<p>Not admissions per se, yet relevant. I know lax has been of interest to some folks here.
-- Klements</p>
<p>New</a> England Lax Journal: Prep School Guide 2009</p>
<p>August 2, 2009 </p>
<p>Prep School Guide 2009
by Nick A. Zaino III/</p>
<p>Lacrosse is played at a high level in New England prep schools, but that shouldn't be the only reason a student chooses to go to a prep school. (photo: Portsmouth Abbey School)
Its the time of year when students start to feel the twinge that summer is fading, and the thought of getting back to school starts to creep into their thoughts. If you are a parent of a student-athlete and you are considering prep schools, now is also the time to start looking at potential schools to visit, and to start weighing your options.</p>
<p>There is a lot to consider when choosing a prep school. Academics, sports programs, staff size and even the social aspect of living in dorms should all fall into the mix for a prospective student-athlete.</p>
<p>One of the things that draws families to prep schools is just the combination of the academic opportunity and strong athletics, said Mark Conroy, president of the New England Prep School Athletic Council and director of athletics at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass. Its probably tough to beat. I think thats probably really what a prep school sells.</p>
<p>The NEPSAC has nearly 170 member schools, all of which have their own athletic programs (which sometimes takes the place of a regular physical education program), and most of which offer lacrosse.</p>
<p>A lot of prep schools take great pride in their athletic programs. Lacrosse, in particular, has had a strong association with prep schools for decades, although the popularity of the sport is expanding, and more student-athletes are looking for opportunities to play. Prep and independent private schools might be a great choice for someone who wants a disciplined lacrosse program, but Conroy says sports should never be the deciding factor in choosing a school.</p>
<p>The lacrosse is played at a very high level, said Conroy, who quickly added, If you were just looking for lacrosse experience, just like if you were looking for hockey experience or soccer experience, that really wouldnt draw you to prep schools.</p>
<p>The following are a few aspects to consider when deciding whether prep schools would be a good fit, and what to look for from individual schools.</p>
<p>Academics first</p>
<p>Jolene Buttress has a lot more experience with prep schools than most. She is a history teacher and coaches boys lacrosse at the Pike School in Andover, Mass. She also has a son in a prep school who plays lacrosse and hockey, and two daughters in public schools who play or have played lacrosse. Buttress mantra, and that of many of her coaching colleagues at prep schools around New England, is academics first.</p>
<p>I think academic fit has got to be No. 1, she said. I think a student has to be at a school where they can be happy academically and successful. Its what we tell all of our families and secondary school advisors. And what we told our son when he was looking at schools: Youd better choose a school [that] if you get injured and cant play sports, youre still going to like the school. </p>
<p>As you are considering the schools, they also are considering you, similar to the way a college would. So while you may have skills on the field, youll need the grades to back it up. Thats the first thing theyre going to look for, I dont care how amazing you are, Buttress said. Most schools arent going to change their standards to admit an amazing athlete.</p>
<p>Jeffrey Neill, head coach of the boys program at Northfield Mount Hermon School in central Massachusetts, stresses the same point to prospective prep school students. I think first and foremost is to study, to stay on top of your academics, he said. Its easy to get in if you have good grades. I think thats the bottom line.</p>
<p>Consider the coach</p>
<p>The athlete/coach relationship has to be strong for any team to succeed, but that relationship is much stronger at a prep school. Your coach might also be your history teacher and your faculty advisor, and if youre like most students and live on campus, they are part of your community.</p>
<p>That relationship starts building really quickly once a kid comes on the campus, once school starts, said Jon Rand, head coach of the boys program at the Tilton School in Tilton, N.H.</p>
<p>Theres a social aspect to boarding schools that may require a difficult adjustment. Living on campus means you are never far from your field, or from your advisers. It also means living in dorms, which might be a big step for some individuals. As head coach of the boys program and an English teacher at Northfield Mount Hermon, Jeffrey Neill is working for his alma mater. As such, he knows the halls and the history better than most.</p>
<p>When one is loyal to a boarding school, its a little bit more pronounced just because it means living here on campus, he said. I live in a dorm, Im on duty basically 24/7 for nine months out of the year.</p>
<p>If a student-athlete is having problems in the classroom, their head coach will be part of the support group to help them out of it, especially if it threatens to keep them off the field. The word to remember, according to Rand, is rigor, and that applies to schoolwork and lacrosse practice. There is no room for either to slip.</p>
<p>Theres some give and take on that, but frankly, theyve got to be at practice, Rand said. And Ill tell the kids, If you find yourself struggling, you need to tell me so I can then get you the help. I would then become the conduit to the teacher, to say, I understand that Peter is struggling, I want to know what we can do to set up some kind of time frame for him to be able to get support so I have him in the afternoon.</p>
<p>Besides helping to keep a student-athlete on track in the prep school program, a coach can be a big part of the process of moving on to the college level. Coaches can work with the prep schools college admissions office to help build a profile for a students college resume. And they may be able to help them network, as well.</p>
<p>A lot of coaches have lots of connections to college coaches, said Jen Fulcher, head coach of Willistons girls program, a history teacher and a middle school coordinator of student affairs. I used to coach at college, and theres some that have coached at college, and that can be very helpful in helping kids if they want to play at the next level.</p>
<p>According to the coaches, the whole process, including the social aspect, helps to ready a student for the college experience. Thats why I think its not for everybody, but its why a lot of the families will consider the boarding schools, Rand said. Theyre really trying to prep their child so that when they get to their college years, theyre ready to go the freshman year. Theres no stumbling.</p>
<p>Rand says he hears students say they already know what its like to be away from home, to have a roommate, and to write a 15-page paper. Thats the prep of the prep school, he said.</p>
<p>Multiple sports</p>
<p>Besides academics, the other thing prep school coaches are unanimous about is that students should play more than one sport. According to Buttress, some smaller schools may be looking for that in a potential student. I dont think kids ought to be playing just lacrosse all year long, she said. I know for most of the smaller schools they really do expect you to come in and play at least two seasons. And for a lot of them, they require three at least your first year or two.</p>
<p>There also are physical benefits, according to Fulcher. I think its psychologically and physically great for kids to play more than one sport, she said. It limits overuse injuries, and you always learn things from other sports, and it keeps them fresh.</p>
<p>For Rand, its a matter of discipline. Some students can keep in shape in the offseason, some cant. And hes not afraid to suggest another seasonal sport to a student. One defenseman Rand says will definitely wind up playing lacrosse at the college level came to him looking for another sport. Rand took him on the wrestling team, which he also coaches, to help him get quicker and faster for lacrosse, and help him keep in shape.</p>
<p>The student wound up taking to the sport especially well. He was pulling in all kinds of medals at the league level and the New England level, Rand said. It turned out he was a good enough athlete that he picked up the sport quickly. But he did that for conditioning purposes so he would be a better lacrosse player, and he has been.</p>
<p>Check out the facilities</p>
<p>If you live in a particularly affluent school district, chances are your public schools are going to have excellent facilities turf fields and updated locker rooms. Often, though, prep schools will have access to more money from tuition, donors, alumni and endowments, and should have more to offer than many public schools.</p>
<p>Conroy boasts that the boys and girls teams at Williston both have turf fields, and both play night games. Thats certainly another thing about prep schools the facilities these schools have are just incredible, Conroy said. Theyre on par, many of them, with many strong college programs out there.</p>
<p>You cant judge a school by facilities alone, but it could be a telling detail considered as part of the complete picture. The commitment to facilities, whether its the actual field or the uniforms, is going to reveal the institutions commitment to the sport, Neill said. We play some really good teams who play on a crummy field who are wearing crummy uniforms. But if the team is really good, its going to reveal a lot about the school and how it supports its lacrosse program.</p>
<p>Consider your skill level</p>
<p>Last season, Northfield Mount Hermon went 6-10, but those 10 losses were by a combined 14 goals. Theyre all one-, two-, three-goal losses, Neill said. Its a battle every game.</p>
<p>Lacrosse leagues often can be extremely competitive amongst boarding schools, which makes them attractive to serious student-athletes. Were always looking to play the best, Neill said. Ultimately, I think thats why a lot of lacrosse players choose to come to boarding school, because of the competitiveness of the league. We rarely have blowout games in our league.</p>
<p>Matching your skill level to a particular program can be the key to your success. Its great to play in a competitive program, but if your game needs work, and you still want a chance at starting, you may want to find a program that lets you work your way up. Most schools will accommodate anyone who wants to play lacrosse, but that might mean playing on a JV squad that doesnt necessarily feed into the varsity program.</p>
<p>If they want to play lacrosse, and theyre going to be playing it for four years, three years, two years, depending on when they come in, and if they want to play at the next level, they want to play in a program that matches their skill level and matches their goals, Fulcher said.</p>
<p>Fulchers Williston team just completed its second undefeated season, and she is right to consider it a strong program. She highly recommends that prospective students do the research to see if their expectations are a realistic fit for a particular program.</p>
<p>[Williston is] a place that kids can come that want to excel or want to play at the next level, she said. Each year, were sending kids on that will be playing and are playing college lacrosse. So they should meet with the coach, meet with the players, and get a sense if this is a good match for them.</p>