<p>Which boarding schools have the best football program?</p>
<p>I don't know which program would be considered the best, but Blair has a winning tradition in football Blair</a> Academy - Athletics. If you are interested in football, it is worth investigating.</p>
<p>Shockingly, fif has some thoughts on this subject. He will opine when time allows...</p>
<p>Rather than looking for the best football program, why not use football as a way to gain entry to a top school with a weaker program? Just a thought.</p>
<p>I think if the OP wants to play in college, visibility in a strong program is important.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, and the tip about Blair.
I should have given more information. My son is a very strong student, but not an extraordinarily strong student. He IS an extraordinary athlete. He loves football.
We began looking at BSs (not the top tier), and the level of enthusiasm from the football coaches surprised us. So, we're wondering, exactly as Catg suggests, if he would be able to add his football skills to his resume and impress a top BS. The question is, Who?
Our impression, based on nothing, is that the top schools tolerate football, and admissions decision are based entirely on academic and other factors, apart from athletics. New to all this, thanks.</p>
<p>Silliconvalleymom-
That's very true. His older brother was also a superb athlete, but at a school that didn't give him visibility. For him, it wasn't a problem because he was one of those "crazy smart" kids, but for this son, he could use a thumb on the scale. He'd also love to play in college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, and the tip about Blair.
I should have given more information. My son is a very strong student, but not an extraordinarily strong student. He IS an extraordinary athlete. He loves football.
We began looking at BSs (not the top tier), and the level of enthusiasm from the football coaches surprised us. So, we're wondering, exactly as Catg suggests, if he would be able to add his football skills to his resume and impress a top BS. The question is, Who?
Our impression, based on nothing, is that the top schools tolerate football, and admissions decision are based entirely on academic and other factors, apart from athletics. New to all this, thanks.</p>
<p>Trinity-Pawling has a great football program (multiple championships in the last several years has defeated Andover twice for the NE Championship).<br>
They are not a "top tier" school and many times get "looked down" on because they do have a program for Dyslexic boys - but that is a not nearly the whole school.<br>
In any case, we were very impressed with the school and if you would consider all boys, I highly recommend checking it out.</p>
<p>I do not know that much football. You might want to look at Woodberry Forest. I went down the school last week. I feel the parents and coach are very nice. It is a good school.</p>
<p>I think you will be happy to hear this-- but in my opinion you are wrong about schools "tolerating" football. They need football players despertly. Some boarding schools with 300 kids--maybe 150 or 170 students are boys, essentially need one out of 3 boys on campus to play football to keep a team viable.</p>
<p>I have seen admissions officer make a note of a student who is "willing" to play football--let alone your son who has not only played it before but is good at it. it is a big admissions boost for your son, so be sure to contact coaches during the process, go to their games, meet the team, etc.</p>
<p>The best football boarding schools is Fork Union Military in Virginia. I don't necessarily recommend it, but it has 2 Heisman winners, about 50 guys in the NFL right now. But they are mostly PG's which is a different story.</p>
<p>I'd recommend finding a good fit school and the football part will take care of itself.</p>
<p>Prep schools are very comepetitive athletically and being a top athlete will help your admissions chances.</p>
<p>Hotchkiss by far. They have one EVERY single game this season and have had numerous clean sheets. Many members of the football team have already been recruited. This season we beat out Trinity Pawling 27-0, Deerfield 40-20 and the list goes on and on. The coaches are AWESOME. So if you are interested in Football AND academics Hotchkiss is the place to be by far.</p>
<p>
[quote]
They have **one **EVERY single game this season
[/quote]
Humm....I'm not sure how to even address this..... :)
How is a game ONE?</p>
<p>Prez --</p>
<p>Hotchkiss has a great team THIS year. They should remain undefeated and will be the odds on favorite to win the Class A game. While they are always competitive, this is their best year in a long time. Incidentally, you beat Salisbury 27-0 (first time in 4 tries ;0)), and T-P 41-7.</p>
<p>There are four major leagues in NE prep football, and some very good teams that are unaffiliated. From the top:</p>
<p>Erickson:</p>
<p>Winners of the last three Class A campionships (T-P, Salisbury, T-P, all against Andover). In addition to those two, Kent, Hothchkiss, and Avon Old Farms consistantly produce pretty good teams and send players to play in college, mostly Ivy, Patriot and NESCAC (Williams, Trinity, Hamilton etc.). Loomis is a soccer school (they are always good) and Taft does not have a good program.
This league has PG's but limits them to 4 per team each season. Trinity-Pawling, Avon Old Farms and Salisbury are all-boys schools.</p>
<p>ISL (Independent School League):</p>
<p>Belmont Hill, Nobles and Greenough, Buckingham, Brown and Nichols and St. Sebastians have been the class of this league for a while. Unfortunately, they are day schools (Nobles has five day boarders). Among the boarding schools, Milton and Governor Dummer (I'm old school so it is still GDA to me) are usually pretty good -- GDA in particular emphasizes sports like football, hockey and lacrosse. They rest of the league -- Groton, St. Georges, Middlesex (they've had some nice teams) etc. plays hard-nosed ball but the skill level is so so, and few play in college. No PG's at any ISL school.</p>
<p>Colonial:</p>
<p>A relatively new league, but a few stand out. Canterbury and The Gunnery have had good teams for years and often advance to a NE championship game. Football is definitely emphasized here. Suffield has a very strong team this year and Westminster has shown improvement recently. All have PG's, not sure if there are limits but more likely a gentleman's agreement to keep it reasonable.</p>
<p>Evergreen:</p>
<p>Composed of smaller northern NE schools, with the exception of Pomfret (Tilton, Holderness, Hebron, Vermont Academy etc.). Of these, Holderness traditionally has been a power, 'tho Tilton is good these days. PG's. Not too many go on to play.</p>
<p>Unaffiliated:</p>
<p>Some big names here -- Deerfield, Choate, Andover, Exeter, Cushing Academy, Worcester Academy, NMH. Andover, as previously noted, has played in the Class A game three straight years, and their rivalry with Exeter is unsurpassed. Choate, despite their size, is usually mediocre. Same for NMH. Cushing is a sports oriented school and they have had some great teams and players in the recent past. Worcester has a great tradition and is always competitive, more a day school frankly. Deerfield is always good, in fact I would argue that they have the best overall (boys) athletic program in NE. All have PG's, sometimes quite a few (Andover put 12 on the field a few years ago). Lots of college players
(Yale's QB last year went to Exeter).</p>
<p>I general, almost all schools will give you a second look if you are an accomplished football player (like they would a violinist). Some, and I think you can guess which from the above, will give you a third.</p>
<p>Fun:</p>
<p>In your view is newyorker22 correct? Does a willingness to play football actually help the admission process, given that fielding a football team requires a fairly large number of players? Or, as I presume is the case with most other sports, is willingness not enough, but rather the schools are looking for some level of skill/experience, even with football? Unlike many sports, by 8th grade, when the applications start, it will be the rare football player who will be applying to boarding schools and who has also demonstrated exceptional skill in football.</p>
<p>Wow.
I am very grateful for all of the information. I will pour over it and research all of the schools mentioned. Please stay nearby as I'm sure I'll have more questions as I learn more about the schools. It certainly will change how we look at things.<br>
I honestly thought that unless you had perfect grades, near perfect SSAT's AND cured cancer in your spare time, you had little chance at these schools. I'm very glad to learn that it's not quite that bad. I think we could expect my son to at least score above 80's on the SSAT's. He hasn't taken them yet.
I'm also really glad that there appears to be some enthusiasm for football at these schools! At some schools we've looked at, they have difficulty fielding enough players, and few students attend games, mostly parents of players. That can be dispiriting for a player.
One question - What's a PG?</p>
<p>NewYorker22 -
Yes. I am absolutely happy to hear that. Thanks.
I don't think my son would do well at a military academy. It would be forcing a square peg into a round hole! From his mother's side, he is hard-wired to be a bit undisciplined. He is initiating the idea of a boarding school because most strike the right balance between the need for discipline and encouraging individual development.</p>
<p>PSdad</p>
<p>Since most boys these days play soccer, they will certainly try to have enough players to field at least two teams -- the larger schools field three. But you are right, who knows the skill level of an 8th grader?
10th and 11th is a different matter. Would help if we knew the OP's son's grade and where he plays now.</p>
<p>daneka - a PG is a one year student who has graduated from HS and needs another year to either mature, improve grades, polish athletic skills or a combination of those three. PG's are typically folded into the senior class, usually quite successfully. PG's are usually male and almost always an athlete. Not infrequently, they are attending prep school at the direct suggestion of a college coach who wants the athlete but needs them to show some improvement before the college can admit.</p>
<p>daneka,</p>
<p>Just wanted to comment that you probably can't estimate that your son's ssat score would be above an 80% if he hasn't taken it yet. Keep in mind that the average student scores a 50% which corresponds to a 1180 or 1200 on the high school SAT. If you are predicting your son will score 80%, you are saying he has dominated standardized tests throughout his life, scoring above 95th percentile on any national test. The ssat has a stronger pool, and is curved, so it is a tough test. Not to discourage you, but don't be disappointed if he doesn't score that high. Very few kids do---although many of them seem to be on this site!</p>