WAG What does "Allowed to walk-on" actually mean?

[Ali'sMom]

Too many variables to accurately give you reason, but in a nutshell it means they like her but she didn’t get it done etc... and yes she will be on the team, and get team perks . Not a bad deal. If the kid likes the school coaches then go for it

There's been heresay of the reason, I was just wonder if "walk on" meant she will actually be on the team, or just allowed to try out.
Thank you!

 

[flippin out]

honestly have never heard of a coach offering "tryouts" for gymnastics team. Admittedly I do not know every program at all the D1s (and I am assuming we are talking D1 because of the OP talking about an offer made and then pulled). All of the D1s that I know, all positions are recruited positions, be it scholarship or walk on well before they set foot onto campus as a freshman. I have not heard of any school having an open tryout to be on there gymnastics team. Maybe they do this in D3 or D2 (but I think most are recruited before attending there as well).

Now if we were talking club college then that's different. Anyone can join college club and be welcomed at any point

 

[gymgal]

We had a couple of schools who specifically used "

honestly have never heard of a coach offering "tryouts" for gymnastics team. Admittedly I do not know every program at all the D1s (and I am assuming we are talking D1 because of the OP talking about an offer made and then pulled). All of the D1s that I know, all positions are recruited positions, be it scholarship or walk on well before they set foot onto campus as a freshman. I have not heard of any school having an open tryout to be on there gymnastics team. Maybe they do this in D3 or D2 (but I think most are recruited before attending there as well).

Now if we were talking club college then that's different. Anyone can join college club and be welcomed at any point

We were told by at least 2 public colleges that the state requires all teams to have public tryouts at the beginning of the school year - even for the recruited ones walk ons. Has something to do with state funding. I am sure they are just formalities ... but nothing stops a nonrecruited girl from trying out and surprising the coaches.

 

[raenndrops]

What I meant by this if I got admitted as a preferred walk on to a school with a historically low admissions rate (like Stanford) , I might still continue with the process at the original school who “committed” me as I would be interested in continuing at Stanford even if I “don’t make the cut “ for the team as you say , but I’m still at the school of my choice. I would still be upset that I was dumped but the school choice would be different.

But say I was originally committed to a school with a higher admission rate like Eastern Michigan or Southern Utah (72% acceptance rate, both nice schools but easier to get in) , AND my scholarship was pulled , I’d probably look elsewhere where there was no history. I don’t think gymnasts are always dumped because they are “lazy” but if that’s what the coaches are thinking or I’m not in their plans anymore, yeah, it would have the potential to be 4 years of hell so I’d move on . Call me crazy but I’d rather have a fresh start

But what if Eastern Michigan or Southern Utah (in your example) was their dream school?

 

[flippin out]

I understand but again a walk on is not a limited spot. Meaning they can take a bunch of walk on if they want too. So they aren’t leaving anyone out . If Val wants a bunch of walk on kids she can do it. She chooses kids based what she wants or needs. Hope that makes sense

We had a couple of schools who specifically used "

We were told by at least 2 public colleges that the state requires all teams to have public tryouts at the beginning of the school year - even for the recruited ones walk ons. Has something to do with state funding. I am sure they are just formalities ... but nothing stops a nonrecruited girl from trying out and surprising the coaches.

hmm....my dd is at a public school. Never happened there, unless this is a new rule? or maybe that rule is only for certain states?

 

[bookworm]

But what if Eastern Michigan or Southern Utah (in your example) was their dream school?

I was using them as an example of a school with a more liberal admission rate, as schools the gymnast "chose" because the schools initially "chose" her...and not her lifelong dream school....if SUU or EMU (and similar schools) were the dream school, that would fall into the example with Stanford where I continue with going to the school because , even if I "don't make the cut", I'm at my dream school.

That said, I still think that I would be reluctant to join a team that didn't really want me anymore for whatever reason. Gymnasts are hard enough on themselves as it is and to think my college coaches have doubts about me (warranted or not) would just be a dreadful prospect...
...if others want to join teams as walk ons after having their scholarships pulled , have at it.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

I was using them as an example of a school with a more liberal admission rate, as schools the gymnast "chose" because the schools initially "chose" her...and not her lifelong dream school....if SUU or EMU (and similar schools) were the dream school, that would fall into the example with Stanford where I continue with going to the school because , even if I "don't make the cut", I'm at my dream school.

That said, I still think that I would be reluctant to join a team that didn't really want me anymore for whatever reason. Gymnasts are hard enough on themselves as it is and to think my college coaches have doubts about me (warranted or not) would just be a dreadful prospect...
...if others want to join teams as walk ons after having their scholarships pulled , have at it.

I guess I have to add, that just because a child doesn't get a full ride, or has it pulled doesn't mean they don't want you. It could mean infinite other reasons. Happens...

 

[tomtnt]

Doesn’t mean they don’t want you- it just means they want someone else more. Lol

I don’t know about a walk on being “welcomed” and by whom? ... If a school pulled my offer for whatever reason (no reason, injury history or shiny new thing... and I’m looking at you LSU) , I would feel really awkward about “joining “ that team.

Unless it was something like a school with a 3% admission rate and I get help getting admitted because I really want to go there , I cannot imagine being on a team that really didn’t want me ... to the point that they actually DID want me, made me an offer and then pulled the offer, saying I’m “welcome to walk on” ... sorry but I’d be going somewhere else

 

[Zivaah]

Doesn’t mean they don’t want you- it just means they want someone else more. Lol

And what about the University of Alaska? This has nothing to do with wanting someone else... And is just sad for everyone.

 

[Ali'sMom]

honestly have never heard of a coach offering "tryouts" for gymnastics team. Admittedly I do not know every program at all the D1s (and I am assuming we are talking D1 because of the OP talking about an offer made and then pulled). All of the D1s that I know, all positions are recruited positions, be it scholarship or walk on well before they set foot onto campus as a freshman. I have not heard of any school having an open tryout to be on there gymnastics team. Maybe they do this in D3 or D2 (but I think most are recruited before attending there as well).

Now if we were talking club college then that's different. Anyone can join college club and be welcomed at any point

Just an FYI - when I asked about tryouts, it wasn't that I necessarily thought that's what they did (I've never really heard of tryouts either), but I truly didn't know the definition of "allowed to be a walk-on".

 

[mommyof1]

I am a bit confused about the terminology here. When I was in college, my good friend who was a D1 athlete explained that there are three categories of athletes:

1. Recruited scholarship athletes
2. Recruited non-scholarship athletes, who know they have a place on the team before they apply to the school (this was my friend)
3. Walk-ons, who get into the school on their own and then try out for the team (this was my husband, at a different school)

In this thread, the term "walk-on" seems to apply to category 2, not category 3. My friend would likely have been insulted if someone had called her a "walk-on"--there was a definite pecking order among the three categories.

 

[Muddlethru]

honestly have never heard of a coach offering "tryouts" for gymnastics team. Admittedly I do not know every program at all the D1s (and I am assuming we are talking D1 because of the OP talking about an offer made and then pulled). All of the D1s that I know, all positions are recruited positions, be it scholarship or walk on well before they set foot onto campus as a freshman. I have not heard of any school having an open tryout to be on there gymnastics team. Maybe they do this in D3 or D2 (but I think most are recruited before attending there as well).

Now if we were talking club college then that's different. Anyone can join college club and be welcomed at any point

UNC which is Div 1 holds tryouts for walkons. And walkons in Ivies mean they will have a spot for you in their team if you can get in on your own. They will not support your application.

 

[Muddlethru]

I know of a gymnast who had a commitment taken away, but then was recently told by that college that she'd be "allowed to walk-on".
The girl hasn't applied and been accepted to this college yet.

Does anyone know what this usually means?
I believe there's no scholarship there, but does that mean she'll be allowed on the team? or just to try out?

Just curious

It could mean anything depending on the coach and program. The only way to know for sure is to ask the coach. But typically that means the gymnast has a spot in the team if she can get in on her own. They would have said you can tryout for the team if that where not the case. Coaches usually are clear when they say walk on or tryout. Now the terms of the walk on could vary.

 

[LemonLime]

One of my daughters' D1 schools had a real tryout. The potential gymnast was admitted to the college as a track athlete but had been a great Level 9 vaulter. She asked and did a real tryout, received a non-scholarshipped spot on the team, but ultimately decided to focus on track.