what is meant by "recruited athlete" for BS, especially 9th grade

Prep School Admissions
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<p>I have heard alot about kids getting admissions and FA to BA because of their sport -- what exactly are these kids doing?</p>

<p>I don't mean the sport -- but at what level? I know that some sports (hockey, baseball, soccer) kids start playing in the early grades and have the opportunity to really show some strength. Are there only a few sports where they really "recruit" for a sport.</p>

<p>My son has good potential for field events -- shotput this year. But I don't seem it as something that a school would recruit for -- as far as I know, most schools only offer it in middle school and up, so most kids would only have 6th and 7th grade in the sport when applying. </p>

<p>do most kids have experience in the sport outside of the public school system? Would they have state championships? (our system doesn't offer state level competition for track)</p>

<p>Does the system work a certain way?</p>

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<p>I sent tapes to the schools I was interested in. The coach of a local school also came to one of my games. Yes, most kids go beyond public school sports and are on traveling teams. Also, it needs to be a sport that's big at the school, a spectator sport for sure. I would agree that I've not see BSs recruit for track and field. It's not even a varsity sport at many.</p>

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<p>Most NE preps "recruit" athletes for their marqee sports, sports which in most cases directly affect their college admissions statistics. These sports are primarily hockey, lacrosse, basketball, football. The recruiting in hockey is especially intense, and has gotten to the point where it is almost unseemly. </p>

<p>Some schools care about other sports- squash (Groton) or soccer (Loomis) for instance - and I know of one school (Kent) that has recruited rowers.</p>

<p>They will be happy to know that your son has potential in T&F, but it won't really matter in admissions.</p>

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<p>Some of it depends on how much pull the coach/faculty member has. If the coach has been at the school 30 years and is very highly regarded, he or she will have more impact in getting a student on the "short list" due to the sport. Blair gives tips to wrestlers and basketball players, and also to really strong athletes in a few other sports. A kid who may have potential to play the sport at college D1 level (and, yes, it is hard to tell that in the 8th grade) is attractive to a prep school.</p>

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<p>Admissions officers look for recruits to build up their varsity teams. As a result, varsity "recruited" athletes have a little leeway in how competitve their scores and SSATs have to be. Sometimes you can fill out an athletics sheet on the school's website so they will notice you.</p>

<p>I think to be recruited, you'd be on Varsity your first year.</p>

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<p>thanks -- I admit, I am not a sport person, so the whole idea of recruiting a hockey play for 9th grade seems unreal! </p>

<p>I can see that the sport would really need some exposure to be one that schools would want to recruit for (hockey, bball, etc). It just isn't as much fun to watch a track meet. I don't even think track has varsity and junior varsity, does it? </p>

<p>I think his interest and potential for shotput will make a nice addition to his profile as a student, but he isn't going to be recruitable.</p>

<p>He is very interested in playing Lacrosse and rowing in boarding school -- but has no experience. Does anyone know what kind of kid makes a good lacrosse player or rower? My son is pretty big for his age (5'10'' and 170#) and is a good team player. He is strong but not necessarily fast.</p>

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<p>Your son would probably make a good reserve team lacrosse player (only saying reserve since he has never played before). Especially at that size - a good defensive player. They don't have to be fast, but big is good.<br>
It's a full contact sport - have him watch some college games if you can. Now's a great time with the NCAA championships on. There is actually more contact in the lower levels because the ball is on the ground more. Anyway, most schools seem to have 3 teams of lacrosse since it is so popular, leaving room for lots of players with less experience.<br>
Pick up an inexpensive sitck (or two actually) and a couple of balls and have him start playing catch with you or a friend to get the feel for it.<br>
It's a great sport, my son has really enjoyed a lot.</p>

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<p>we have watched the Colorado College Lacrosse team play and he likes it. He wanted to play football or rugby, so maybe the contact part of Lacrosse will appeal to him.</p>

<p>his school is thinking of adding another sport and he and some other kids requested Lacrosse.</p>

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<p>Well, I'm well placed to discuss such a subject. When I applied at L'Ville, I knew they would take into account that I play hockey and lacrosse. I didn't get any "scholarship" to say so, but I did receive a full grant. I wouldn't say any bs applicants could receive a scholarship, but they are advantaged when the school makes their decision for your acceptance and for the amount of fa you need. Playing varsity lacrosse, hockey, football and/or bball is very helpful when you apply at any bs, including the "top" 10 bs.</p>

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<p>A "recruited" athlete is seldomly a freshman. And only rarely even a sophomore. </p>

<p>You can't learn anything about lacrosse by just throwing and catching (including throwing and catching). Is there a youth program in your area?</p>

<p>Rowing on the other hand, is another matter. If he's 5'10" and 170 already
he's possibly going to grow into the size that lends itself to crew. And crew is the ultimate team sport.</p>

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<p>Agree that crew would be the sport to master. Many successful kids never rowed before high school. Lifting weights is a good start. Find a rowing club and some training if possible.</p>

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<p>You can't learn anything about lacrosse by just throwing and catching (including throwing and catching). Is there a youth program in your area?</p>

<p>Nothing? You mean that throwing and catching are not an important part of the game? If you can't throw and catch you can't play. OBVIOUSLY I was not saying it was ALL of it, but if he's never played it is the place to START. Clearly there is a lot more to it than that, but I have watched the kids as they are starting and that is what they are least comfortable with when they start. Ball handeling & stick control.</p>

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<p>FWIW -- you can't learn how to PROPERLY catch and throw a lacrosse ball w/o instruction. It's especially important to learn how to use both hands early on and w/o some coaching a novice will just get frustrated and give up. Take my word for it -- not as easy as some can make it look.</p>

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<p>Fair enough, but there are plenty of lacrosse shows - Lacrosse Weekly and Behind Lacrosse for example - that have mini-instructions on them each week. And you can always pick up a video. I was going on the assumption that there was not the opportunity to join a program at this point.</p>

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<p>There's nothing I like better than to watch track meets! :)<br>
Cross country has varsity and jv. It is an important sport for many boarding schools.</p>

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<p>you have been on the thread for 3 years.Any kids in boarding school yet?Based on your posts it seems like state supported schools of the arts seem to be a fit.Almost universal that these schools develop Cross country teams because hte kids are trainable and historically not as athletic.Once they get hooked on running talents are uncovered.Our only dayschooler who runs CC is headed to MIT.</p>

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<p>I was head coach of a brand new large high school program. Many of the kids did not have equipment. And there were rules about pre-season practices using equipment. So I had kids interested in trying the "new" sport play basketball. Basketball teaches the footwork and positioning. It helps the player identify passing lanes -- whether to exploit them or shut them down. And it requires ball movement and circulation of the ball and players much like lacrosse.</p>

<p>I contend that it is an incredibly easy game to learn and play. The lower levels of play -- which I presided over as a coach -- simply entails much more time with ground balls. At the Division 1 calibre, the ball spends little time on the ground. At all levels, winning the ground balls is what makes the difference between two well-matched teams. So ground ball drills would be high on the list of skills to work on.</p>

<p>As for passing and catching, I spent hours with my cousin, a baseball player, tossing the ball around. We usually used a baseball because it was more important to him to feel the seams. We'd practice short throws in pepper games and long throws. The difference is that I preferred to catch on the run and throw to a moving target, while he worked on throwing to stationary targets. I also varied righty and lefty...trying to go 50-50 with each hand, and he had no problem with that. The bottom line is that it's possible to have an enjoyable and useful experience developing stick skills even if your only playing companion doesn't play lacrosse.</p>

<p>Visit the web site of US Lacrosse at lacrosse.org for tons of resources, including books and videotapes. See if they're at your local library before making the purchase. Or area coaches might help you. There are many clinics for the summer. Here's a listing of many of them: <a href="http://dmoz.org/Sports/Lacrosse/Camps/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://dmoz.org/Sports/Lacrosse/Camps/&lt;/a> (I'm partial to the STX Camps as they were terrific about helping my team get started.)</p>

<p>And then every kid will inevitably find laxpower.com and you may as well discover it and the forums and resources available there: <a href="http://network.laxpower.com/forums/index.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://network.laxpower.com/forums/index.php&lt;/a> You'll get more tips there, such as ideas for shooting and how to practice dodges...which is more difficult to do than working on basic stick skills.</p>

<p>Good luck. I think it's the greatest team sport on the planet and it can be thoroughly enjoyable at all levels of play and for athletes of all levels of ability and proficiency.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
thanks -- I admit, I am not a sport person, so the whole idea of recruiting a hockey play for 9th grade seems unreal!

[/quote]
</p>

<p>On the guys side of hockey, it is rare to be recruited as a 9th grader. Generally, there aren't many 9th graders who have the physical maturity to compete with 18 and 19 year old Seniors and PGs at least to the extent that they get scholarshipped. There are a few who can make the varsity squad, but often see only a couple shifts a game.</p>

<p>With girls, most of them have just about reached (if not reached) their full physical size. Yes, there is still some strength to be built, but the physical difference between a 14 and 19 year old girl isn't as great. Plus the girls game is not nearly as physical as the guys (but trust me it isn't for the meek), so the physical differences that do exist are not as important as in the guys game.</p>

<p>My D was a recruited 9th grade hockey player at multiple schools and played as an only varsity goalie her entire freshman season. Her coach (and at least one other coach who recruited her) have told me they think she will play Div 1 college hockey. Personally, I'd rather see her play Div 3 if the school match (I didn't say prestige) is better. Most of the Div 1 schools are large, general purpose State U's. Hockey will be helpful with college admissions and even in Div 3, if her academic stats are competitive, she will be at the front of the line for any merit FA available and will probably see a better mix of grants to loans.</p>

<p>Did it make a difference in Prep School FA? I would say that without her athletic talent, she probably wouldn't be attending a boarding school, as there are plenty of other well intellegent, deserving kids to get FA.</p>

<p>Is it fair? One thing I've learned is that everyone has a different opinion of what is fair. My job in life as a parent is to get my children the best education I can, behaving in a legal and ethically defendable manner. If schools where my D can get a better education than her local public offer their product at a price I am willing to spend, I am obliged to accept the offer at face value. </p>

<p>If you want to get really crazy, I know of a girl who will be attend Shattuck St. Mary in Faribault, MN next year as an 8th grader to play. Her parents are fairly well off, so FA isn't a concern, but this girl demonstrates that with girls sports, the playing field is more level with freshmen.</p>

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<p>Francis- Your point is???? I have 2 kids who graduated from boarding schools- one from Interlochen '03(hardly state supported) and one from a northeast prep school. The Interlochen kid just graduated from college. The NE prep kid finished his freshman year of college and was a recruited athlete. Where are you getting this state supported arts schools stuff?</p>

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<p>@ fun is fun: Have you seen this gizmo? It's pretty neat. And it works. It's a fake stick. Instead of a mesh pocket, there's a metal weight on two rods. If you throw with good form, the weight travels from the pocket to the end of the stick and snaps. If you don't throw with good form, the weight stays in the pocket. <a href="http://surethrow.com/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://surethrow.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>