Play The Game OR Interview For Rhodes Schol?

What a dilemna! On one hand he has a commitment to his teammates. On the other hand the reason to attend college is to build a resume to secure your future. For those not from New England, Harvard-Yale is a big time, long time rivalry of genuine student-athletes.

I say go to the interview. Apologize to his teammates. His teammates will understand. They're in college for the same reasons.

To provide perspective to some who may not understand, my son spoke with a similar college. He was told if there's a game and an exam at the same time he won't be on the bus. Yale cares far more about this kid getting a Rhodes Scholarship than beating Harvard (even though beating Harvard is a big deal).

If I remember correctly, a Florida State player had this a few years ago as well. He went to the Rhodes interview. Absolutely the thing to do, in my opinion.

The FSU player was able to do both. Unless something changes, it appears that the kid at Yale will not be able to do so.

quote:

Originally posted by baseball17:
If I remember correctly, a Florida State player had this a few years ago as well. He went to the Rhodes interview. Absolutely the thing to do, in my opinion.

Wow. That is a tough one. Neither is the wrong decision. BTW.....the kid has a big time arm. I'm sure the Harvard guys would chip in to get him a plane ticket to Atlanta for the interview. Harvard is 5-0, and Yale is 3-2 in the Ivy in case anyone is wondering. I wonder what the magic eight ball would say?

quote:

I'm sure the Harvard guys would chip in to get him a plane ticket to Atlanta for the interview.

LOL. Be a tough decision, but it's great that he has to make it!

play ball

While I would have advised him to attend the interview he felt a commitment to help his senior teammates beat Harvard once. Within Harvard and Yale this is a huge rivalry. Players don't want to finish their careers not beating the other team.

Good for him. I don't agree with his decision, but I certainly understand it. I hope Yale wins, however it won't effect the conference standing. Harvard is trying to run the table as Penn did last year. BTW....Harvard beat Yale the last 4 years.

Maybe his dream is to get drafted and play pro ball

Personally I would have preferred to have him do the interview since the backup at Yale is a good friend of my son whom he played travel baseball and basketball with for years when they were growing up.

He will make a name for himself on his own the next two years.

I would have voted for going to the interview. Having the opportunity to be a Rhodes Scholar is an amazing, life changing thing. I would assume that Yale, as an Ivy, would have loved for him to have become a RS. I did hear an interview with the coach before the decision was made, and he sounded like he was not pressuring him to play. I would like to think that the player support for him missing the game would be strong.

I guess that it is possible that 10 years from now he will think that his life was made better by playing the game instead of trying for the Rhodes Scholarship. Maybe he felt like he would let the team down to not play. Maybe he is an athelete/student more than a student/athelete. And that's ok, too.

It is also possible that he will wonder why the heck he passed up a chance to be a Rhodes Scholar to play in one game, even if it was the Harvard Yale game.

Oh well, a nice problem to have!

I read if he attends grad school he will become eligible to interview again in an upcoming year.

Part of the college experience is making connections. If he stayed and won it may better serve him in business connections by Alumni.

As in, "This kid is such a team player and Yale man, he passed on a Rhodes Scholarship for the chance to beat Harvard. I want him working for me."

quote:

Originally posted by Doughnutman:
Part of the college experience is making connections. If he stayed and won it may better serve him in business connections by Alumni.

As in, "This kid is such a team player and Yale man, he passed on a Rhodes Scholarship for the chance to beat Harvard. I want him working for me."

Nope! A Rhodes Scholarship is the golden key to success.

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:
Nope! A Rhodes Scholarship is the golden key to success.

You got that right. Being the most prestigious scholarship in the world, he would have punched his ticket and would have limitless opportunities in the workforce and reach the highest levels in any field.

I think he made the wrong decision but it's his choice and his life.

It's a good problem to have though.

quote:

Originally posted by RJM:

Nope! A Rhodes Scholarship is the golden key to success.

While you are most likely correct being that a Rhodes Scholarship is considered the most prestigious in the world, I don't think Doughnutman is necessarily wrong either. Networking works wonders, especially at a school like Yale.

There are probably many factors that are going through a person's head in a situation like this. Obviously the young man is talented and brilliant, and I am sure that his decision was not made without serious thought or without serious consideration of future endeavors.

I said maybe. Is the kid old money? Parents rich as heck? Merely throwing out possibilties. He may be successful no matter what he does. Grandpa might have been initial investor at Microsoft.

I would have taken a chance at the Rhodes. My brother got it.

Thanks for the advice coach! Tom Williams, head coach at Yale helped convince Patrick Witt he should play the Harvard game rather than interview for a Rhodes Scholarship. Williams told Witt he passed on a Rhodes Scholarship to attend an NFL mini camp. When a news reporter did a little background research by contacting the Rhodes Trust the response was, "Who?"

Yale University has launched an internal investigation into Williams' resume before deciding if he will remain as coach. So much for coach's integrity in this situation.

rut roh

Gotta love that. Fire the coach now. Credibility is gone.

I would think that a Yale football player that was invited to be a Rhodes Scholar is most likely to be successful whether he takes the test or not. I think just the fact that he was invited would be a separator on his resume and show that this guy is special.

The kid is on the fast track in football and the real world.