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.
For more information, follow me on twitter @coachdesautels
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.
For more information, follow me on twitter @coachdesautels
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