<p>When my son enters 9th grade he will go in with 7 HS credits(Algebra 1 honors, Geometry Honors, Freshman English 1 honors, Physical Science Honors, Biology Honors, Computer science and Spanish 1) 5 core and 2 elective. So his freshman schedule will be English 2 honors, Algebra 2 honors, Chemistry honors,AP Human Geography, Spanish 2 and 1 elective. He will be playing football and baseball as well. How did some of you handle such academic courses and play/practice as well? Football beginning in August is 5 days a week practice right after school til 6pm and games on Friday nights including travel. This lasts until early November. Is he going to be overwhelmed ? Another question.....would he be able to only take 5 classes and no elective(since he already has credits) to give him more time for studying? Would colleges look down on this? His goal is to play in college at a top 20 academic school. I just can't phathom what it is going to be like moving forward into Soph, Junior and Senior years as the courses only get more difficult. Haven't even factored in 100 hours of community service, Honor society, clubs etc...How do you manage it all?!</p>
<p>He has to make some decisions. If he wants to go to a top 20 college, he needs to take challenging courses. If he wants to play football, he needs to balance his activities. He doesn’t have to be in a lot of clubs. 100 hours of community service can be done in the off season, summer, Christmas break. Make sure he logs every hour as it is easy to lose some by just not recording them.</p>
<p>My d swims and practice 20+ hrs a week and had a similar freshman schedule and was able to make all As so it is possible. She is very proactive about studying and manages her time well. One key is discussing upcoming tests and homework with her teachers before she misses school for a big meet. I agree with the suggestion to limit clubs and such.</p>
<p>If he is overwhelmed by his schedule I would consider dropping AP human. For a recruited athlete at a top 20 school 6 AP courses by the end of high school should be sufficient.</p>
<p>Kids do it. Your freshman year seems overloaded and your sophomore year seems light. You need to balance. Many double up on math sophomore year with Algebra2 + Geometry.
What will he major in?<br>
Look into prereq for AP US History. Recommend taking it Junior year. Many tutors are saying, APUSH will be helpful to those taking the new SAT in 2016 and beyond.
And I agree, 6 AP courses should be sufficient. Clubs, he will only need 2-3 that he likes since he is a 2 sport athlete.</p>
<p>Kids can do it. My tennis player manages to juggle it all despite missing loads of school. How do they do it? As mentioned, talk to teacher before missing class. Get the work ahead of time. Try to make deadlines----doing so early on despite a crazy schedule establishes a lot of good will in my experience. Later on when your kid is truly overwhelmed the teacher will cut him some slack. </p>
<p>We are lucky in that the kids on the team work together and help each other. When they are traveling or waiting they will work on homework together. </p>
<p>My son discovered Khan Academy this year. It helps with missed classroom lectures in upper level science and math classes (the stuff I don’t remember). He also found a math site called patrickjmt. </p>
<p>TomsRiverParent…What you are reading as his sophmore year course load is in fact his freshman. 9th grade would be English 2 honors, Algebra 2 honors, Chemistry honors,AP Human Geography, Spanish 2 and 1 elective. Sophomore year and beyond gets crazy hard. Sophomore would be AP English, Pre-Calculus honors, AP Chemistry, AP US History, Spanish 3 and most likely STEM.</p>
<p>@moscott
I misread. Sorry. It looked like the 1st sentence was the frosh year and typo in 2nd sentence.
He is going into HS 9th grade with 7 HS credits already!! smh I would have never recommended that. Don’t know how his school will calculate his gpa and ranking.<br>
He can graduate after Junior year… easy.
I’m not a fan of those who graduate early even those in block scheduling that start college what would be January their senior year. You only go through HS once in your life. Enjoy the experience.</p>
<p>Is he aiming for D1 or D3? Ivy or scholarships schools? Is he hoping to be recruited for football or baseball? D1 recruit does not need to compete with regular students on ECs. Top 20 D1 schools will not care about his ECs. He can do bare minimum of ECs with fixed schedule. For Ivies NHS usually looks good on resume.
Second sport should go first in he finds himself in a crunch. Together with unnecessary ECs. </p>
<p>CCDD!4…Academically he is aiming Ivy, Stanford, Duke, MIT. Athletically is another story. Hard to tell of course where he will be in 5 years but as of today he is hoping FBS or FCS football schools for sure. He’s been 1st team All American for Pop Warner 3 years running and invited to many top football camps and won top QB representing Florida in Dallas, Houston and Orlando. He will be attending Duke summer football program next week and the HS coach invited him to practices for the incoming freshman this year. Impossible to tell if he would maintain that level thru HS(some kids don’t) so I realize academics will always be there and come first. So if you asked him today he would say Stanford or Duke would be ideal mix of sports and academics at the top level…if he wasn’t up to that level then football at Ivy would do nicely.</p>
<p>Moscott: our D is a two sport varsity athlete who also rides horses( hunter/ jumper) in her winter offseason. She attends a very academic high school.</p>
<p>The kids learn to manage their time. If they get nothing else out of the experience of being a student-athlete other than learning how to schedule to plan out their time, it’s more than worth it, since playing at the collegiate level really requires the best use of every minute of every day.
Best of Luck to your Family.</p>
<p>I’ve seen this issue from both sides. </p>
<p>On one hand, some students like my niece and her husband (and I suspect Threesdad’s daughter, as well) rise to the occasion and learn the time management skills that they need in high school to succeed as a scholar-athlete at the collegiate level. These are the students who push themselves academically as well as athletically. And they are the scholar-athlete success stories that we all like to celebrate. </p>
<p>On the other hand, some students like my own son, excel in sports and are “good enough” students to be viable recruits but have not developed the time management and study skills that they are going to need to actually succeed as as a student as well as an athlete in college. The results are often not pretty! (At least, it wasn’t in our case.) Trust me, a student who gets admitted to an Ivy-League school because of his sport but can’t handle the academic demands is not a “success story.” </p>
<p>For the vast majority of scholar-athletes, sport is a means to an end rather than end in itself. Keeping that in mind would have helped us make decisions that would have been better for S in the long run.</p>
<p>EllieMom…exactly, Academics will always come first for me. If he proves himself in the classroom and earns his way to a top 20 then great. He should be good enough(if he continues to progress athletically to at least be able to play football in college. IF he is good enough in the classroom AND on the field then a Stanford or Duke can happen. Bottom line, student first and hopefully be able to play football at his college of choice.</p>
<p>moscott,</p>
<p>Here is my two cents…</p>
<p>Good questions. At some point it needs to be determined what your son wants to do AFTER college. Once that is determined you can then figure out a rough path to get there. You continue to say academics are the most important but you continue to reference top level D1 FBS football teams. It is beyond difficult to be a Stanford QB with an eye to Medical school or a chemical engineer. Most starting Stanford/Duke QB football players go there with hopes of becoming an NFL player not a Cardiologist. And if he isn’t starting in college or doesn’t have an opportunity to start is it really worth his time…something to think about. It just doesn’t happen much at all because of the time & committment required to play an NCAA revenue sport. I think you can really help your son by researching the time commitment and effort to be a top shelf D1 football player. I’m not trying to be harsh but open your eyes a little bit as to what goes on behind the college sports curtain.</p>
<p>What the Ivys, D3 NESCACs and other elite D3s give you is a much better athletic to academic life balance for student athletes. It is much more possible to be a football QB at an Ivy/Patriot League or D3 school with a demanding major. My son was an Ivy baseball player and engineering major. There is no way he could have majored in engineering at a top shelf D1 or mid-major D1 colleges that offered him a scholarship…but that is him. Are there exceptions., sure. But very very few. There are many others on this board that have the same story as my son…that absolutely worked their tails off for 4 years in a major they love and a sport they love. This is the beauty of this level. I think once you get a better understanding of the bigger student-athlete picture, you will understand. </p>
<p>As for high school, if he is academically minded keep him challenged but don’t overwhelm him. Academic Admissions committees like to see a students challenge himself and take the most rigorous classes possible. If he is purely athletically focused then academics won’t matter nearly as much. </p>
<p>This may be a good time to sit down with your son to see what he is thinking, and you can help guide him. At some point it would be very helpful for him to get a skills evaluation from an impartial person. Determining your son’s athletic level is important to know where to spend your time and money. You’ll get academic feedback from school grades and SATS/ACTS so that will help determine academic options. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree 100% with Fenway.</p>
<p>We have completed the cycle - from the pre-recruitment era (where you are now) to graduation. My S played a sport which can offer a professional career. He was even drafted out of HS. He was offered athletic scholarships to athletic powerhouse D1 programs. His athletic career did not really follow the “planned” trajectory, although it ended well.</p>
<p>He chose to attend a school more renown for academics then athletics. (But, if the athlete has pro potential, he will be found by pro scouts.) </p>
<p>He chose wisely.</p>
<p>Why wisely? Because the path from freshman to senior is full of unexpected twists and turns, pot holes, detours, and the growing (physical, mental, emotional) which inevitably occurs during those years. The only true constant is that the student should be placed in the position where the FEWEST options are sacrificed during those years.</p>
<p>So, think about the possible unexpected (known unknowns): (1) injury, (2) performance issues (there is always someone better), (3) interest changes, (4) social issues (girl friend), (5) exhaustion (who likes working 40 hour weeks, plus attending school), (6) - (10) fill in the blank. Assume that one of these known unknowns occurs. Then calculate what happens to your son’s future.</p>
<p>While our experience is purely anecdotal, looking back the experience was squarely in the middle of the bell curve of expectations. In other words, the outcome of “professional career” in the sport is, mathematically speaking, the tail of the curve, not the center of the curve. Now, in some things, betting on the tail is fine ($5 on double zero); in other things betting on the tail is folly (your entire retirement account on double zero).</p>
<p>If I were to hit the speaking circuit and address parents entering the pre-recruiting days, I would offer this: (1) accept no less effort in the classroom then you accept on the field; (2) do not burn any high academic college options by taking a course load less then acceptable to those schools; (3) prepare, prepare, prepare for the standardized tests; (4) attend the highest academic school you can get into which has the track record of getting its grads great jobs; (5) support your kid emotionally through all the twists and turns of college - BUT, be an advisor, not blindly accepting knee jerk reactions he will make to the twists and turns; (6) make all decisions as if he will walk out the university gates into a non-athletic world. (And I say all this while awaiting the results of the draft (an unknown) with a serviceable degree (economics) and a great job in hand.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies…I am completely aware of the sports end of it. The only reason I mention Stanford and Duke as major D!(you could add a ND, Vanderbilt, GT etc…) is because they offer the best of both worlds academically and athletically top of the line. Academically I’m confident if he will continue to be a top 20 academic school worthy. The question becomes athletically. He loves football and will play(God willing) wherever he attends college. Thus Stanford & Duke would be an option for a student gifted academically and athletically. Ivy, FCS, etc…would be ideal for gifted academically and next level athletically imo. I’m simply wanting to allow him to be in position to have options but bottom line…even if he was a major Division 1 prospect in football the college will be top notch academically.I have NO delusions of him being a pro football player…the odds are astronomical. You are also correct about what his major would be. Being a med student and playing football at a Division 1 school is near impossible. As I parent my preference is top academic school where you can also play football.</p>
<p>Also think about Northwestern. (The son of a family friend was QB there some time back…fabulous experience for him.)</p>
<p>moscott,</p>
<p>Some questions to think about as you peel away the layers of the college recruiting onion…At some level, most of us on this board have come across these questions (below) in one way or another for our student athletes. </p>
<p>Personally, my middle son gave up a college baseball opportunity to focus on engineering at our state school. He made Dean’s list both semesters, and I think he made the right decision for him. My oldest son played baseball at an ivy for 4 years and studied engineering…it was an absolute grind. Different kids have different levels of passion for their sports and their studies. As a parent, I think it is best to advise and give them information then let them decide. As you will see many athletes end up transferring…it is almost an epidemic. Even the folks that do their college recruiting homework end up transferring. </p>
<p>My nieces boyfriend is a football player that was offered a D1 football scholarship his freshmen year @ School A, and a 4-year academic scholarship to a D1 football program @ School B. He chose School A. He is kicking himself because the Coach @ School A did not renew his football scholarship at the same initial levels and he continually brings in more competition at his position every year. He has yet to see the field in a game as a rising senior. Of course everybody thinks this will not happen to them, but it does over and over. He had to take on a less demanding major @ School A to play college football. If he could do it all over again, he would have listened to his parents who strongly urged him to take the academic scholarship. Coaches and programs have reputations and histories. Believe in the things the coaches do, not the things they say.</p>
<p>1) Would your son forego a demanding major to play FBS football?
2) Would your son forego FBS football to focus on a demanding major?
3) How important is football to me? If your son doesn’t think he has the ability to play football professionally, is it worth his time to play in college?
4) What are my other options to get what I want out of my college experience?</p>
<p>fenwaysouth…His answers
- No
- Yes but he would like a college who offers both
- Very…He loves to play. Unlike basketball, baseball etc…when you finish football whether in HS or college, that’s it. You have to give up the game you love at 22 essentially. To be able to get an academic scholarship at a school of your dreams AND play a game you love is ideal.
- He has no idea at this point…too young.</p>
<p>Here is an excerpt from the web page of Rollins college in Orlando…a private school who also has a football program.</p>
<p>“Rollins College is a small, private, liberal arts school in Winter Park (just north of Orlando) Florida. As a club at a small, private, liberal arts school we don’t “recruit” in the traditional sense. We are looking for students that want to play football, not football players that are just looking for a place to play. We don’t offer scholarships and academic requirements are fairly high. The perfect kid for us is the student-athlete that loves to play and would jump at the opportunity to continue to play at a great school with a beautiful campus, great weather and great academics.</p>
<p>While this is certainly an option down the line he still would prefer to go to an even higher academic institutuion and play football at the highest level that matches his abilities. He knows academic scholarships are for his college duration while athletic is year to year. Heck even MIT has a football program lol.</p>
<p>moscott,</p>
<p>i wasn’t expecting you to answer, but more as to use these question as a yard stick with your son over time</p>
<p>Both my oldest son’s would have answered the same as your son when they were high school freshmen. Both told me they would ONLY play D1 baseball in Virginia and study engineering…fast forward two years later it was a much different reality. They were in a different place with their academics (engineering magnate high school) and they had a clearer understanding of their baseball talents and recruitability. </p>
<p>We always came back to those type of questions…both kids were willing to forego baseball for engineering. Their logic was they were not good enough to play professionally nor did they foresee that as an option. Our neighbor is a professional player and we know other professional players, so they had some insight. My oldest found a situation that would allow him to do both, but he would have stopped playing baseball if he got behind or struggled. </p>
<p>To the OP’s original question, my 2 sport athlete didn’t do much volunteering or club activity during her sports seasons, only during her off season, which was November-February. She still had conditioning twice a week, but at least not practice every day. So if football season is over in November, he may have time then for clubs, etc. She took 6 classes and a study hall, doubling up on intro science classes one year so she could take the advanced classes later. She had geometry in middle school so no need to double up on Math in HS. I think selective schools look for core academic classes each year, with some electives. She had an independent study her senior year which was of interest to her interviewers at a couple LACs. She would never sacrifice academics for sports and went to a D3 LAC and is very happy with the academics and sports experience. If you’re looking for academic scholarships though, many of the top LACs don’t give them, only need-based aid.</p>