DIII level) but one girl is going to Notre Dame and the other to the U of MN-they aren't DI caliber players. They are both looking to play intermural golf (which I didn't know either school has). The 3rd girl could still play golf in college if she chose. There are girls that can't break 100 that are getting golf scholarships.

You are talking about two different things, right...those who go on to play golf in college, and those who get scholarships. I'm sure you know (but others might not) that Division III schools do not give athletic scholarships. So the girls playing at that level are not receiving athletic scholarships.

Also, wanted to point out for others that an "athletic scholarship" is not necessarily a "full ride" i.e. tuition, room and board. Most schools prefer to split scholarships among several kids, like give two kids $10K each instead of giving one kid $20K. I have relatives and friends with athletic scholarships in various sports (not golf) and the only one with close to a full ride is a football player. The others (track, softball, soccer) receive partial scholarships.

And believe me, nothing is free. Those athetic scholarship recipients WORK HARD for what they get.

 

[ZuZugal]

See this is where I get confused, there is your information and then the information I am reading off of scholarship/college sites: for example this is from a site called financialaidfacts.org. The information is the exact opposite of yours. I can only speak from experience in DD's school, and no one on their golf team have received scholarships since her freshman year (I checked). So it may be that in your state it is common, but here, not so much.

Are getting golf scholarships easy? No. Are they attainable? Absolutely.

Above all it depends on the girl's scores, her attitude, and how much she has engaged the process by visiting/contacting college golf coaches. Many coaches don't have the time/funds available to "search out" the best HS players. NCAA rules are strict as far as contact w/coaches before junior year, but freshman/soph players can send coaches a copy of their golf schedule to get them on the radar of college coaches. The involvement of the HS golf coach also has a lot to do w/getting scholarships. A few of the senior on my DD's team just signed this past spring and I attribute a lot to the coach and his direction and involvement.

There are many reasons that the girl's on your DD's golf team may not have gotten scholarships, but they are attainable with genuine work and effort. Playing on a golf scholarship in college is really like having a job and seeing it through. Scholarships are a means to an end. it is work to find the right college/scholarship and work to keep it up for 4 years. The players do not have to be looking to play as a professional after college.