Sorority and Sports?

CeCe Newbie · #1 10-02-2011, 05:30 PM

I understand that it varies from school to school, but I was curious to see if it is possible to play a varsity sport and be greek at the same time. Do any of you have sisters/brothers that did so?

IndianaSigKap · #2 10-02-2011, 05:35 PM

It really depends on the chapter and the sport. One of my sisters was on the women's golf team, there was a DG on the tennis team, and several chapters had cheerleaders.

IrishLake · #3 10-02-2011, 05:46 PM

The Theta chapter at my alma mater is chock full of soccer players, track and cross country runners, volleyball players, swimmers and divers, and even a few womens ruggers.

southbymidwest · #4 10-02-2011, 05:53 PM

As noted above, it really does depend on the school. DD had a sister who played varsity lacrosse, and one who cheered. The lacrosse player missed a lot of events and meetings because lacrosse really is a 2 season sport-numerous fall scrimmages/tournaments, and a long spring season. Not as much of an issue with the cheerleader. It is somewhat unusual at her school, I think there might be a couple others (swimming, volleyball, cheer) sprinkled in there. Having said that, I think it is the athletes who choose not to join, rather than sororities cutting them because of concerns that they will never be around. However, she has friends who are varsity athletes at other D-1 schools where it is not uncommon to be in an sorority and be a varsity athlete, UVa and Michigan come to mind. Being an athlete at a D1 school can be almost a full time job, then add school, not much free time is left. I don't think it is much different at D3 schools either, time-wise.

carnation · #5 10-02-2011, 05:58 PM

Two of my girls were Greek and cheered at the same time!

alum · #6 10-02-2011, 06:00 PM

My D's school is only D3 so not quite as intense as a Division 1 powerhouse. Every member of her intercollegiate team was Greek. At her school the women's teams had members that represented all of the sororities on campus. The boys tended to pledge en masse ie the laxers were all Phi Delts, swimmers were PiKAs etc.

DGTess · #7 10-02-2011, 08:47 PM

I have a KD friend who managed varsity swimming with Olympic trials, rock-solid grades, and sorority membership as well.

Depends not only on the school and the sport, but major, time-management skills, and the athlete.

SweetCarolineXO · #8 10-02-2011, 09:13 PM

I cheer.

Half of our squad is greek as well, so it helps a lot because we can schedule practice around greek stuff. But there are a couple other girls in my house that are athletes, and they do miss a lot of events, but they seem to be able to juggle it just fine.

groovypq · #9 10-02-2011, 09:43 PM

I concur with all of the above. :-) Just don't piss off your coach by trying to weasel out of practice for "sorority stuff."

honeychile · #10 10-02-2011, 09:51 PM

^Yes, avoid weaseling at all costs! We had couple varsity gymnasts in our chapter, and of course, cheerleaders.

DrPhil · #11 10-02-2011, 10:00 PM

It is not uncommon in the NPHC across campuses. I had a chapter Soror on an athletic scholarship. It can be a stressful experience with scheduling conflicts, curfews, nosey coaches, etc.

Members (and aspirants) need to keep that in mind and know that while we will work with scheduling conflicts, we will not make too many exceptions to lessen the load, just as we don't for any other members (aspirants). All college students have something going on in their lives besides being a Delta (or Delta aspirant).

(Extenuating circumstances and emergencies are a different story.)

DeltaBetaBaby · #12 10-02-2011, 10:10 PM

For NPC, one problem is if you have a sport that will directly conflict with recruitment. Of course, it will be considered an excused absence, but depending on how much you will miss, it could limit your options.

(Then again, on some campuses, there are sports that are so desirable that it doesn't matter...at my alma mater, if you missed open houses because you were a cheerleader, you likely got a full schedule at first invitational)

33girl · #13 10-02-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groovypq

I concur with all of the above. :-) Just don't piss off your coach by trying to weasel out of practice for "sorority stuff."

And the opposite as well...no one in your sorority will much dig if you can never make events because every practice is mandatory.

PanseyGirl · #14 10-02-2011, 11:40 PM

At the chapter that I advised at, we had three varsity synchro swimmers ( two are now on the National Team ), four varsity soccer players ( one was on the World Cup Team ), two varsity water polo players ( both are on the National Team), a varsity diver, a varsity sailor, several on varsity crew, three cheerleadrers, a dance girl, and a member of the track team. All of the women were active in the sorority, some held offices, they lived in the house and were good students.

greekdee · #15 10-02-2011, 11:48 PM

I have a friend whose daughter is on a full track and field scholarship at UGA. She did not go through recruitment freshman year, but only because the coach did not allow it. He or she (can't remember)said they weren't against Greek life, but wanted to make sure team members could handle the academics and athletics first. My friend's daughter did, rushed this past recruitment as a sophomore and pledged Pi Beta Phi.