Im not sure if this is the right place for this question so if it is not please move or delete. I am currently in DEP with a EOD contract and am set to ship to boot Feb 11. I plan on trying to receive the STA 21 program a few years down the road after I finish all my training and get a feel for the community. I was wondering if while in college under this program you were aloud to play sports under the NCAA? Say I wanted to try to walk on to the football team is that aloud from the Navy? I have not seen any question like this before and if there is an answer already on here could someone please point me in the right direction. Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thank you for your time.
Not sure about whether you can participate. The biggest issue that I can see is the time commitment required. It is very difficult for a student-athlete on a D-I football or basketball team to finish in four years unless you take summer classes. And STA-21 must be completed in 3 or 4 years (I don't remember but there is certainly no 5 year opportunity for STA-21). Even with that, there is a time commitment during the summer.
So, one thing to determine is whether the STA-21 program is offered for any D-II or D-III schools. The time commitment is not as bad and the chances of making the team as a walk-on are better. Honestly, a 21+ year old that hasn't played high level football in 3+ years is not going to have much chance of walking on at a D-I school.
Thanks for your response and Yeah I know I'm not going to walk on to a D-I school and start for the team. I did play varsity football all of high school and started 3 years, and I figured after EOD training I will be in the best shape of my life so I was just wondering. How would I find out if they allow STA-21 for D-II schools or not?
Lead Mod Navy and Recconect America Forums catherine0830@msn.com Democracy will survive until the government figures out it can bribe the people with their own money.
Originally posted by SCUBAsteve727: I was wondering if while in college under this program you were aloud to play sports under the NCAA?
yes (just like the mids), but school comes first and if your grades slip you're screwed. You are encouraged to be active in school and seek outside scholarships. You have a minimum credit requirement per semester that must be met, and only 3 years to complete the degree, so choose wisely.
One OC here was on the KU footbal team.
The unit CO has the power to tell you no for whatever reason, however, as you have to request permission for time out of lab and such.
You'll have to look at the NROTC site for the list of schools
I think you should focus on one thing at a time. While these are all great goals your looking at some of the hardest things to attain in the Navy. The EOD pipeline is a large thing in and of itself. Then to stop and go back to college with STA-21 would be another large thing to complete. I wont even touch on being a walk on to the Naval Academy football team(which youd need to be accepted to the Naval Academy first which as far as I know wouldnt require STA-21).
Your goals are great and do make sense but dont burn yourself out trying to set up your entire future in a short time. I can promise you that your career choices can and do change often for many in the Navy.
Lead Mod Navy and Recconect America Forums catherine0830@msn.com Democracy will survive until the government figures out it can bribe the people with their own money.
As Catherine said we typically only accept three STA-21 EOD options. I would highly suggest you concentrate on the EOD pipeline. When I was in the STA-21 program I had very little time to do much besides school. Not only that, but during school breaks I had to maintain my diving and jump quals.
The CO at my ROTC Unit only allowed STA-21 OCs to participate in intra murals, and no other sporting clubs.
I applaud your drive, but take one thing at a time.
Thanks for all the suggestions and info. I'm sorry I am looking so far ahead, and yes I understand I need to focus first on getting through my EOD training, the question had simply come up in my head so I figured I would at least ask. If I may ask how many EOD applied for STA-21 if only 3 were picked?
Lead Mod Navy and Recconect America Forums catherine0830@msn.com Democracy will survive until the government figures out it can bribe the people with their own money.
Originally posted by SCUBAsteve727: If I may ask how many EOD applied for STA-21 if only 3 were picked?
More than 3.
Seriously, it's closed information. Only the board knows. Only thing that is public is how many are selected, how many are rejected straight off the bat for not meeting requirements, and the number of eligible applications.
Most recent numbers "OF 1,000 APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, ONLY 682 WERE BOARD ELIGIBLE. A TOTAL OF 210 WERE SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FY-09 STA-21 PROGRAM."
Lead Mod Navy and Recconect America Forums catherine0830@msn.com Democracy will survive until the government figures out it can bribe the people with their own money.
