Sidwell Friends Boys Soccer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given Sidwell's size, it should do very well in the MAC. The wrestling program is all about the coach. He really is outstanding. The soccer program may have peaked, the incoming senior class doesn't have as many strong players. And there is a lot of unhappiness among football team parents because it really isn't competitive at any level. In an extraordinary letter, the school AD said she was committed to football and would take steps to help the program improve. The parents felt that the school had basically turned its back on football. Previous HM master never came to a single game etc.

That may explain why my soccer playing son was rejected for 9th grade. Although the AD is a he isn't he (at least that's what he looked like when we met him, and his name was Josh which isn't typically one of those crossover names).

There are a lot of strong soccer players in the current ninth grade, and at least some in the current eighth, so soccer probably wouldn't be seen as a major need. A lot of admissions is a matter of luck: does your DC's skill set match what they're looking for, especially at 7th and 9th.

Soccer is played year round - not like football. Many high schools lose potential college soccer players to football. Perhaps Sidwell students go to the soccer games while attendance at STA football is packed with students from STA, NCS, random girls from Madeira, Holton, Sidwell, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

That may explain why my soccer playing son was rejected for 9th grade. Although the AD is a he isn't he (at least that's what he looked like when we met him, and his name was Josh which isn't typically one of those crossover names).

I too am confused by your post. There are a number of factors that weigh in any admissions decision. Just because your soccer playing son was rejected for 9th grade doesn't mean he isn't a great, smart kid with a lot of talent. There are a lot of great, smart, talented kids applying to all of these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given Sidwell's size, it should do very well in the MAC. The wrestling program is all about the coach. He really is outstanding. The soccer program may have peaked, the incoming senior class doesn't have as many strong players. And there is a lot of unhappiness among football team parents because it really isn't competitive at any level. In an extraordinary letter, the school AD said she was committed to football and would take steps to help the program improve. The parents felt that the school had basically turned its back on football. Previous HM master never came to a single game etc.

That may explain why my soccer playing son was rejected for 9th grade. Although the AD is a he isn't he (at least that's what he looked like when we met him, and his name was Josh which isn't typically one of those crossover names).

There are a lot of strong soccer players in the current ninth grade, and at least some in the current eighth, so soccer probably wouldn't be seen as a major need. A lot of admissions is a matter of luck: does your DC's skill set match what they're looking for, especially at 7th and 9th.

Soccer is played year round - not like football. Many high schools lose potential college soccer players to football. Perhaps Sidwell students go to the soccer games while attendance at STA football is packed with students from STA, NCS, random girls from Madeira, Holton, Sidwell, etc.

First of all, STA football games are never "packed".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given Sidwell's size, it should do very well in the MAC. The wrestling program is all about the coach. He really is outstanding. The soccer program may have peaked, the incoming senior class doesn't have as many strong players. And there is a lot of unhappiness among football team parents because it really isn't competitive at any level. In an extraordinary letter, the school AD said she was committed to football and would take steps to help the program improve. The parents felt that the school had basically turned its back on football. Previous HM master never came to a single game etc.

That may explain why my soccer playing son was rejected for 9th grade. Although the AD is a he isn't he (at least that's what he looked like when we met him, and his name was Josh which isn't typically one of those crossover names).

There are a lot of strong soccer players in the current ninth grade, and at least some in the current eighth, so soccer probably wouldn't be seen as a major need. A lot of admissions is a matter of luck: does your DC's skill set match what they're looking for, especially at 7th and 9th.

That was the point i was trying to make - if they are looking to build their football program then soccer skills would be undesirable. And because I assumed AD meant Admissions Director I figured the poster meant that the Admissions Director had implied in this letter that they would focus on football admits. Obviously straight As, good scores and good activities/awards by itself was not enough.

[Anonymous]

In a highly competitive admissions process by definition not all qualified applicants can be admitted.

[Anonymous]

I highly doubt Sidwell is recruiting football players, or that a soccer player in lieu of a football player would weigh that heavily on the process.

[Anonymous]

PP, I hope that you and your son don't take the Sidwell rejection personally. Sidwell has the lowest acceptance rate of any private school in the DC area--just 14%--and they also receive the highest number of applications. Your son was probably a great applicant--it's just that they they have lots of well qualified applicants to choose from.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given Sidwell's size, it should do very well in the MAC. The wrestling program is all about the coach. He really is outstanding. The soccer program may have peaked, the incoming senior class doesn't have as many strong players. And there is a lot of unhappiness among football team parents because it really isn't competitive at any level. In an extraordinary letter, the school AD said she was committed to football and would take steps to help the program improve. The parents felt that the school had basically turned its back on football. Previous HM master never came to a single game etc.

That may explain why my soccer playing son was rejected for 9th grade. Although the AD is a he isn't he (at least that's what he looked like when we met him, and his name was Josh which isn't typically one of those crossover names).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not at Sidwell because it doesn't recruit for athletics.

I know a mom whose daughter attended a soccer summer camp at Sidwell and was recruited from the camp by the coach. The daughter is terrific - plays on a top area team. The thing Sidwell doesn't do is offer money for athletics, so the daughter didn't go in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not at Sidwell because it doesn't recruit for athletics.

I know a mom whose daughter attended a soccer summer camp at Sidwell and was recruited from the camp by the coach. The daughter is terrific - plays on a top area team. The thing Sidwell doesn't do is offer money for athletics, so the daughter didn't go in the end.

Right, and they don't guarantee admission. But they will encourage a strong player to apply. And, before anyone asks, they don't have "feeder" programs - but if a coach notices a player, s/he might encourage them to look at the school, or tell them they would certainly make the team if accepted.

[Anonymous]

the Sidwell team is not going to nearly as strong next year as it has been. It has lost two waves of key players this year and last. It will likely win the MAC but won't be the regional force it has been.

[Anonymous]

No one should be making high school admissions decisions for kids that are academically strong enough to consider Sidwell based on their athletic teams, perhaps unless they are a football player, since seems like football is one sport that experience and training are primarily gained through the high school, not outside of school teams. But for a kid that thinks they would thrive at Sidwell (and believe me the atmosphere and workload are not for everyone!) then they will find plenty of athletic leadership opportunities and fun, as well as overall quite good coaching. The girls lacrosse team may not have much depth or be able to compete against Maryland and ISL powerhouses, but the coach was an All American at Maryland, coaches high level club lacrosse and is a great person, and she also coaches girls soccer (she was a walkon at Maryland in soccer as well!). Girls soccer always quite competitive in the AA division of ISL, hard to dominate when going against girls schools that can draw from twice as big a pool and recruit specifically for soccer at high school entry. But they do very well and girls that play high level club are not frustrated by the level of play, everyone that starts on varsity or makes the team as a 9th or 10th grader plays d1 or d2 WAGS or on Region 1 teams. Both girls and boys track teams have some incredible runners, especially distance. Crew has a number of girls that are rowing d1 college.
Plenty of sports opportunities and they do seem to focus on finding and retaining good coaches that know their sport and are good people. Football is really tough, one does wonder why a Quaker school even has a football team. GDS does not.

[Anonymous]

One wonders why a Quaker school even has a football team? Despite its losing record, there is no stronger team spirit than on the football team. The boys love playing football.
Sidwell football has enough problems without people suggesting it is less Quakerly than other sports.
Should Sidwell give up wrestling too? Should it give up lacrosse because kids hit each other sticks? I don't know if you have watched a high school soccer game but there is a lot of pushing and shoving involved, should Sidwell give up soccer too. GO FIGHTING QUAKERS!!!

[Anonymous]

Wow just saw that Sidwell Friends Boys soccer had 5 all-met players in Fall 2008 and 3 all-met players in 2009. That is unbelievably impressive for any school in any sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow just saw that Sidwell Friends Boys soccer had 5 all-met players in Fall 2008 and 3 all-met players in 2009. That is unbelievably impressive for any school in any sport.

OK. So Sidwell has ONE sport where the students excel, that's great, considering the majority of the rest of their teams are 3rd/4th tier. Seriously if you want to talk high school sports, Sidwell would hardly be the school on the forefront of discussion. Can you imagine if a post like this was started by every Demantha Basketball parent or any private with a strong team? This forum would be clogged with parents bragging about their school's team sports.

Bottom line, Sidwell is an outstanding first tier ACADEMIC community and it sounds like they have a nationally ranked strong Boys soccer team. I'd choose academics over sports any day... Honestly, if I were to highlight sports program at Sidwell, I would focus on the future and that is the state-of-the-art Upper/Middle School Sports facilities which is in-progress and will probably change the school's capacity to compete in sports programs with its peers. The facility is a game changer - it will attract to coaches and academic athletic students a like. The families will no longer by using the "we have less students to compete" excuse as to why the sports program hasn't kept up which is truly lame - especially when you look how few more girls/boys NCS/STA has than Sidwell. Sidwell has a senior class of 120 which is hardly small - there should be strong athletics.


For the record, it is true that Sidwell did not used openly "invest" in contact sports such as football understandably, because of their Quaker heritage. This was made known to me but MANY friends who were students back in the day. It frustrated them that their teams ALWAYS lost (and I'm not just talking about football - I'm talking lacrosse, field hockey, basketball - you name it), and they were told over and over it went against their Quaker heritage to build up a strong contact sports team, no less a sports program. But, it will be exciting to see how Sidwell's atheletic program improves in the next decade with the new facilities. As a Cathedral alum with many Sidwell friends, I look forward to Sidwell improving their athletic program. It is an excellent school and the students deserve to be well-rounded in every way. This is very exciting for the families at the school!

[Anonymous]

I had no idea that Sidwell had the #1 soccer program in the area. I guess it's because most of the time we focus on their strong academics.