A Mom needs an answer

[rmose64]

Our son wants to be a Navy Seal, but is planning on going to college first. He graduates in May08. He has been offered scholarship money to play football. He informed his dad and I yesterday that he was not going to play football because he felt that it would interfere with getting his body ready for the Seals. We are confused. Seems to us playing football in college would make him stronger & tougher. Are we missing something? Could a football injury sideline his goal of becoming a Seal? We are just trying to understand, and I would love some feedback from a Seal. He loves the game of football and is very good. Obviously, he has to decide what is right for him, and we will support his decision.

Thanks for your reply.

[thatguy2695]

I am not a SEAL but also graduating and can give you his perspective. Yes an injury in football can keep you from SEALs. Also the conditioning for Football and the conditioning required to be a SEAL is two totally diffrent animals. He wants to condition his body specifically for SEALs. I stopped wrestling in fear of getting hurt again. It sucks not being able to wrestle anymore but I know that this body has to last me a while Coaches sometimes don't understand that.

[akrock2001]

Our son wants to be a Navy Seal, but is planning on going to college first. He graduates in May08. He has been offered scholarship money to play football. He informed his dad and I yesterday that he was not going to play football because he felt that it would interfere with getting his body ready for the Seals. We are confused. Seems to us playing football in college would make him stronger & tougher. Are we missing something? Could a football injury sideline his goal of becoming a Seal? We are just trying to understand, and I would love some feedback from a Seal. He loves the game of football and is very good. Obviously, he has to decide what is right for him, and we will support his decision.

Thanks for your reply.

First off, it's SEAL(SEa, Air, Land). Seals are mammals.

Personally, I think your son is smart for making this decision. Think about all the players you see on the sidelines during games, with a majority on crutches. College football is no joke.

Your son seems to be focused on his long-term goals, which again, shows his level of intelligence and maturity.

[rmose64]

I absolutely meant no disrepect with my inaccurate spelling of SEALs. I have a lot to learn. Please accept my apology.

[HandofGod1]

I'm not a SEAL either, but I'm half way through college and have had to make similar sacrifices in order to prepare for the same goal as he seems to be interested in.

As both have previously stated, injury is a big factor, in BUD/S (which is the six month training course leading up to becoming a SEAL) each candidate's most feared reality is an injury, because it prevents you from being able to continue and most often results in a drop from the class or a roll. This means you lose all progress that you have already completed. A roll pushes you back to a later class and you go through the same thing with different people. An injury in whatever you do can VERY easily reoccur in BUD/S because of the demand it puts on your body.

As the second said, which I think is a stronger concern, football players lift to get big and to sprint. SEALS condition to get strong, they need to be runners, swimmers, and most importantly they need good form. A football player lifts with bad form and higher weight than he can handle. A SEAL lifts the most he can while doing proper form which is much more efficient because it covers more of your body while strengthening.

It's a good move to not play football but it's often too easy to say one will train for SEALS instead, I've seen first hand on many occasions that people are unable to push themselves to train on their own properly. Luckily I have a group of guys at my school and we work out almost every single day, often two or three times a day. All I'm saying is make sure he knows he always needs to be doing something. Being a SEAL is a lifestyle and wanting to be a SEAL, you should be already adjusting yourself to that lifestyle.

[lisalynne10]

I absolutely meant no disrepect with my inaccurate spelling of SEALs. I have a lot to learn. Please accept my apology.

No worries rmose64.....now you'll never forget! :)

[Courtenay]

I absolutely meant no disrepect with my inaccurate spelling of SEALs. I have a lot to learn. Please accept my apology.

My son is a SEAL. He played football in college, and snowboarded, taught snowboarding at Big Bear resort and beat the heck out of his body. He made it.

Email me at lacubita2002@yahoo.com and I will put your boy in touch with my son so at least he can talk with a guy who knows the ropes and can have the opportunity to make an informed decision about what he is doing.

My guess however, is that your son just lost interest in football. It happens.

[akrock2001]

My son is a SEAL. He played football in college,


That's why G. was so big. I didn't know he played football, or maybe he told me and I just forgot...

[Courtenay]

That's why G. was so big. I didn't know he played football, or maybe he told me and I just forgot...

He's a naturally good sized guy. He is much leaner now than what you probably remember though.

[Courtenay]

I got your email rmose and responded. I also sent my son's email to your son. I think you'll like the outcome of their conversation.

[ddssdv]

I absolutely meant no disrepect with my inaccurate spelling of SEALs. I have a lot to learn. Please accept my apology.

No worries. All of you who are not a FrogMom shouldn't be answering. There are ladies who rate that cred...

[JonnyR]

Considering 90% do not make it to the Teams; it would be advantageous to pursue College for an education, and not football.
Statistically he will not make it to the Teams; then what? Is he going to be a machinists mate? A parachute rigger?
Tell him to get an education, then join the Navy.
Just my .02

[rmose64]

Courtenay, thank you so much for all of your help. And to the others that have responded, thank you for taking the time to give your input.

My son has a good GPA, and scored well on both his ACT/SAT exams. He has been offered academic money in addition to the football scholarship. For a young man, he has his act together. I am just concerned he is letting go of an opportunity that he most likely will not have the chance again to do, and that is play the game of football. I don't want him to look back in 10 years and say "I wish I would have made a different decision." He, over the weekend, stated that the Navy SEALs, was more important to him than taking the risk of being injured in football. Hence, the reason why I posted on this website. I know very little about the Navy SEALs, but because of my son's comments, now know how important it is to him and I will continue to learn as much as possible to support his goals.

Thank you again.

[sandwich]

Hi, I stumbled upon this thread and thought I would post a few comments, since I disagree with several of the posters here.

First off, it's good that your son is considering going to college. Lots of maturing happens in college, and it will be extremely beneficial to him both in knowledge and professionalism. I also believe that it's easier to get financially reimbursed if you've already attended, VS. trying to attend in the future.

Second, is he planning on going enlisted or Officer? If his plan is Officer, he'd probably be better off taking the scholarship and keeping his GPA up than just trying without. I recently read a figure that said 4/9 of the recent Officers heading to BUD/S had played football in college. That may not seem like a significant figure, but Officers come from all walks, and I think the remaining 5 had NOTHING in common. In other words, if his intention is to go officer, it will very likely be worth it, just on that level, for him to play ball.

Last, have you laid out the financial commitment? I mean a really, really in-depth spreadsheet of all the costs attributed to him if/when he attends college? I know for me, I never fully understood the financial commitment. I knew where I wanted to go (here in Boston) and that was it, no matter how little financial aid I got. That was fun for 4 years, but now I'm looking at $27k worth of student loans, and I would have been happy to play competitive badminton should it have earned me a reasonable scholarship.

Football will keep your son's body healthy and strong. If he is serious about the SEALs, he should consider that a head start on all his classmates. I wish my school had a wrestling or swimming program...I was never competitive enough to get a scholarship, but either program would keep me in better shape than I could ever hope to do on my own. Yes, there is a risk of injury, but depending on how much playing time he gets, there might not be much. Plus, he can always lose weight or muscle mass. Even if he comes out of there as a 230lb giant, he can take a year to train for pure fitness and still be lightyears ahead of people like me, who are trying to do it on our own.

Personally, I think your son would be making a huge mistake by giving up this opportunity. If he plays for a year and hates it, then he can quit and focus on his own training regimen. If it's not so terribly, bad, the advantages are numerous.

This is coming from a 25y/o college grad with about 3 years in the private sector...I'm hoping to enlist at the end of this summer. I don't believe there's any way I could get an Officer's billet, but I sure wish I could.

[itsallorganek]

I feel like I can add a little input on this topic. It seems like Courtenay already has you pointed in the right direction so I will try to make it quick. I too was a football player who had some scholarship money waiting for me at a couple different schools. Dont get me wrong, I was not bound for a top division 1 school or anything, but I had options. Also, like your son, I have wanted to be a Navy SEAL for quite some time now. When it came time to pick a college, I really felt like I had to choose between football, and my dream of becoming a SEAL. In my case, I was a tight end, and all the coaches who were interested in me playing for them were going to try to pack as much size on me as they could and move me to the line. I knew that this was going to be counter productive in my efforts to cut weight, and increase my endurance. So I decided to give up football. It was a very tough decision to make. And given the odds against me and everyone else who is pursuing a career in NSW, I cant help but from time to time to think if I had made a mistake. It was just not in the realm of reality for me to play college football for four years, and then all of a sudden flip my training 180 degrees to prepare for BUD/S. It can be done, but it just wasnt in the cards for me. Best of luck!! No matter what he chooses, if he wants it bad enough, it wont matter what path he takes!

[frogman80]

I have read all of the responses to you initial question. Courtney has made some valuable points to consider. Had I the opportunity to do it all over again, I would choose College first. Not to necessarily to be an officer, but to gain the maturity that is needed to be a SEAL, or at least to accomplish the training. The opportunity to recieve a college scholarship should never be underestimated. Like another comment that was made, many that have graduated BUD/s have played College Football. I personally believe that having participated in a Team setting is a invaluable asset. So much is learned in a Team environment.
It seams that this is going to be a tough decision to make by your son. I wish him well and encourage him to perhaps make a visit to the BUD/s complex in San Diego to confirm his desires and to solidify his decision after he has the opportunity to talk one on one with some of the SEAL instructors/ officers. Best of Luck. If you desire to talk to me personally, send me a PM and I will provide you my email, phone etc. HooYah. LCDR, USN Retired Navy SEAL.

[keganb88]

Or he could tear his ACL at any point during football, and never have a chance at being a navy seal. Its obvious he wants to be a seal more then a football player and he isn't willing to put that at risk. Its his life, let him live it.

[mdwelke]

Hi, I stumbled upon this thread and thought I would post a few comments, since I disagree with several of the posters here.

First off, it's good that your son is considering going to college. Lots of maturing happens in college, and it will be extremely beneficial to him both in knowledge and professionalism. I also believe that it's easier to get financially reimbursed if you've already attended, VS. trying to attend in the future.

Second, is he planning on going enlisted or Officer? If his plan is Officer, he'd probably be better off taking the scholarship and keeping his GPA up than just trying without. I recently read a figure that said 4/9 of the recent Officers heading to BUD/S had played football in college. That may not seem like a significant figure, but Officers come from all walks, and I think the remaining 5 had NOTHING in common. In other words, if his intention is to go officer, it will very likely be worth it, just on that level, for him to play ball.

Last, have you laid out the financial commitment? I mean a really, really in-depth spreadsheet of all the costs attributed to him if/when he attends college? I know for me, I never fully understood the financial commitment. I knew where I wanted to go (here in Boston) and that was it, no matter how little financial aid I got. That was fun for 4 years, but now I'm looking at $27k worth of student loans, and I would have been happy to play competitive badminton should it have earned me a reasonable scholarship.

Football will keep your son's body healthy and strong. If he is serious about the SEALs, he should consider that a head start on all his classmates. I wish my school had a wrestling or swimming program...I was never competitive enough to get a scholarship, but either program would keep me in better shape than I could ever hope to do on my own. Yes, there is a risk of injury, but depending on how much playing time he gets, there might not be much. Plus, he can always lose weight or muscle mass. Even if he comes out of there as a 230lb giant, he can take a year to train for pure fitness and still be lightyears ahead of people like me, who are trying to do it on our own.

Personally, I think your son would be making a huge mistake by giving up this opportunity. If he plays for a year and hates it, then he can quit and focus on his own training regimen. If it's not so terribly, bad, the advantages are numerous.

This is coming from a 25y/o college grad with about 3 years in the private sector...I'm hoping to enlist at the end of this summer. I don't believe there's any way I could get an Officer's billet, but I sure wish I could.

You seem like you have your s##t together. Good luck to you. If I was a betting man, I would bet on you making it just off of your frame of mind in your posts. Of course, you could be 300 pounds and eat krispy kreme every day! :)

[stepmom2SEAL]

[QUOTE=rmose64;188468]Courtenay, thank you so much for all of your help. And to the others that have responded, thank you for taking the time to give your input.

I'm sorry you didn't hear from any SEALs here, but it might be partly because they all have their own opinions and make choices for different reasons. My stepson chose not to go to college at all first because he recognized that there were more enlisted SEALs than officers, and he wanted the absolute best chance he could get. He was physically and mentally ready and dedicated both to becoming a SEAL and later attending college.

I understand what you're saying about not realizing how much this meant to him; I hope you can find some of the posts here from SEALs about how much it means to them - being a SEAL is more than a job, it's a whole attitude that gets you through the training to begin with. It's not a ****y attitude necessarily, but one that is driven to succeed and endure beyond what seems humanly possible.

No idea what sandwich thinks about college easier to get paid for - again, everyone has their opinions. I noticed in my stepson's class that though there were (I think) 3 officers, more than that were college graduates. I hope you did get a perspective from Courtney's son about his experience, and I hope you stay on the boards for support in the wives & family forum - Courtney's been a great help to me!

BTW - it seems it's possible to study for SAT's while in a war zone...

[overcome.101]

rmose...It might be helpful to mention what position your son would be playing?? If hes bulking up to be a lineman, than it may not be as beneficial as being a receiver or whatever. Football is definitely a rough sport and with it come rough injuries. The main problem is that when people bulk up and gain a lot of weight, too much for their frame, its their bones that suffer and take the beatings, and yes, torn acls, or mcls would be "SEAL threatening injuries" as they will surface again in the arduous BUD/s training. Broken bones for the most part grow back stronger and if its not in a joint area shouldn't pose to much problem. That being said, I played football 1 year in high school and quit because I could feel my day would come when i hit someone the wrong way and got injured. So i started wrestling and swimming and THOSE are the sports i thank myself everyday for participating in. Wrestling gave me a ton of metal fortitude and taught me perseverance and swimming is self explanatory. SEALs swim, in cold *** water...everyday. If it were me id encourage your son to join the swimming or running team. Those sports will help him tremendously. And whatever he does, finishing college will only be of huge benefit to his future. My .02

[bryant808]

My son is a SEAL. He played football in college, and snowboarded, taught snowboarding at Big Bear resort and beat the heck out of his body. He made it.

Email me at lacubita2002@yahoo.com and I will put your boy in touch with my son so at least he can talk with a guy who knows the ropes and can have the opportunity to make an informed decision about what he is doing.

My guess however, is that your son just lost interest in football. It happens.

ok luck was on his side then. alot of BUD/s is based on luck along with other things. Football especially is a high risk sport as long as he didnt get any injuries while he was playing those sports than he was fine. But what i think what other people are trying to say is that if you were to injure yourself playing football then that will come back to haunt you in BUD/s. My nextdoor neighbor right now is a perfect example of getting injured in BUD/s. Kurt is his name and he had made it through hell week and everyting and then he broke his back. dont think he just quit when he got injured they had to make him tap out no f***ing joke. thats some tuff stuff right there.

[thepho]

First off, it's SEAL(SEa, Air, Land). Seals are mammals.

Personally, I think your son is smart for making this decision. Think about all the players you see on the sidelines during games, with a majority on crutches. College football is no joke.

Your son seems to be focused on his long-term goals, which again, shows his level of intelligence and maturity.

lol yeah.

*Talks to 2 guys. One says "I did football in college.", other says "I am a United States Navy SEAL."*

[pank]

I know its different for everyone. Right now I am competitive two sport athlete, starter in both. I worry everyday that my body wont hold up for when I enlist. I do though think about all the times Ive worked as a team with guys, had camaraderie, all the times ive studied til two then had to wake up for a 6am wrestling practice. Then as soon as one season ends, Im right in the other. My whole life right now is training, mentally and physically. If he knows that he can live without playing football then more power to him.

[rsctt83]

mom

I was a professional football coach and I understand the potential for injuries all too well. I also understand that lots and lots of kids play football at all levels from Pop Warner through college and do not get hurt. In truth it's just a throw of the dice, although we had studies that indicated the probability of injury for each position, if believe that kick returner had the highest probability of being injured, followed by punt returner.

If it were my son I would let him play football and it's all about the numbers. I believe that the chances of sustaining a career ending injury in football are small. On the other hand the success rate at BUD/S is also small. I think it does not make sense to not play and forgo a scholarship in order to not get hurt so you can train/prepare to try and get through BUD/S where the chances are great that he may not get through {nothing personal just looking at the drop out rate}.

I think it would be horrible to not play football and than for some reason not make it through BUD/S. I would talk him into playing, playing college football is great experience and one that he will take with him for the rest of his life.

You can email me at rsctt83@aol.com and if it would help we can arrange to talk over the phone.

[cmssapp]

Speaking from expierience your son needs to understand that becoming a seal isn't a lifestyle but a lifelong expierience. The team format taught will carry him through tough times and beleive it or not help him throughout his life. Decisions are most important now and he needs to make his choices. I wish you and yours the very best.

MOON