STA Scholar-Athlete

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, lacrosse is not a sport catering to natural athletes. Lacrosse was adapted by the stratum of American society who would have a difficult time competing in the traditional sports with athletes. Hence, a "sport" where they too can experience the euphoria of victory and the agony of defeat.

PP, You are too much.

[Anonymous]

Not really NP. Sociology of sports and athletics in America. This is not a difficult concept for those who study it. Oouch.

[Anonymous]

Explains why a certain stratum seek out golf, squash, lacrosse, crew, sailing, tennis, swimming, water polo and the like in the early childhood years....

Secret: The IVY league, Stanford, MIT, U of C and the LACs need students to fill their teams. Athletics are huge admission draw and hook at these schools. These activities are not terribly competitive, even for the average, when begun early in childhood. This is not the case for football and basketball. This is the primary motive for this stratum.

GET your children involved in these activities early to optimize admission to these schools!!! Unless you're more interested in the SEC.

[Anonymous]

Very useful advice for those also trying to get their children into high school at the IAC, independent private school and boarding school levels (the athletic hook in American private academia)

...it's all about sports!

[Anonymous]

Explains why so much vitriol, angst, bits and bytes are spilled over sports on the private school forum (exponential fold compared to public school forum)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is just one of those issues on which there will not be agreement, both because people never agree on anything where sports is involved (see argument over whether a football player who specializes in kicking can be an athlete, compare "is golf a sport" argument), and because the definition of what it means to be a school that is "first-rate at sports" is not something people agree upon. For me, the fact that about 20% of a St. Albans graduating class goes on to play a varsity sport (Division I or IAA or III) in college provides enough support for them to say they offer a "first-rate" academic and athletic experience. And the fact that so many kids end up playing a sport at the Ivy League schools is a plus for me, not a negative, as is the fact that they have kids playing college sports in a variety of sports.

But if somebody defines "first-rate" sports program as being linked only to the percentage of kids who are Division I letter of intent signees, or are playing in the "revenue sports" of football and basketball, or the "helmet sports" of football/ice hockey/lacrosse, then they won't see athletics as a strong point at a St. Albans.

Where are you getting that 20% stat? Is that published somewhere?

[Anonymous]

Sports at STA may be a more important criteria in admissions to IVY and LACs than SAT and GPA (in this era of important grade and SAT inflation)

Sports/recreational or extracurricular activities does not necessarily mean athletics or athlete (e.g., golf, water polo, lacrosse, sailing). These are simply activities that predominate at LACs and IVY.

[Anonymous]

Very useful advice for those also trying to get their children into high school at the IAC, independent private school and boarding school levels (the athletic hook in American private academia)

...it's all about sports!

Agree. And certain "sports" or "activities" like rowing/crew, sailing, squash, golf, tennis, swimming, water polo, lacrosse. These activities are generally not available in the SEC but are available in the IVY (LACs, MIT, U of C, Stanford, Cal Tech, Pomona, Carleton and the like) and enterprises with large endowments (endowment/student).

Many parents of children attending DC area private schools are aware of this and spend a lot to cultivate this hook for their children. It becomes very important later when applying to colleges and universities.

[Anonymous]

Finally, we are getting to the real draw of athletics in the IAC.

Also, someone above put Stanford in the same sentence as the Ivy League, MIT and Chicago when discussing athletics. Let's be clear, Stanford is above the Ivy League in athletics while being comparable and at times more competitive than than Ivy League academically.

Stanford's engineering, science and Computer Science programs rank higher than the Ivies. Stanford manages to excel academically and maintain a ports program that is ranked 5th nationally. Stanford is where the best "true" scholar-athletes go to study and play.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I stand corrected. With regards athletics, Stanford is indeed unique as it is SEC + Ivy all in one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is just one of those issues on which there will not be agreement, both because people never agree on anything where sports is involved (see argument over whether a football player who specializes in kicking can be an athlete, compare "is golf a sport" argument), and because the definition of what it means to be a school that is "first-rate at sports" is not something people agree upon. For me, the fact that about 20% of a St. Albans graduating class goes on to play a varsity sport (Division I or IAA or III) in college provides enough support for them to say they offer a "first-rate" academic and athletic experience. And the fact that so many kids end up playing a sport at the Ivy League schools is a plus for me, not a negative, as is the fact that they have kids playing college sports in a variety of sports.

But if somebody defines "first-rate" sports program as being linked only to the percentage of kids who are Division I letter of intent signees, or are playing in the "revenue sports" of football and basketball, or the "helmet sports" of football/ice hockey/lacrosse, then they won't see athletics as a strong point at a St. Albans.

Where are you getting that 20% stat? Is that published somewhere?

Counted up the kids from the last two graduating classes. It's a small school so it's not hard to total up who is playing what where at the collegiate level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sports at STA may be a more important criteria in admissions to IVY and LACs than SAT and GPA (in this era of important grade and SAT inflation)

Sports/recreational or extracurricular activities does not necessarily mean athletics or athlete (e.g., golf, water polo, lacrosse, sailing). These are simply activities that predominate at LACs and IVY.

Lol, somebody really is trying to pick a fight with the continued "lacrosse" is not a sport postings -- not to mention water polo or golf. I'd ignore this truculent nut.

[Anonymous]

Lol, somebody really is trying to pick a fight with the continued "lacrosse" is not a sport postings -- not to mention water polo or golf. I'd ignore this truculent nut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is just one of those issues on which there will not be agreement, both because people never agree on anything where sports is involved (see argument over whether a football player who specializes in kicking can be an athlete, compare "is golf a sport" argument), and because the definition of what it means to be a school that is "first-rate at sports" is not something people agree upon. For me, the fact that about 20% of a St. Albans graduating class goes on to play a varsity sport (Division I or IAA or III) in college provides enough support for them to say they offer a "first-rate" academic and athletic experience. And the fact that so many kids end up playing a sport at the Ivy League schools is a plus for me, not a negative, as is the fact that they have kids playing college sports in a variety of sports.

But if somebody defines "first-rate" sports program as being linked only to the percentage of kids who are Division I letter of intent signees, or are playing in the "revenue sports" of football and basketball, or the "helmet sports" of football/ice hockey/lacrosse, then they won't see athletics as a strong point at a St. Albans.

Where are you getting that 20% stat? Is that published somewhere?

It's wishful thinking. Let them dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Sports at STA may be a more important criteria in admissions to IVY and LACs than SAT and GPA (in this era of important grade and SAT inflation)

Sports/recreational or extracurricular activities does not necessarily mean athletics or athlete (e.g., golf, water polo, lacrosse, sailing). These are simply activities that predominate at LACs and IVY.

Lol, somebody really is trying to pick a fight with the continued "lacrosse" is not a sport postings -- not to mention water polo or golf. I'd ignore this truculent nut.