SOCCER OR CROSS COUNTRY?

What is your plan or dream for college- what sport and what level?

Soccer is more fun and college soccer girls have more fun.

Plus you only compete in 1 season in soccer leaving the rest of your year for studies and socializing.

I played soccer my whole life. Going into senior year I had to make a decision: play soccer and run track in high school or run xc and get a D1 scholarship for track. Running D1 track was one of the most fun and rewarding things I have ever done in my life. Looking back I wish I made the transition earlier. Endurance gets better with time and if I had started putting the mileage in earlier I can only imagine how much more it would have helped. Since you're asking this question on a running forum I assume your main focus is track. Do xc and use it as your base for track. The benefits will be endless.

When it comes to college, I'd choose to run XC, indoor, and outdoor track most likely D2. The thing holding me back is how long I've been with soccer, the people I've become close with, and the success I've had that's kept me there previously

Walk the righteous path and choose running

Chafe mcchaferson wrote:

I would suggest soccer.

My reasoning is that you aren't fast enough to justify dropping a sport you enjoy more (soccer) for running full time.

I see no reason you shouldn't enjoy soccer in the fall and running in the spring.

I read the other responses and I valued your thought because you don't seem biased about it. Also a valid point that if I were running more stellar times for my class it would be an easier decision. But I think I have two options at this point, and it's easier to see.

1.)

-Fall: Cross Country

-Winter: Indoor Track+1-2 indoor soccer games on weekends. Two 25 min halves where I play adds low volume but since the game is so quick I get to have a lot of fun

-Spring: Outdoor Track (+1 outdoor travel game on weekend. Often doesn't interfere with training, did it this spring after coming back from injury with no issues. But does add some stress with 80 min game where I often play full time.)

-Summer: XC Training and occasional soccer kick-arounds with the boys

2.)

-Fall: Varsity Soccer+(25-30 mpw on the side, and occasional XC races)

-Winter: Indoor Track (maybe 1 indoor soccer game)

-Spring: Outdoor Track (no 80 min games, focus on training)

Thoughts? I don't want it to seem like I have this all figured out because honestly I don't haha

You seem like you probably are a good student. There are so many good colleges in the NE where you could run D3 and get a great education. If you go in as a 4:45 miler or a 4:28 miler, either way you could run on the team and improve for 4 years.

Do you want to play college soccer?

21011 wrote:

You seem like you probably are a good student. There are so many good colleges in the NE where you could run D3 and get a great education. If you go in as a 4:45 miler or a 4:28 miler, either way you could run on the team and improve for 4 years.

Do you want to play college soccer?

Thanks, to be honest I don't hear that a lot but I'm convinced it's because people don't read what I have to say that often which makes me also write less often to begin with. But I'm pretty skilled when it comes to explaining my ideas, lol. I know I'll be taking my education into consideration more significantly this year, especially with the whole switching high schools thing. Athletics-wise, I know I'd make a good center back at a D3 school here in NE but it would take more time out of running. For that reason I'd run XC collegiately.

College Div II Track/CC coach here. I coached a guy who played soccer in the fall and did track indoor/outdoor in high school/college. It worked for him as he wasn't going to be a great cross country runner (build/fast twitch). His soccer team in college was competitive but not tops in the nation. His coach wouldn't let him run any extra during the soccer season, which wasn't good because they didn't do much cardio at all for a soccer program. Every indoor season would take 2 - 3 months to get him race fit again. He ended up running 3:50 in the 1500 as a freshmen after being a 4:17 guy in HS. Sophomore year he ran 3:49 after getting the swine flu indoors. Hurt 3rd year from soccer injury. 4th year ran 3:49 and just couldn't get into a faster race - he won every race that year, including his heat at a major college track meet.

I think he really enjoyed his split time with the soccer program and track program. He ended up running 1:52 low in the 800 as well. Had his soccer coach let him run in mornings in the fall, he would most likely have been a beast on the track for us. His coach was highly against it, so I didn't force the issue. If the soccer program you are considering has a coach who will get you in good to great cardio shape, do it. If they don't get into good to great cardio shape, run on your own in the mornings.

Good luck.

Feel those kicks wrote:

Soccer is more fun and college soccer girls have more fun.

Plus you only compete in 1 season in soccer leaving the rest of your year for studies and socializing.

Au contraire. XC runners are sexy. And fun. Also, at least at my school, student athletes have higher GPAs in season.

I quit soccer to run my junior year. I ran around 5:00 / 2:10 / 58. My decision to quit soccer wqs mostly driven by awful soccer coaches. I had played my entire life. I still miss it sometimes, but running has been a rock in my life since I started, and by commiting to it year-round I think I had a much better time in high school. Our XC program was garbage, but we were good in track, and I wound up qualifying for massachusetts outdoor states twice in the 800, plus with a few 4x4s. It's up to you, ultimately. Both can be solid choices, but there is something to be said about consistency.

Cross country, or else you would be asking on a soccer forum.

College level soccer referee and runner here. You can find a way to mix in both! See if you can run in the AM and then run some of the meets. Would the coaches be ok with that? I have known athletes to do that.

There is a kid from Michigan that did both. You should check him out. He was very busy!

Perhaps play soccer and run a few 5ks. Also, consider running in the mornings and then doing the end of season CC meets (Nike, Foot Locker, USA Track youth meet, etc).

if you want to get a lot better in track, you need to do XC

i quit soccer and ran XC country my junior year after running in a JV xc meet on a whim with only soccer training. I ran 18:04 and was top 5 or something. It was fun The next season I ran 16:20 and the season after 15:55 and finished top 10th in the state meet. obviously, i had success, which made the decision a lot easier to justify

My 800m time went from 2:01 to 1:54 and i ran a 4:19 mile (4:47 sophomore PB) and i was recruited to run in college. 30 mpw in high school

I had incredible teammates in college and ran just under 1:51/25:40's. After college I played on a traveling soccer team for about 4 years with all of my friends, which was more fun than college track/xc. I do not regret getting into running after being a very good soccer player for 12 years though. It shaped my life in many good ways i didn't understand back then

now i run again, but the soccer skills and love of the game never really went away

you have to pick one, can't do xc and soccer in fall. not fair to yourself or teammates.

what does your gut say?

Hi,I know this is a really hard choice, and I know it's hard to tell your teammates that you're leaving the team. But, based on what you've told is, it is definitely in your best interest to run XC. Your soccer teammates should understand that.I was in a (sort) of similar position when I was in high school, and here's my take on the situation. Sorry if it's a little blunt.1) You already know you want to run in college. And, based on the evidence you've given us, it's pretty unlikely that you would have the opportunity to play varsity soccer in college even if you wanted to.2) Your mile time is okay for a high school sophomore -- especially one that doesn't run XC. But you're not very good at 800m for a soccer player who has run 4:52. Your best future event is almost assuredly longer than the mile.3) I'd definitely bet big that your best life option is to switch to cross country. There's a good chance you'll become a better XC runner than you were a soccer player -- and, more importantly, XC is definitely going to help your track career.4) MOST IMPORTANTLY -- In terms of your long term future, I certainly believe that your best option is to get better at running and recruit for academically strong DI / DIII schools. You do NOT have to be an amazing runner to get admissions support at NESCAC or Patriot League school. So, there's a good chance you can use running to get into a better school than you could otherwise. My take away (again, based on what you've said so far), is that XC is your best option. I know you may disappoint some of your new soccer teammates, but, if they're really your friends, they'll understand.

Soccer is more for the alpha male types whereas cross country is more for the beta male types. Cross country and track are rewarding and a fastrack way to display one's athleticism. But it doesn't mean anything. Nobody cares. Hardly anyone relates. Plus look at the results of the Men's 5000 OT. Jenkins, Hill and Ben True were cross country runners too.

Who?

Do both. You're doing fine.

Lol you litterally described what I went through as a child... I tried like every sport and eventually narrowed it down to soccer and running.. and get this I LOVE defense.