The Difference between Schools and Academies

In Prep Basketball, there are some pretty distinct differences between the places a student can go to complete their HS years. Much of this depends on what your goals are, athletically and academically. Basically, there are three options. First, you can attend your local and public or nearby private high school. Secondly, you can attend a prep school which has HS and/or a national post graduate program, or you can attend a basketball academy, which is like a prep school, but without the staff being involved in the school. For each person, there are a variety of different options, and each option has its benefits and its drawbacks based upon your need.

First, the local high school is a great option if you are successful on the court already, successful in the school already, and you are getting recruited by your junior year. Remember, recruited means coaches at your HS and summer league games, not a random letter in your mailbox. For you, there is probably no reason to leave. There is a lot to be said about knowing the system you play in, the coach you play for, and the teammates you are with. A change in scenery can often lead to you playing for a coach who trusts the guys he's had more than a new player coming in. A change like that can often backfire. However, if you are not looking like you are going to qualify, and are struggling in school, a change of scenery could be the best thing. This is where a prep school comes in.

At a Prep school, the administration and teachers of the school understand NCAA rules and regulations. This type of knowledge from the staff at your school is invaluable. They can place you in classes where you can succeed, and through your hard work, you can qualify. If your grades are terrible, think about going to a prep school by the beginning of your Senior year. If they're close, give it a shot at your local high school, and go the post graduate route a year later if you don't make it initially. Remember though, you must graduate on time. Prep schools can only let you complete 1 additional core credit in your post graduate year. Remember to do your homework, and check to see which prep schools have been cleared by the NCAA and which ones haven't. Some prep schools also offer college courses for those who have already qualified and test into those classes. This will make it easier to play your freshman year, without so many responsibilities. Prep schools are often invested fully into the success of their student athletes.  As we all know, you could be a great player, but if you don't qualify, kiss the High Major School goodbye as you head to two years of JUCO. If you've already received all of your core credits, and are not interested in college courses, a basketball academy may be best for you.

In my opinion, Basketball Academies are great if all you need to do is play basketball and get exposure. If you need anything academically, go to a school. I have to admit, I've been going after basketball academies for over a year now mainly because I believe most of them do things the wrong way and with their own interests in mind. This comes from speaking with numerous parents and students who have attended basketball academies, and come away with nothing to show for it. For example, many have told me that their coach at one of these academies reclassified them. For multiple kids, this ruined any chance they had at playing 4 years at a University. Re-classifying without knowledge of the rules can cause a student athlete to become ineligible. It is my understanding that they do this to keep kids at their academy for an extra year, promising more exposure, while taking their money and recruiting kids to play over them. This isn't necessarily always the case, but more often than not, it ends up this way because to these academies, basketball is a business. And they need repeat customers to make money. Here is another major issue with basketball academies. They charter their athletes out to be students at other schools. The staff at these schools do not have the best interest of those athletes in mind. There is no communication between the basketball staff and the school's administration, and the teachers and counselor's awareness of NCAA qualification guidelines and eligibility is not a priority for them. Therefore, to fix academic issues, a basketball academy does no better than a local high school, whose employees have the goals of the school and the state in mind, not the individuals or program they are not a part of. Some of these academies get lucky, and find a school with a staff that wants to give the extra time to help, but many have no communication with teachers and administrators at all. We all know when there is no communication, the efficiency of work often breaks down, and goals often are not reached.

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The Myth of Reclassifying

Reclassification of a student-athlete can be a touchy subject, and it is done much more often than it should be. Most who give advice about reclassifying do so without any knowledge of NCAA rules or eligibility guidelines. Here is the main thing about reclassifying. It does NOT give you an extra year to finish high school. If you're going to do it, then reclassify athletically not academically, which means that you're committing to doing a Post Graduate year at a Prep School after graduation. A prep year can get you only 1 credit to help with your gpa. You can also retake the SAT. You CANNOT use that year to graduate from high school. The simple fact is, if you do not graduate within 4 years of when you started 9th grade, you will not qualify academically with the NCAA. At this point, you can forget about who is recruiting you, a post grad year at a prep school cannot help you, you must go to a JUCO and earn your Associates degree, which typically takes two years.

Too many times, adults give advice to players and their parents about reclassifying without knowing this simple rule. An extra year of high school is a qualification killer, and is counterproductive to your success as a student and an athlete. If you want to reclassify, make sure you graduate in four, then do a Post Grad year at a prep school. However, this option still comes with a lot of issues and deception. In reality, there is no shame in going to a JUCO. Think about this, the topic of reclassifying to a player often seems too good to be true. That's because it often is.

If someone tells you to reclassify, before you agree, ask what is in it for THEM?

By making a player seem younger than they are, chances are that player will be recruited higher, given an extra star by scouting services, and will have an extra year to play on the AAU circuit. Initially, it seems like these are all good things for an improving athlete. It is not good though, if no one tells the athlete and their  family that they still have to graduate in the same year. When players reclassify, they commonly think that they have an extra year of High School to play around with. They get to repeat a year. Not true. You must graduate on time.

The truth is, all of this truly benefits the AAU or  Prep School Coach. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of excellent, well intentioned AAU and Prep coaches out there, but there are also a lot of manipulators to look out for. Reclassifying you makes his program look better, and your high ranking makes him look like a better coach (If you doubt this, please read George Dohrmann's 'Play Their Hearts Out'). All of this adds up to more paying customers joining their programs, and possibly a sponsorship, all of which makes THEM money. If your parents are paying for you to be at a prep school, and the prep school reclassifies you, then the school will get that payment for another year. All of this results in adults making money by covering up your age. The result for you could be could be a lack of qualifying, two years at a JUCO as opposed to 4 years at a University, and the possibility that you get over recruited. Being over recruited most often leads to time on the bench, and a transfer to a smaller school where you'd play for a year or two. Even if you do graduate, often the coaches that were recruiting you thinking you were younger will feel like you lied to them about your age. All of this adds up to a waste of your time. If this happens to you, will your AAU coach or prep school give you a portion of the money you've earned them? I doubt it. Be smart and look out for your own interests here.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why many feel like reclassification is a good option for them. Perhaps you feel you need another year to get recruited at a higher level, or seen by more people. Maybe you started school early, and are going to graduate at a younger age than those you've been competing against. Maybe you started playing late, or had a late growth spurt, and could use the extra development. I get that, and that is what prep school is supposed to be for. JUCO can also aid in that development. However, if you're thinking about reclassifying, talk it over with your parents, and come up with a reasonable plan that works for everyone. Do your homework. Do not reclassify for academic reasons. That is not an answer, it will prevent you from going directly to a four year university. Make sure you graduate on time, and with all of your core credits.

I can't restate this enough, don't reclassify unless you clearly know the NCAA rules regarding the issue.  Make sure you get your work done in the classroom, and graduate on time. If someone suggests reclassifying, look at the situation clearly, and make sure they're not trying to use you. Finally, if you're an adult and you don't understand NCAA rules, don't give advice to kids about reclassification. Instead, get the facts first, then sit down and discuss the issue with the player and their family.

If you have further questions about reclassifying or other issues regarding prep basketball, email me at adamdesautels@gmail.com. Thank you for your time, please help our student athletes avoid making costly mistakes.

For more information, follow me on twitter @coachdesautels