Now let me further add that the University of Alabama Novice coach has been great in terms of dealing with Kristen's participation in both. The varsity coach was simply cautioning her as to priorities before she committed herself to both activities in August. I think it was very wise on his part. From what I gather, DZ and Bama Crew have been mutually supportive in actual practice.

I admire both organizations and their willingness to support the Greek athlete.

We wouldn't take an athlete so it's not a question.

Which sorority will not take an athlete, out of curiousity?

I think your question would be better taken on a chapter by chapter basis.

To say XYZ sorority will not take an athlete is a bit much.

My chapter not only had quite a few soccer girls (Club at our school was as serious as women's soccer at other schools) but also cheerleaders both for soccer and basketball. Their sporting events come before even chapter meetings and recruitment events because this is how they put themselves through school.

There's the prestige factor involved (look how many groups have XYZs!) as well as the fact that they're still involved sisters and are a great part of our chapter.

You make me want to kick small children.

Well that is great that your daughter is able to become a Greek Athlete. Yet it is a chapter by chapter as well as a school by school basis. Also a sport by sport basis as where each individual school, chapter, and activity differs its priorities

At my school, I know athletes were strongly discouraged from going Greek. Most of the sports were D1, and I believe the hockey coach outright forbid it. We had a couple of soccer players and some crew members over the years, but I think that was the extent of it.

It was my understanding that, at some schools, there are certain fraternities almost completely made up of athletes (football teams, etc.).

Actually the title of the thread Athletics in Greek Life is somewhat misleading. To me, that would be discussing the GLO teams that compete on an intermural level.

This thread should be called Athletes in Greek Life OR Greeks in Athletics.

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I looked at some old issues of my GLO's magazine. Actives have been profiled in our magazine who are intercollegiate D1 athletes in a myriad of sports running the gamut from cross-country to equestrian competition.

The coaches at my alma mater didn't forbid or ban Greek membership for the intercollegiate athletes. However, the College of Fine Arts faculty made it very difficult for the dramats and other BFA candidates to pledge. This was not the case at the other colleges that are part of the university system.

The Kappa Sig magazine had an article a couple of years ago on the decline of collegiate athletes in the fraternity. There was a period when the fraternity had quite a few collegiate and professional athletes, and that has fallen off almost completely recently. It may have something to do with the discussion of this thread, or it may just be that Kappa Sig isn't the football/baseball/whatever fraternity on campuses.

The professors at my school never did anything as far as limiting Greek involvement, although there were some who looked down on it. On the other hand, it was a professor who helped revive the Greek system at my school in the mid 1980's.

Like EE-BO said, I think there used to be a lot of sorority and fraternity chapters that would let a member get away with blowing off a lot more things if they were an athlete - because of the prestige. Clarion was D1 in swimming/diving when I attended and the top diver joined a sorority. The only time I EVER saw her doing things at them was...Greek Week, during Greek Swim. But they got to say "Donna Smith is an ABC" at rush.

I think that nowadays, far fewer Greek groups put up with that kind of thing. As it should be, IMO. I've never believed in giving someone a "pass" because they're an athlete or student senate prez or a pageant winner. One of the girls we open bid decided not to pledge us because she was elected to Student Senate (she eventually became President) and knew she wouldn't have the proper amount of time to give us. I really, really respect her for that.

So...if you can handle both to your satisfaction and that of your team and GLO, fine. But don't try to half-ass it.

I think it depends on a lot of factors: the school, the chapter, the individual and the sport. I know I've said this in another thread, but the husband sucessfully managed athletics, fraternity and academics at his DIII engineering college. I asked him once and he said about 1/4-1/3 of the guys when he was in the house were involved with a sport, with other chapters on campus having about the same ratio.

At one point when I was an undergrad, we had half the tennis team in our chapter. They were excused from mandatory events when they were out of town competing and were given some leeway for practices, but otherwise they were expected to attend all other events just like other members. Many of those women also held an office while they were competing (I believe one was even President) and maintained excellent grades. That worked for them, but may not for someone else.

I think a coach is completely within his or her rights to discourage or even deny membership in a GLO for a collegiate athlete, especially if that person is attending on an athletic scholarship.