Anonymous
Post 09/06/2024 09:50     Subject: Pro sports?
Mine has. Middle school right now and already wants to be home schooled so he can train more. We will consider home/online school in high school if he gets into a professional academy. So we’re willing to pay for the kind of education that facilitates the training and development he needs but not the training itself.
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2024 05:20     Subject: Pro sports?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD has wanted to be a pro soccer player every year for about 5 years now... before we invest in an Academy, she would have to start to put in a ton more work. The sports academies are expensive. Also there is timing depending on the sport. You should make sure your kid is putting in the work and logging the time with SMART goals. Then, take them to an open house and let them know they will say goodbye to their normal school experience and friends. If she still wants to transfer to a sports academy or boarding school, we'll cross that bridge. But I'd make sure it was a sure thing for D1, in order to re-coupe the money. If your going for a boarding school, be prepared to shell out $50-$90k. I would need to see some serious work out of my kid, before we send her off to a sports academy in MS or HS.

We know several women’s pro players. There is zero need to invest in a dedicated sports academy or boarding school if that’s the goal. If the talent is there, then work hard enough to be an ECNL standout, and you will get noticed by youth national team scouts and top D1 programs. Combine that with a serious focus on academics, and you’ll have options, again, if the talent is there. There were 5 women from Stanford on the U.S. Women’s Olympic team roster.


The former pro athletes I know who went to a 5th year at a boarding school tuition free were given the opportunity to improve grades and work on their sport and they then went to D1 schools. Most don’t need it but some do.


I don’t think it’s tuition-free anymore…but this is definitely still a thing.

IMG will gladly charge you $90k for this privilege…even the pro kids. They give only a tiny %age a scholarship (less than 5%).


I guess that’s a money maker now too. Back in the 70s and 80s kids started in middle school and played on their own and maybe summer camps but very little money changed hands. And are the pro athletes really much better?
Anonymous
Post 09/06/2024 00:19     Subject: Pro sports?
I think the boarding school route depends on the sport. It’s definitely a common route for hockey especially for kids from small towns or non traditional hockey areas.

My son’s former teammate dominated on their small town hockey team thru 12u. There was 1 team in their age group. They played as high a level as they could (and above what some of the kids could handle), but did not have enough talent to be able to play at the level that challenged this kid. He moved to a big city team for a year then to a boarding school. We’ll see how it plays out.

If you’re in a big metro area playing soccer on a top level team, then I’m not sure if going to an academy or boarding school is necessary.
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2024 23:15     Subject: Pro sports?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD has wanted to be a pro soccer player every year for about 5 years now... before we invest in an Academy, she would have to start to put in a ton more work. The sports academies are expensive. Also there is timing depending on the sport. You should make sure your kid is putting in the work and logging the time with SMART goals. Then, take them to an open house and let them know they will say goodbye to their normal school experience and friends. If she still wants to transfer to a sports academy or boarding school, we'll cross that bridge. But I'd make sure it was a sure thing for D1, in order to re-coupe the money. If your going for a boarding school, be prepared to shell out $50-$90k. I would need to see some serious work out of my kid, before we send her off to a sports academy in MS or HS.

We know several women’s pro players. There is zero need to invest in a dedicated sports academy or boarding school if that’s the goal. If the talent is there, then work hard enough to be an ECNL standout, and you will get noticed by youth national team scouts and top D1 programs. Combine that with a serious focus on academics, and you’ll have options, again, if the talent is there. There were 5 women from Stanford on the U.S. Women’s Olympic team roster.


Thanks, thats good info. Our hockey friends seem to think it is more of a sure thing to pro sports. But, we're not quite that sure for women's soccer.
Anonymous
Post 09/05/2024 08:34     Subject: Pro sports?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD has wanted to be a pro soccer player every year for about 5 years now... before we invest in an Academy, she would have to start to put in a ton more work. The sports academies are expensive. Also there is timing depending on the sport. You should make sure your kid is putting in the work and logging the time with SMART goals. Then, take them to an open house and let them know they will say goodbye to their normal school experience and friends. If she still wants to transfer to a sports academy or boarding school, we'll cross that bridge. But I'd make sure it was a sure thing for D1, in order to re-coupe the money. If your going for a boarding school, be prepared to shell out $50-$90k. I would need to see some serious work out of my kid, before we send her off to a sports academy in MS or HS.

We know several women’s pro players. There is zero need to invest in a dedicated sports academy or boarding school if that’s the goal. If the talent is there, then work hard enough to be an ECNL standout, and you will get noticed by youth national team scouts and top D1 programs. Combine that with a serious focus on academics, and you’ll have options, again, if the talent is there. There were 5 women from Stanford on the U.S. Women’s Olympic team roster.


The former pro athletes I know who went to a 5th year at a boarding school tuition free were given the opportunity to improve grades and work on their sport and they then went to D1 schools. Most don’t need it but some do.


I don’t think it’s tuition-free anymore…but this is definitely still a thing.

IMG will gladly charge you $90k for this privilege…even the pro kids. They give only a tiny %age a scholarship (less than 5%).
Anonymous
Post 09/04/2024 13:20     Subject: Pro sports?
My kid would love to play in the NBA, he's an 8 year old moderately coordinated kid, so we tell him he can be anything he wants to be and leave it at that
Anonymous
Post 09/04/2024 12:09     Subject: Pro sports?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My DD has wanted to be a pro soccer player every year for about 5 years now... before we invest in an Academy, she would have to start to put in a ton more work. The sports academies are expensive. Also there is timing depending on the sport. You should make sure your kid is putting in the work and logging the time with SMART goals. Then, take them to an open house and let them know they will say goodbye to their normal school experience and friends. If she still wants to transfer to a sports academy or boarding school, we'll cross that bridge. But I'd make sure it was a sure thing for D1, in order to re-coupe the money. If your going for a boarding school, be prepared to shell out $50-$90k. I would need to see some serious work out of my kid, before we send her off to a sports academy in MS or HS.

We know several women’s pro players. There is zero need to invest in a dedicated sports academy or boarding school if that’s the goal. If the talent is there, then work hard enough to be an ECNL standout, and you will get noticed by youth national team scouts and top D1 programs. Combine that with a serious focus on academics, and you’ll have options, again, if the talent is there. There were 5 women from Stanford on the U.S. Women’s Olympic team roster.


The former pro athletes I know who went to a 5th year at a boarding school tuition free were given the opportunity to improve grades and work on their sport and they then went to D1 schools. Most don’t need it but some do.
Anonymous
Post 09/03/2024 15:47     Subject: Pro sports?
Anonymous wrote:My DD has wanted to be a pro soccer player every year for about 5 years now... before we invest in an Academy, she would have to start to put in a ton more work. The sports academies are expensive. Also there is timing depending on the sport. You should make sure your kid is putting in the work and logging the time with SMART goals. Then, take them to an open house and let them know they will say goodbye to their normal school experience and friends. If she still wants to transfer to a sports academy or boarding school, we'll cross that bridge. But I'd make sure it was a sure thing for D1, in order to re-coupe the money. If your going for a boarding school, be prepared to shell out $50-$90k. I would need to see some serious work out of my kid, before we send her off to a sports academy in MS or HS.

We know several women’s pro players. There is zero need to invest in a dedicated sports academy or boarding school if that’s the goal. If the talent is there, then work hard enough to be an ECNL standout, and you will get noticed by youth national team scouts and top D1 programs. Combine that with a serious focus on academics, and you’ll have options, again, if the talent is there. There were 5 women from Stanford on the U.S. Women’s Olympic team roster.
Anonymous
Post 09/03/2024 05:01     Subject: Pro sports?
Anonymous wrote:Also, we do have friends who sent their son to a New England traditional boarding school, known for Hockey development. We went away for 4 years to 2 different schools at a cost of about $55k per year. He is playing juniors now in Canada...they told me it was about the best or only way in for an American Hockey player to got a real shot at going Pro.


The former pro hockey players and lacrosse players I know went to a 5th year prep school tuition free to play the sport before college. Do they still do that in New England?
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2024 12:18     Subject: Pro sports?
Also, we do have friends who sent their son to a New England traditional boarding school, known for Hockey development. We went away for 4 years to 2 different schools at a cost of about $55k per year. He is playing juniors now in Canada...they told me it was about the best or only way in for an American Hockey player to got a real shot at going Pro.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2024 12:13     Subject: Pro sports?
My DD has wanted to be a pro soccer player every year for about 5 years now... before we invest in an Academy, she would have to start to put in a ton more work. The sports academies are expensive. Also there is timing depending on the sport. You should make sure your kid is putting in the work and logging the time with SMART goals. Then, take them to an open house and let them know they will say goodbye to their normal school experience and friends. If she still wants to transfer to a sports academy or boarding school, we'll cross that bridge. But I'd make sure it was a sure thing for D1, in order to re-coupe the money. If your going for a boarding school, be prepared to shell out $50-$90k. I would need to see some serious work out of my kid, before we send her off to a sports academy in MS or HS.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2024 06:38     Subject: Pro sports?
Yes, but they won’t do the work. I know one kid who might make. He’s fully committed to his sport, does it for hours a day. It’s a LOT.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2024 05:34     Subject: Pro sports?
Wut sport
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2024 23:07     Subject: Pro sports?
Has your kid expressed interest in playing sports professionally? Did they want to pursue it full time via an academy? How did you handle it?