Is St. John's Becoming an IMG?

[Anonymous]

They are already planning the expansion of this model to baseball and basketball. Most likely 2026-2027.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The girls’ sports teams are just as strong - if not stronger- than the boys’. And honestly, the school really does have something for everyone. My DC isn’t sporty at all, but they love SJC and are involved in lots of academic and arts-focused activities. At the same time, they’ve made great friends with plenty of athletic kids too, including some star athletes. The idea that students are all boxed into separate groups doesn’t really hold true at a school like SJC.

I, too, have a DD applicant. She plays several sports but is not a star. My concern is that at SJC she won't be able to play because the teams are so intense. Is this a fair concern?

If your daughter wants to play her sport and she is, as you say, not a star, I would recommend a smaller school not as focused on sports. SJC is a destination for strong athletes, so you daughter will most likely ride the bench her entire four years.

Depends on the sport.

Any particular sports you can comment on?

Last I heard crew, swim and cross country/track were no cut. SJC has a fun equestrian team if your daughter rides horses.

Not accurate. Cross country/track is cut.

This is interesting because Coach D said the opposite at the open house this fall.

It isn't cut. Sure if they have a ton of kids they may have to limit for some meets for transportation. A lot of kids only do the practices.

Coach D really wants to keep this program no cut and support any kid who is enthusiastic and willing to put in the work. He is also a great coach, and is great at fostering a team atmosphere, so, lots of kids want to participate. I encourage parents to let the school know how important it is to have some no cut sports and for the school to support no cut programs (even if it means higher transportation costs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are already planning the expansion of this model to baseball and basketball. Most likely 2026-2027.

Meant 2027-2028

[Anonymous]

SJC is a nice Catholic HS for kids of all academic and athletic levels ( like Catholic Schools used to be). For average and below average kids as described by its website - here is the link to Benilde program:

https://www.stjohnschs.org/academics/benilde-program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SJC is a nice Catholic HS for kids of all academic and athletic levels ( like Catholic Schools used to be). For average and below average kids as described by its website - here is the link to Benilde program:

https://www.stjohnschs.org/academics/benilde-program

You mean average and above average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SJC is a nice Catholic HS for kids of all academic and athletic levels ( like Catholic Schools used to be). For average and below average kids as described by its website - here is the link to Benilde program:

https://www.stjohnschs.org/academics/benilde-program

You mean average and above average.

that damn Freud.

[Anonymous]

Learning disability doesn’t necessarily mean average and below average intelligence

https://childmind.org/article/twice-exceptional-kids-both-gifted-and-challenged/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports are often labeled no cut and what they mean is “anyone can practice”. They only take certain number of athletes to meets. Freshmen teams are often no cut but kids who make the freshmen teams and not jv won’t really have a chance of moving up to the next level. SJC sports are harsh. especially the big sports like basketball, lax, football, and baseball. I personally know someone recruited baseball only to be cut once he was enrolled at the school. This is definitely not the school to pick if you want your DD to have a normal hs experience with sports. Plenty of other area schools are less intense and have more welcoming athletics.

JV football at SJC is actually no-cut but that doesn't mean you will actually play.

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

Yes, they are. They shared details at an event last week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

Yes, they are. They shared details at an event last week.

This is a fairly huge change in SJC and the culture of the school going forward…especially if the model is quickly expanded to baseball and basketball as PP noted.

It won’t significantly impact grads for say class of 2029…but if you have a current 7th grader, then you should go look at a school like Mater Dei in CA and some other Catholic national sports powerhouses to at least get some sense of how much sports dominates that school. That is likely what SJC is trying to become.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

Yes, they are. They shared details at an event last week.

Makes me wonder if this was the plan all along when SJC hired its new president in the middle of 2024. He didn't really have a strong academic background but was from UA and that this is Kevin Plank's idea. Not completely surprised that this is also being pushed after the president's kid graduates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

Yes, they are. They shared details at an event last week.

Makes me wonder if this was the plan all along when SJC hired its new president in the middle of 2024. He didn't really have a strong academic background but was from UA and that this is Kevin Plank's idea. Not completely surprised that this is also being pushed after the president's kid graduates.

The new president is a devout Catholic who is from DC, went to Catholic schools here, has older children who graduated from SJC and has been a consistent supporter of Lasallian values. He was not hired to gut the school’s academics, arts and services programs and replace it with a sports-only agenda. The school was already a big sports school. This is nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

Yes, they are. They shared details at an event last week.

Makes me wonder if this was the plan all along when SJC hired its new president in the middle of 2024. He didn't really have a strong academic background but was from UA and that this is Kevin Plank's idea. Not completely surprised that this is also being pushed after the president's kid graduates.

The new president is a devout Catholic who is from DC, went to Catholic schools here, has older children who graduated from SJC and has been a consistent supporter of Lasallian values. He was not hired to gut the school’s academics, arts and services programs and replace it with a sports-only agenda. The school was already a big sports school. This is nothing new.

And yet it is something new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of rumor and conjecture here.

It is not surprising that SJC could get a lot of former GC players, since Steffanelli is now at SJC after GC abruptly let him go. That in and of itself is not ramping up to a national model.

Has anyone confirmed that they are actually fielding two varsity teams?? A regular varsity and a supposed national one?? That would indeed be a change.

Yes, they are. They shared details at an event last week.

Makes me wonder if this was the plan all along when SJC hired its new president in the middle of 2024. He didn't really have a strong academic background but was from UA and that this is Kevin Plank's idea. Not completely surprised that this is also being pushed after the president's kid graduates.

The new president is a devout Catholic who is from DC, went to Catholic schools here, has older children who graduated from SJC and has been a consistent supporter of Lasallian values. He was not hired to gut the school’s academics, arts and services programs and replace it with a sports-only agenda. The school was already a big sports school. This is nothing new.

Again...not sure why people are thinking "this is nothing new". It's very much something new, and the question is does it completely change the school or not.

The difference nowadays is the $$$s for sports powerhouse schools for both the schools and NIL deals with the players. Again, this was announced last year with Mater Dei:

Welcome to the new world of high school sports.

In what the company calls the first-ever deal of its kind, multimedia company Playfly and Mater Dei High School have agreed to a ten-year, multimillion-dollar deal for the school’s multimedia rights.

The deal is valued in the “high seven-figure” range, according to reporting from sports business outlet Sportico.

Playfly said in its announcement that it hopes to expand the Mater Dei brand “by amplifying the success of its teams and student-athletes,” and by introducing sponsorship opportunities.