in your mind, is STA worth it for high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

The current Admissions Director is not a sporty guy so there's that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

If that is the case that is an opportunity missed. There were a couple adds over the last few years that are excellent athletes and great students. A to A plus grades and D-1 potential types.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

What did you do, Google the list of new students?!?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

If that is the case that is an opportunity missed. There were a couple adds over the last few years that are excellent athletes and great students. A to A plus grades and D-1 potential types.

Yes, because d1 athletes who have perfect sat scores are just a dime a dozen. Silly sta for not picking those guys; they’re everywhere!

These elite schools can’t stay elite and charge super high tuition if college placement and scores aren’t of paramount concern. Sta, like other elite schools, knows how to keep their numbers high and meet their marks with outplacement. Of course academics are going to be primary. They should be. Families don’t send kids to sta so they can peak in high school and look back on the glory days of their football seasons as the pinnacle of their lives. Academics are first. If a kid’s a great athlete, that’s gravy. It’s not easy to make a’s and a+‘s at a school like sta while being a true d1 recruit. Sorry, but even an unfair God doesn’t stack the deck so unevenly that often.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

If that is the case that is an opportunity missed. There were a couple adds over the last few years that are excellent athletes and great students. A to A plus grades and D-1 potential types.

Yes, because d1 athletes who have perfect sat scores are just a dime a dozen. Silly sta for not picking those guys; they’re everywhere!

These elite schools can’t stay elite and charge super high tuition if college placement and scores aren’t of paramount concern. Sta, like other elite schools, knows how to keep their numbers high and meet their marks with outplacement. Of course academics are going to be primary. They should be. Families don’t send kids to sta so they can peak in high school and look back on the glory days of their football seasons as the pinnacle of their lives. Academics are first. If a kid’s a great athlete, that’s gravy. It’s not easy to make a’s and a+‘s at a school like sta while being a true d1 recruit. Sorry, but even an unfair God doesn’t stack the deck so unevenly that often.

lol! Great post. There aren’t many d1 recruits with straight A’s. Was talking to the grandparents of one, lax player, graduated from a top New England boarding school. Going to Duke. The grandparents were so proud, they glowed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

What did you do, Google the list of new students?!?!

The new students have met each other in-person several times.

[Anonymous]

Except that being a recruited athlete will tip the scales for an unhooked and otherwise unremarkable high stat kid (dime a dozen at places like STA) and open elite college doors that otherwise would have remained firmly shut. Take the crew team for example. Year in and year out decent but hardly star athletes get recruited by the best colleges in the country, b/c I dunno, maybe most of America has no crew team? Lacrosse was like that last generation. Not so much now. Surprised that STA doesn't field a squash or fencing team, the ticket to the elite colleges for most NE boarding school white kids.

[Anonymous]

For squash you need courts. Fencing they can find space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

What did you do, Google the list of new students?!?!

The new students have met each other in-person several times.

The fact that your son is dishing on his future classmates in this way is troubling. The fact that you post it on this public forum even more so. I truly hope I do not know you in real life, but I fear I do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Except that being a recruited athlete will tip the scales for an unhooked and otherwise unremarkable high stat kid (dime a dozen at places like STA) and open elite college doors that otherwise would have remained firmly shut. Take the crew team for example. Year in and year out decent but hardly star athletes get recruited by the best colleges in the country, b/c I dunno, maybe most of America has no crew team? Lacrosse was like that last generation. Not so much now. Surprised that STA doesn't field a squash or fencing team, the ticket to the elite colleges for most NE boarding school white kids.

That’s a different point. The athlete hook ship has largely sailed because of (in some opinions, insanely early) specialization. The remaining crack in the window is your second point—esoteric sports. You’re right that squash is all the rage in New England. Kids training in elementary with Ivy League hopes pinned on paddles and a rubber ball (but hey, it will work for a few more years yet). I don’t think it would hurt sta to add esoteric sports if there was interest, but likely sooner rather than later the last of those ships will sail as more folks “catch on.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

What did you do, Google the list of new students?!?!

The new students have met each other in-person several times.

The fact that your son is dishing on his future classmates in this way is troubling. The fact that you post it on this public forum even more so. I truly hope I do not know you in real life, but I fear I do.

DP. Stating it’s not a particularly athletic group is not an insult unless you are sports mad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Incoming 9th grade class does not seem to be overly sporty at all. No lax players that I can tell. Lots of academics.

Huh? A few of them have already been told they will likely start varsity for the next 4 years. One of them is the best player on a great travel team (not Next Level). Beyond that, they are the only lower school class to beat Mater DEI in hoops (you should have seen Coach Green) in years and their best player was playing up a year and winning the MVP with the older class. If they had all played together, they would have been able to beat anyone. There are kids whose parents played professional sports in the class. When they played football with the class ahead of them, the 25s started over the 24s at every spot that matters. I think you are confusing classes.

No, I'm talking about the NEW 9th graders. The incoming 20 boys. They are not a super sporty group.

What did you do, Google the list of new students?!?!

The new students have met each other in-person several times.

The fact that your son is dishing on his future classmates in this way is troubling. The fact that you post it on this public forum even more so. I truly hope I do not know you in real life, but I fear I do.

DP. Stating it’s not a particularly athletic group is not an insult unless you are sports mad.

yes, good grief. In my book and in that of many others it's completely a positive.

[Anonymous]

Like it or not, St Albans pushes the ideal of the scholar-athlete. One without the other is, well, not the intended product. It’s been that way for generations. It will remain that way for generations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like it or not, St Albans pushes the ideal of the scholar-athlete. One without the other is, well, not the intended product. It’s been that way for generations. It will remain that way for generations.

No one disputes that. It’s a few parents who think the scholar/athlete model = kids are all going to be college (even d1) recruits. That is not what is meant by the scholar-athlete model. It is literally translated as “sound mind, sound body.” That’s not the same as “signing day or bust!”