Hi all.
I’m a parent with a 4th form (Sophmore) daughter at Berkshire School in MA.
What can I answer for you???
- soccer players
- public to private/boarding school
- twins away from home
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My son is looking at Berkshire. We’re from NYC and he’s a bit concerned that school is too remote - no walkable town and no transportation access to the city - compared to other schools. Can you shed any light on that? Do kids get tired of the remoteness or are there transportation options of which we’re unaware?
Thank you for offering your advice. Is there any way boarding soccer players can play club, even MLS Next, while at Berkshire or other schools in the area?
Hi.
Yes, Berkshire is a bit remote. With that said, my daughter has the opty to go to town every weekend (and does). There are trip set up to get kids off campus, too. I will say, she has shown little to no interest beyond weekend shopping trips to get away. The school plans a ton of activities to keep the kids engaged. She’s gone to watch college soccer games with coaches/teams, shopping, field trips… and, some local families have had her over to dinner.
We only looked at schools that did offer local club optys. Here’s what I learned re: girl’s prep-schools + club programs.
Berkshire’s girls program does transition into club b/c the head coach is associated with the Boston Bolts. He works with other local prep schools to create teams, practices (1-2x week) and tourneys. I do not know about the boys program at Berkshire other than they are very good (!!!). I would imagine something similar is in place. Charlie Bour could help you here.
The only MLS Next-prep school I know about is Shattuck-St. Mary’s in MN. We explored the girls program thoroughly. It’s in a bit of a rebuilding phase and not the same level as the boys (yet). Their boys program is solid.
Blair Academy in NJ has an association with a strong girls local club. It’s a bit of a mess getting rides to/from, but it’s doable. I do not know about boys. NJ soccer is typically strong.
Loomis girls soccer plays with a strong local club off season. Most of the players live by the school/club (higher day school population) so logistics are manageable, so I’ve heard. I would imagine the boys are similar but do not know for sure.
My daughter chose Berkshire b/c of the balance of strong academics and the opty for strong soccer year round. And, the girls/boys coaches are very connected when it comes to managing the recruiting process.
We come from a very competitive club environment in CA and have high expectations.
One other thought… my kids mostly grew up in San Francisco. Not NYC but similar vibe for walking about.
My son is at SPS in Concord which is walkable from campus and a bit more hoppin’ than Great Barrington, MA. He takes the shuttle into town on the weekends if he needs to stretch his legs or make a Target run. Other than that, there is so much going at school, he feels no need to head off campus.
I will say as a person who has split most of my life btwn NYC and SF, I, too was concerned that the kids would get cabin fever. The schools really have it dialed in re: activities and keeping the kids engaged ON campus. I’ve been impressed.
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Thanks for this, it’s helpful. Love hearing that there’s lots of on-campus activity, as I think that’s by far the most important.
That said, I attended a boarding school where town was walkable and we really enjoyed having the option of going out to eat or check out the local shops. We also had relatively easy access to Boston for day trips or train to NYC for a weekend. Thinking my son might miss having those options, especially after a couple of years!
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Thank you for your insight.
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