Independent Schools - Recruit Athletes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

This helps a lot. A coach from the WCAC actually reached out to me but the schools in the IAC/MAC started following my child’s social media but have never said anything. I’ll reach out to the ones we may be interested in. Thank you!

The WCAC does give athletic money this is directly from their code of ethics.

https://www.wcacsports.com/information/code-of-ethics

“Recruiting, Admissions and Student Life:
Assuring that athletic recruitment practices respect the child, involve the parent, are consistent with Catholic values and WCAC regulations, and comply with established institutional policies and procedures applicable to the admission process;
Committing to awarding financial aid, tuition assistance or scholarships to student-athletes on the same basis as all other students”

"Committing to awarding financial aid, tuition assistance or scholarships to student-athletes on the same basis as all other students”

This actually says the opposite of what you said it does.

Athletes don't get special treatment. They are treated the same as other students.

It says exactly what I said let me help you since you may have an issue with reading comprehension. The basics are the only aid at the WCAC schools that are available for non-athletes are merit—and need-based. This means that these Merit and need based scholarships are also the only money available for scholarships for the athletes. There are ZERO line items on your financial forms that are listed as athletic scholarships, as they do not exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

This helps a lot. A coach from the WCAC actually reached out to me but the schools in the IAC/MAC started following my child’s social media but have never said anything. I’ll reach out to the ones we may be interested in. Thank you!

The WCAC does give athletic money this is directly from their code of ethics.

https://www.wcacsports.com/information/code-of-ethics

“Recruiting, Admissions and Student Life:
Assuring that athletic recruitment practices respect the child, involve the parent, are consistent with Catholic values and WCAC regulations, and comply with established institutional policies and procedures applicable to the admission process;
Committing to awarding financial aid, tuition assistance or scholarships to student-athletes on the same basis as all other students”

"Committing to awarding financial aid, tuition assistance or scholarships to student-athletes on the same basis as all other students”

This actually says the opposite of what you said it does.

Athletes don't get special treatment. They are treated the same as other students.

It says exactly what I said it does but maybe there is an issue in comprehending how the financial aid system works at these schools. It is 100% correct when it states that athletes don't get special treatment and are treated the same as other students. Now what that means is there is no separate pot of scholarship money for student-athletes and when you get your financial aid package there will be nothing listed as athletic scholarship or athletic aid. These schools have two ways to assist they have Merit scholarships and need-based scholarships available and whether your DC is an athlete or not the criteria for getting those scholarships are the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

Well, our DC was contacted by a highly-regarded school that we don't attend asking if we were interested in applying there and playing the sport. DC is happy where they are, but I can tell you for a fact they reached out to us first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

Well, our DC was contacted by a highly-regarded school that we don't attend asking if we were interested in applying there and playing the sport. DC is happy where they are, but I can tell you for a fact they reached out to us first.

There are plenty of coaches who do not adhere to the “no first contact” rule and it’s not enforced by the leagues. As a a former coach at a school where this was taken seriously, it was really frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

Well, our DC was contacted by a highly-regarded school that we don't attend asking if we were interested in applying there and playing the sport. DC is happy where they are, but I can tell you for a fact they reached out to us first.

There are plenty of coaches who do not adhere to the “no first contact” rule and it’s not enforced by the leagues. As a a former coach at a school where this was taken seriously, it was really frustrating.

There is, of course, no enforcement mechanisms. And who would do this? The only thing the schools could do is complain. And if the volume of complaints got high enough, the head of the schools would tell his AD to back off.

It's a silly rule anyway. Because the only ones with their hands tied are the coaches.

In our experience it's the other parents, alumni and friends that carry the water for the schools. It's perfectly legal for them to suggest to you that you ought to consider School A for your son. And that they know that the school's coaches are interested in your son, possibly because they have discussed your son with them.

This sort of thing goes on all the time in the stands at youth sports events. It happened with two of our sons. Other parents encouraged us to apply to "their" schools. I have no idea if they were encouraged to do this by the school or if this was their idea.

This sort of thing is expressly prohibited by the NCAA in college recruiting. These people are classified as agents of the schools.

But in the DC private school world, it's a common practice and perfectly legal because it isn't the school that is making first contact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

Well, our DC was contacted by a highly-regarded school that we don't attend asking if we were interested in applying there and playing the sport. DC is happy where they are, but I can tell you for a fact they reached out to us first.

There are plenty of coaches who do not adhere to the “no first contact” rule and it’s not enforced by the leagues. As a a former coach at a school where this was taken seriously, it was really frustrating.

It also varies by sport and how many coaches are involved in both HS and club coaching. It can be pretty easy for a club coach to have a conversation that doesn't look like recruiting if they are also the HS coach.

I have answered the original question on other threads, my biggest takeaway from the experience is it depends on the school and the sport. I had a top athlete in their sport applying for HS, and we were never once contacted by a coach first. Did it help in admissions, absolutely. But no money, no first contacts, and not a sport that is a big deal to most high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

Well, our DC was contacted by a highly-regarded school that we don't attend asking if we were interested in applying there and playing the sport. DC is happy where they are, but I can tell you for a fact they reached out to us first.

There are plenty of coaches who do not adhere to the “no first contact” rule and it’s not enforced by the leagues. As a a former coach at a school where this was taken seriously, it was really frustrating.

It also varies by sport and how many coaches are involved in both HS and club coaching. It can be pretty easy for a club coach to have a conversation that doesn't look like recruiting if they are also the HS coach.

I have answered the original question on other threads, my biggest takeaway from the experience is it depends on the school and the sport. I had a top athlete in their sport applying for HS, and we were never once contacted by a coach first. Did it help in admissions, absolutely. But no money, no first contacts, and not a sport that is a big deal to most high schools.

Just like in college admissions, it’s the Athletic Director who works with the Admissions office on admitting athletes. The Athletic Director prioritizes the list. Coaches don’t get a vote except through the Athletic Director. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone on which sports are favored in this process at each school.

Excellence in a sport that isn’t a big deal at the school helps a little.

[Anonymous]

What are the DC privates that recruit for soccer?

[Anonymous]

For Maret in particular, consider applying for 8th. Admissions are pretty competitive for 9th, so they seem to sneak in some athletes for 8th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the DC privates that recruit for soccer?

Boy or girl?

[Anonymous]

Boy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the high academic independent schools recruit athletes? If so, does anyone know the process? Do they provide financial assistance, or is that need-based only?

What makes this hard for people to understand is that they confuse what they know --- or think they know --- about college athletic recruiting with what occurs in private high schools.

The NCAA has many rules under which college athletic recruiting operate. These rules do not exist in the Washington, DC private school world.

And there are no Athletic scholarships like there are in college sports.

The private school rules are set by the athletic conference the schools are members of. The rules for the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (Gonzaga, DeMatha, etc.) are different from the rules for the Interstate Athletic Conference (Landon, St Albans, etc) or the MAC (Sidwell, GDS, Potomac, etc)

One rule they all seem to have is “No First Contact”. The schools agree they will not contact prospective athletes first. The student of his or her parents must contact the school first. But once that has been done there are very few rules. Schools can contact athletes, invite them to campus for visits and continue to communicate with them and encourage them to apply to the school.

Once the connection has been established, the coaches from the school need to be convinced that the athlete is someone they want to sponsor in the school’s Admissions process. If that is the case, they will then lobby the Admissions Committee to grant admission and to supply the necessary financial aid.

This helps a lot. A coach from the WCAC actually reached out to me but the schools in the IAC/MAC started following my child’s social media but have never said anything. I’ll reach out to the ones we may be interested in. Thank you!

The WCAC does give athletic money this is directly from their code of ethics.

https://www.wcacsports.com/information/code-of-ethics

“Recruiting, Admissions and Student Life:
Assuring that athletic recruitment practices respect the child, involve the parent, are consistent with Catholic values and WCAC regulations, and comply with established institutional policies and procedures applicable to the admission process;
Committing to awarding financial aid, tuition assistance or scholarships to student-athletes on the same basis as all other students”

"Committing to awarding financial aid, tuition assistance or scholarships to student-athletes on the same basis as all other students”

This actually says the opposite of what you said it does.

Athletes don't get special treatment. They are treated the same as other students.

It says exactly what I said let me help you since you may have an issue with reading comprehension. The basics are the only aid at the WCAC schools that are available for non-athletes are merit—and need-based. This means that these Merit and need based scholarships are also the only money available for scholarships for the athletes. There are ZERO line items on your financial forms that are listed as athletic scholarships, as they do not exist.

I think you are saying the same thing as pp; but you had a typo in your post. You wrote “The WCAC does give athletic money” when you meant “The WCAC does not give athletic money” which is supported by the direction you included that states the criteria for awarding need and merit money is the same for athletes and non athletes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:High academic colleges also need their athletes to be able to hack it. So the selective schools absolutely look at kids in high academic high schools because they know they tic that box.

Depends on what you mean by “hack it”.

The Ivy League Academic Index —- the tool they and other schools use —- allows for more than a few quite average students.

+1 ask anyone from a top school whose work study job was "tutoring" athletes.

[Anonymous]

Athletes get recruited. There was outreach to my DC as early as 7th grade from HSs. It looked different from different schools - sometimes it was channeled through coaches, sometimes it was direct outreach.

That's not to say if you aren't contacted you can't be a part of this. I know outreach from families of strong athletes that got the DC noticed and then recruited as well.

If your kid is really good, it's worth the outreach. You can also do it through your DC's current coach if that's easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They 100% do.

A few years ago, my son, who was coming from a very good K-8 and was a phenomenal student ( 98/ 100 GPA, 99% SSAT), elected to student government, volunteered, played in orchestra, interviews very well … good ( not great ) athlete was waitlisted at every single Big 5 school.

It was the same 3 or 4 kids in his class that got accepted at every single school they applied to including the Big 5s, and they all had one thing in common: they were all great athletes with D1 college recruitment potential.
Of course they were also good students and good kids overall.

But between a kid with a 98/100 GPA who is a good athlete and one with a 85-90/100 GPA who is a great athlete , selective schools will almost always choose the latter.

Why? Because the great athlete will get recruited at an Ivy or Top 25 school, and then the school can boast that they have X number of kids admitted to those schools and boost their college matriculation statistics.

This is just the reality. None of this is supposed to put elite athletic kids down ( my second child falls is nationally ranked in their sport and falls in that category ). It takes a ridiculously amount of discipline and hard work from athletic kids to reach elite status and high schools recognize and reward that.

Wow, sour grapes.

You admit the kids being admitted were good kids and goo students.

What the schools are looking for are smart kids who also contribute to the community - be it athletics, theater, music etc or some combination of all of them. I knew kids from our "big 3" who were 2 sport varsity athletes and also did theater and/or music. I mean, I have no idea how they managed their time, but I can see in hindsight how amazing these kids were.