Schools that don't just value athletics

<p>We’re not steering anyone into anything. We’re going off of our own personal experiences and, to the best of our ability, provide OP with the most helpful information we can find. And why not plant that hope? It’s happened before and can happen again.</p>

<p>Please don’t make comments insinuating that we’re here to “steer” OP into any school. It’s only a burden and humiliating if you let it be. I’ll freely admit that I am not at all talented sports-wise, but even when I’m the last person on the field running the mile, I just laugh and say that this isn’t my strength. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and not doing well on the sports field isn’t any different from not being too good academically.</p>

<p>And there are plenty of sports options not found at regular schools, even sports that aren’t like other sports. For example, crew is not a common sport but is it similar to common sports? No. Neither is skiing, water polo, etc. The OP’s daughter could easily find a sport that she at least enjoys. We’re trying to encourage the OP to come into her school search with an open mind, rather than focused 100% on finding a non-athletic school. And, additionally, I haven’t seen anyone mention a school that they will be or are attending. </p>

<p>For those who would characterize Deerfield as “sports oriented”, let’s remember that it is part of a highly academic group of schools, and its ‘sports orientation’ perception needs to be modified with that in mind. Furthermore, even among it academic peers (GLADCHEMMS) it does not garner top accolades in all or even in most sports, with the possible exception of boys lacrosse.</p>

<p>We aren’t saying Deerfield is all sports. We are saying that there’s an emphasis there that we haven’t seen in many other schools because they’re more EC oriented. </p>

<p>Going by Boarding School Review, Deerfield ranks 5th out of 102 schools for most extracurriculars (excludes sports)</p>

<p>Keep in mind that many schools have schedules in which drama/dance and some other ECs take place at the same time as athletics and students can’t do both. Many kids would benefit from trying a new sport, yet also want to act or dance. I would take this into account when looking at schools. </p>

<p>Here are a few that I know of, but correct me if I’m wrong. </p>

<p>Overlap:
Groton
Deerfield</p>

<p>No overlap:
Andover
Middlesex?</p>

<p>@leanid, you’re not getting the point. The point is that while Deerfield offers many other things, Deerfield is more sports-centric than its competitors.</p>

<p>Soxmom, I think it might be worthwhile to include a number of good all-girls schools on your list. But, your daughter may have to put up with playing on a sports team to access the academics she desires. </p>

<p>I can think of only one or two boarding schools which put out a distinctly non-sporty vibe in our local area. The leading arts-centered boarding schools might be sports-free zones, but that’s a different environment than a boarding school with a diverse program. </p>

<p>I would be wary of trying to determine a school’s atmosphere from online comments from people who don’t attend that school. A kid who’s really into Classics and pottery might have a different circle of friends than a kid at the same school who’s into Oboe and lacrosse. And team strength depends a great deal on the coach, which can change. </p>

<p>The only method I can think of trying to answer the question is to put time into researching league champions in at least three sports per season for the last 10 years or so. If a school consistently wins, team sports are a priority. Even then, though, there could well be a healthy atmosphere with children who have a variety of interests. </p>

<p>I never stated that Deerfield didn’t have a lot of extracurricular activities. Besides, the amount of EC’s does not equate to the weight or the depth of them. For all you know, they might have tons of clubs but only a select few that actually consist of active participants. </p>

<p>I wasn’t going to weigh in on this, since it didn’t sound like OP was particularly interested in a school like Deerfield. But, since this seems to have turned into something of a rag-on-Deerfield thread, let me just say that I think it USED to have a pretty heavy sports (as well as academic) reputation, but in recent years they have made a big commitment to the arts and now there is much more balance. For example, for a music kid, they can do chamber music or chamber singing during regular class time and orchestra at night-- so there’s no conflict with sports. They can also opt out of sports and do music service-- which gives them practice time every day plus doing music as a community service (performances in nursing homes and the like). They’ve invested a lot in new arts facilities, new teachers, and started several new classes and EC groups in the arts, and have been recruiting students who excel in these areas. Not saying the OP should look at it-- just saying the view of the overwhelming sports culture suggested above may be a little dated.</p>

<p>Sox mom, is your daughter considering any all-girls schools?</p>

<p>It helps to look at the schools’ official policies for afternoon activities. For instance Deerfield students are required to participate in interscholastic sports at least two seasons a year in their freshman and sophomore years. Concord Academy, on the other hand, encourages students to participate in interscholastic sports but does not require them to do so. I’m using these schools as examples only because they’ve both been mentioned multiple times on this thread. Neither is unusual in their policies.</p>

<p>A student who would prefer not to do a competitive sport or who would like to participate in an alternative sport such as horseback riding, archery or figure skating would find it easier to get permission at a school without a substantial sports machine. CA has neither football nor hockey. For some kids that’s a plus, for others a minus, but it does mean that the school does not have to fill those rosters.</p>

<p>If she’s willing to look at all-girls’ schools, and depending on whether you think it’s the right academic fit, you may want to add Dana Hall to the list. The school places a lot of emphasis on health and wellness. Dana has a yoga studio and a large rock climbing wall. From their handbook:

</p>

<p>Thanks to a number of you for your thoughtful comments. I think some of you understood what I was getting at. It’s not that my daughter isn’t willing to try new sports, she is, and I fully understand (as does she) that she might find something new that she loves. (by way of background, I might add that she’s a very committed gymnast, so it’s not that she’s not willing to do sports, it’s just that she won’t be able to continue with gymnastics in boarding school and she’s not into team sports like soccer, lacrosse, etc). My question really was – as some people understood – about what schools have more or less of a “jock culture.” I wasn’t going to name names, but now that others have, I would indeed say that we’re looking for school more on the Concord Academy end of the spectrum, less on the Deerfield/Middlesex/Berkshire end.<br>
For those who sugested Boston-area day schools, I appreciate the thoughts, but she really wants to go to boarding school. All girls schools isn’t something she thinks she’s interested in, but I agree that it might be worth at least taking a look.</p>

<p>Even at the “jocky” schools, there are PLENTY of kids who are not jocks. These kids have many other opportunities, like:</p>

<ul>
<li>performing arts</li>
<li>recreational sports/activities, like yoga</li>
<li>managing a competitive team (DS was injured one season and managed his team)</li>
</ul>

<p>Lawrenceville, one of the big schools w strong athletics, has a vibrant house intra-mural league for students who aren’t participating in an interscholastic competitive sport. </p>

<p>“you’re not getting the point. The point is that while Deerfield offers many other things, Deerfield is more sports-centric than its competitors.”</p>

<p>Oh, I do get the point, needtoboard, but as Daykidmom has nicely explained, it is an inaccurate one. Touche – get the point?</p>

<p>“I never stated that Deerfield didn’t have a lot of extracurricular activities. Besides, the amount of EC’s does not equate to the weight or the depth of them. For all you know, they might have tons of clubs but only a select few that actually consist of active participants.”</p>

<p>mrnephew – that characterization can be applied to most if not all other schools.</p>

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<p>Yes, many of these schools have wonderful arts programs. It doesn’t change the fact that they might not be the best fit for a kid who really doesn’t want to have to play a competitive team sport at all.</p>

<p>I’ve had kids at schools in the league in which Middlesex plays (the ISL) and the league in which Concord Academy plays (the EIL). The latter is much less competitive. Although EIL schools generally have a few really strong teams, overall their sports programs are nowhere near as strong as the ISL school programs and the school cultures place less value in general on athletic success. My EIL kid probably wouldn’t have been as happy at the ISL school and vice versa. </p>

<p>Jocky kid needed to rehab an injury one season and managed a team instead of playing on her regular team. It wasn’t a bad experience, but it didn’t really add much of value to her day. It was just seen as a poor substitute for sports, the kind of thing only done by kids who were injured or hopelessly unathletic. The play was cast by competitive audition, so even if she had tried out she would not have been guaranteed a spot.</p>

<p>A close relative just graduated from an ISL school. This kid was an actor, not an athlete. Kid survived just fine, and had a great experience in school arts, but did have to put up with a few years of discomfort in team sports before getting to the upper years where there was more flexibility to the afternoon program.</p>

<p>We had the same question/concern as you, and felt good about Cate (obviously ;-)), Thacher, Andover and St Andrew’s. The larger schools with plenty of other options and interests, and the smaller schools which draw fewer athletic stars and encourage everyone to participate, seemed to have less of a “jock culture”. However, keep an open mind. My DD absolutely loved Milton, which has IMHO a pretty strong “jock culture” but also had other attributes which outweighed that perceived negative. Try to look at a real mix of types of schools.</p>

<p>@leanid, no need to get offended. The OP is clearly seeking a school like Concord Academy that is much more into the arts and extracurriculars than the athletics.</p>

<p>I did not feel offended, only patronized, and, yes, I dislike that. Now run along and get ready for the coming schoolyear.</p>