Athletic culture at area privates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the son for the IAC: basketball is high level, just not as high as WCAC, but WCAC might be the best conference in the country. To play meaningful minutes in the IAC you have to be very good or very big or both. There are no bad teams, but Bullis and Prep are a head above the others, at least last year and probably next year (Bullis returns a 6-10 center who can play). Most of the kids are basketball only. For baseball, there is a bigger range. Prep is really good, Landon and STA are good, others are not as good. If your son can flat out play, then he would be good to go everywhere but maybe Prep.
The IAC schools are fairly sports focused. Most of them are very good schools, too, but sports are a big part of life there. But at Prep, STA, Landon, and probably at the others, you still have a bunch of kids who are not focused on sports. All schools want some balance.
In the IAC or ISL, it is difficult to play two or more sports, particularly if you are a serious student. It is draining, and you usually end up sacrificing some achievement in your main sport (can be beneficial though with cross-training and mental health). Some do it.

I disagree that in the ISL it’s difficult to play multiple sports. At our k-12, many girls play 3 and even 3 sports. Kids need something 2 out of the 3 seasons in upper school. One has to be an actual sport but the other can be a different activity (musical, play, robotics, debate, yoga, etc). It would be doable to be on jv if athletic even if she hasn’t done the sport before for certain sports. One issue is the 3 sports she’s interested in are all the same season

[Anonymous]

For boys, it is quite difficult to make a varsity basketball team if they're not already excellent since they're so few spots. Baseball isn't much better. If he's not great, maybe try a much smaller school or try a no cut sport.

For girls, your daughter should go to summer field hockey camp and then field hockey is a fall sport. She could go to Holton and try crew (rowing) in the spring. She should go to a summer camp for that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the son for the IAC: basketball is high level, just not as high as WCAC, but WCAC might be the best conference in the country. To play meaningful minutes in the IAC you have to be very good or very big or both. There are no bad teams, but Bullis and Prep are a head above the others, at least last year and probably next year (Bullis returns a 6-10 center who can play). Most of the kids are basketball only. For baseball, there is a bigger range. Prep is really good, Landon and STA are good, others are not as good. If your son can flat out play, then he would be good to go everywhere but maybe Prep.
The IAC schools are fairly sports focused. Most of them are very good schools, too, but sports are a big part of life there. But at Prep, STA, Landon, and probably at the others, you still have a bunch of kids who are not focused on sports. All schools want some balance.
In the IAC or ISL, it is difficult to play two or more sports, particularly if you are a serious student. It is draining, and you usually end up sacrificing some achievement in your main sport (can be beneficial though with cross-training and mental health). Some do it.

I disagree that in the ISL it’s difficult to play multiple sports. At our k-12, many girls play 3 and even 3 sports. Kids need something 2 out of the 3 seasons in upper school. One has to be an actual sport but the other can be a different activity (musical, play, robotics, debate, yoga, etc). It would be doable to be on jv if athletic even if she hasn’t done the sport before for certain sports. One issue is the 3 sports she’s interested in are all the same season

This matches my experiences as a dad to ISL athletes at two different schools. Plenty of kids accumulating 10 to 12 JV and Varsity seasons over the course of four years. A few who play 8 or more seasons of varsity - but that is very much the exception.

[Anonymous]

OP here--so it sounds like my DD will have a much easier path with athletics and could potentially play multiple sports, including, in some cases, ones she's never played before. Glad to hear she'll have some options regardless of where she ends up.

Not surprised DS's situation will be more challenging. He'd love to play more than one sport, but understands that at some schools he'll be lucky to play four years of one. Sounds like looking into schools in the MAC league might make sense--especially since several are also coed--and open up the possibility of him playing multiple sports for four years. Anyone have intel about sports/schools in the PVAC league?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here--so it sounds like my DD will have a much easier path with athletics and could potentially play multiple sports, including, in some cases, ones she's never played before. Glad to hear she'll have some options regardless of where she ends up.

Not surprised DS's situation will be more challenging. He'd love to play more than one sport, but understands that at some schools he'll be lucky to play four years of one. Sounds like looking into schools in the MAC league might make sense--especially since several are also coed--and open up the possibility of him playing multiple sports for four years. Anyone have intel about sports/schools in the PVAC league?

Worth noting that the ISL includes a number of co-ed IAC and MAC schools (e.g., Bullis, Flint Hill) as well as single sex schools that are either affiliated in some way with IAC schools or don't have a coordinate school. For most sports, the ISL has a promotion/relegation structure with multiple divisions.

The PVAC is third tier athletically, at best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here--so it sounds like my DD will have a much easier path with athletics and could potentially play multiple sports, including, in some cases, ones she's never played before. Glad to hear she'll have some options regardless of where she ends up.

Not surprised DS's situation will be more challenging. He'd love to play more than one sport, but understands that at some schools he'll be lucky to play four years of one. Sounds like looking into schools in the MAC league might make sense--especially since several are also coed--and open up the possibility of him playing multiple sports for four years. Anyone have intel about sports/schools in the PVAC league?

Worth noting that the ISL includes a number of co-ed IAC and MAC schools (e.g., Bullis, Flint Hill) as well as single sex schools that are either affiliated in some way with IAC schools or don't have a coordinate school. For most sports, the ISL has a promotion/relegation structure with multiple divisions.

The PVAC is third tier athletically, at best.

I don’t think he’d be satisfied with PVAC. It’s a conference where everyone gets to play - not competitive at all. Good for schools where sports really aren’t a focus but tough for a kid who wants more.

[Anonymous]

OP said her DS won’t make varsity or maybe even jv at the competitive schools.

[Anonymous]

Is PVAC a step down from MAC?

[Anonymous]

Op here—I think DS could make JV at maybe all but the top schools, but whether he’d be able to level up to varsity after that and actually play is the issue. Weighing whether it’s better to play all four years in a less competitive league vs tap out by sophomore or junior year. He’s a strong athlete and has played travel/done extra training for a long time, but at his current size he will not be recruited. DH and I are not small, but DS has not really started puberty. Seems crazy that we are making hs decisions when so much could change physically with DS in the next 6 months to a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is PVAC a step down from MAC?

Yes.

WCAC
IAC



MAC















PVAC

[Anonymous]

Not every school offers field hockey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is PVAC a step down from MAC?

Yes.

WCAC
IAC



MAC















PVAC

In boys basketball, the WCAC and IAC
can’t be that much better than MAC (Sidwell) because Sidwell has beaten all of the WCAC and IAC teams for the past 3 years straight to win double championship titles.

[Anonymous]

I don't have a kid who plays basketball, but we are at a MAC school and my sense is that basketball is very competitive even at JV at many of the MAC schools. It's hard sometimes to know where your son is compared to others. JV takes about 5 freshmen and our friends who play very competitive travel basketball are nervous.

[Anonymous]

OP, it sounds like your son wants to prioritize baseball but play basketball at least for a bit.

IMO, if your kids can get in,Sidwell would offer the best opportunity for your daughter to play multiple sports and try new sports while maximizing baseball and at least JV/Freshman basketball. Additionally, other than basketball, literally any other sport would offer the ability for your son to try out, play on JV and work through to Varsity.

[Anonymous]

With that profile St. Andrews in Potomac could be a good fit. Baseball for whatever reason is one of the weaker sports at SAES and it is not that difficult to make the team. Downside is they are one of the weaker teams in the MAC. For basketball, varsity is hard as it is at all the MAC schools, but JV is makeable for two years and then you can see how big your son gets.