<p>First and foremost, I am realistic about my sons athletic ability.
He will probably not play pro ball but should be able to compete in college at the Div 2 or 3 level.
our goal is that his athletic ability will someday help him get into a better college.</p>
<p>He just finished his freshman year at a private day school north of Boston. They have a rich sports history and compete in Div 1A in all sports. </p>
<p>He really wants to transfer to a Boarding school in the fall of 2013 ( possibly to repeat his sophomore year ). He is on the younger side for his grade ( He just turned 15 ), but is 6'1" and about 190 lbs and still growing. He finished with a 3.4 GPA for his first year.</p>
<p>He is an athletic kid who is above average in Football ( Center and Long Snapper ) and Baseball ( Catcher ).</p>
<p>How do we go about getting his name out there to some coaches at the schools on his list?
NMH, Deerfield, Salisbury, Trinity Pawling and Taft seem to be hopefuls.</p>
<p>What is that first step that we need to take in our attempt to get some type of athletic scholarship at these schools ?
Photos, footage, visits ... Any and all ideas would be appreciated !!</p>
<p>Ok, i was recruited for a different sport for boarding schools and i filled out a questionaire sort of thing on their website. It was specific to athletics and asked for sports i play, stats, and all that. I dont think that schools offer specific athletic scholarships (except for kent) but you may qualify for FA.
Also, when you call for an interview ask to speak with the coach. Then after, email te coach with further stats or questions and try to get a dialogue going.
Feel free to ask any more questions!</p>
<p>In several cases we filled out a questionaire on the website and in other’s the interviewed sparked the interest when during the interviews the coach was called in to speak with my son. Four schools actually came out to watch him play and at least one school called the current coach. Both of these things (website and/or meeting coaches) started a email dialog between the coach and my child that lasted through the whole process. </p>
<p>In the end, at the school my son is going to, I don’t think he was a recruited athlete but I do think that the commitment he has shown to his sports (and studies) illustrates his character – hardworking, focused, etc. </p>
<p>Not to be a naysayer, but not only is the particular sport a factor in recruiting, but also the position needed in order to be a hook. The year our student applied, the top choice school said they already had three sprinters, and didn’t have need of any more, but they could have used another skillset in Track & Field.</p>
<p>Thanks Guys for all your Help. I need to start the emails ASAP.</p>
<p>Because our son is one of the youngest in his class, mst are 6 - 8 mnths older … We are not totally against him repeating his Sophomore year as long as the school is a good fit. Would entrance into a new school as a Sophmore be easier than a Junior ? by that I mean do schools have nmore Sophmore transfers than Juniors ?</p>
<p>Some schools such as Deerfield take in almost as many new Sophomores as Freshmen, so that should be ok. Junior placement is catch as catch can.<br>
Another option, in case your son is not too keen on repeating - you are able to have him finish out his HS career where he is and apply to BS as a PG, and potentially capitalize on the strength of the current school contacts/position.
You also need to do a lot more research on the boarding schools themselves. The list you have only makes sense if you are looking at football strength. Academically these schools have very different criteria.</p>
<p>I can give you a few tips. First, there is no need to email coaches now. Most of them are on vacation or doing others things, so wait until fall. Second, the schools on your list are all over the place academically—you have a school that does its best work with bright underachievers, along with one which is very rigorous and competitive. Which do you think fits your son?</p>
<p>Also, a word on financial aid. do you get any at your current private school? that is a good indication of whether you will get some at boarding school/. Also, keep in mind there are fewer spots fo financial aid applicants, so it’s more competitive.</p>