Division 1 sports and the unschooled child
cariscanlon
I am looking for advice from anyone who has unschooled an elite athlete and had them get scholarships to play in Division 1 schools.
I am starting to get nervous for my almost 13 year old son. He is considered one of the top football players in the nation for his age/grade level. He has been unschooled since he was 7. He is a bright, inquisitive, friendly, loving child but he definitely has gaps in traditional school levels.
I am hoping someone can give me some resources on how to get/keep him on track.
Thank you in advance,
Cai
I am starting to get nervous for my almost 13 year old son. He is considered one of the top football players in the nation for his age/grade level. He has been unschooled since he was 7. He is a bright, inquisitive, friendly, loving child but he definitely has gaps in traditional school levels.
I am hoping someone can give me some resources on how to get/keep him on track.
Thank you in advance,
Cai
Sandra Dodd
-=-I am looking for advice from anyone who has unschooled an elite athlete and had them get scholarships to play in Division 1 schools.-=-
I did let this through, but wanted to say that it's a very particular and regional sort of question. U.S., I'm assuming. But we have people from all over the world on the list.
-=-I am starting to get nervous for my almost 13 year old son. He is considered one of the top football players in the nation for his age/grade level. He has been unschooled since he was 7. He is a bright, inquisitive, friendly, loving child but he definitely has gaps in traditional school levels. -=
Where is he playing now? Is he in Jr.High football? "He is considered one of the top football players in the nation." Please specify which nation, on future questions.
I know of one unschooler who played football and got a scholarship. He was no longer an unschooler when he went to high school to play, though, because part of the requirement is to have a C average. He was told he needed to be a halftime student and he got excited about his plan to take history, art and music, but they made him take math, English and Science instead, saying "it wouldn't be fair" if the other players needed to have a C average and Dane was only taking easy, fun things.
He played, he was pretty good, and got a scholarship to the University of Albany, which he chose because their team was The Great Danes, and his mom's plan was that he be noticed and be famous. She left her husband and daughter to move across the U.S. to be with her son while he was in college. He ended up in track instead of football after a bit, and then joined the marines (I don't remember whether he graduated from the university; I think so).
It wasn't the best of unschooling, nor of school, nor of college. So that might not apply, and might not help, but it's the best I know.
If a college athletic scholarship is the goal, traditional high school might be the best or only course to that goal. But there's no guarantee of that scholarship, nor of success in football WITH the scholarship, nor of professional play with college success.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
I did let this through, but wanted to say that it's a very particular and regional sort of question. U.S., I'm assuming. But we have people from all over the world on the list.
-=-I am starting to get nervous for my almost 13 year old son. He is considered one of the top football players in the nation for his age/grade level. He has been unschooled since he was 7. He is a bright, inquisitive, friendly, loving child but he definitely has gaps in traditional school levels. -=
Where is he playing now? Is he in Jr.High football? "He is considered one of the top football players in the nation." Please specify which nation, on future questions.
I know of one unschooler who played football and got a scholarship. He was no longer an unschooler when he went to high school to play, though, because part of the requirement is to have a C average. He was told he needed to be a halftime student and he got excited about his plan to take history, art and music, but they made him take math, English and Science instead, saying "it wouldn't be fair" if the other players needed to have a C average and Dane was only taking easy, fun things.
He played, he was pretty good, and got a scholarship to the University of Albany, which he chose because their team was The Great Danes, and his mom's plan was that he be noticed and be famous. She left her husband and daughter to move across the U.S. to be with her son while he was in college. He ended up in track instead of football after a bit, and then joined the marines (I don't remember whether he graduated from the university; I think so).
It wasn't the best of unschooling, nor of school, nor of college. So that might not apply, and might not help, but it's the best I know.
If a college athletic scholarship is the goal, traditional high school might be the best or only course to that goal. But there's no guarantee of that scholarship, nor of success in football WITH the scholarship, nor of professional play with college success.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
BRIAN POLIKOWSKY
I did not really understand the question. Are you worried he has "gaps" in his knowledge?
Do you think that all 13 year old football players know all they are "supposed" to know?
Will they be testing him or is he required to do any school evaluation to play?
What are your fears ?
Alex Polikowsky
________________________________
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Do you think that all 13 year old football players know all they are "supposed" to know?
Will they be testing him or is he required to do any school evaluation to play?
What are your fears ?
Alex Polikowsky
________________________________
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
BRIAN POLIKOWSKY
Like Sandra said it really depends where you are and local lists maybe able to help you more.
Where I am my child can do school sports in her/his school district because we can have partial enrollment and only play the sport. ( I am in MInnesota and it is one of the best states in the US for that)
I know families that the kids play in school, and are elite, but homeschool fulltime.
There is that football player that was homeschooled: Tim Tebow
http://www.timtebowbill.com/
Lots of great info in his site about legislation.
Alex Polikowsky
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Where I am my child can do school sports in her/his school district because we can have partial enrollment and only play the sport. ( I am in MInnesota and it is one of the best states in the US for that)
I know families that the kids play in school, and are elite, but homeschool fulltime.
There is that football player that was homeschooled: Tim Tebow
http://www.timtebowbill.com/
Lots of great info in his site about legislation.
Alex Polikowsky
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
kristi_beguin
Not knowing where you are located, I can't speak to the requirements in your area. My family and I are in New Mexico, and my homeschooled (not unschooled) nephew plays AAAA Varsity Basketball for our local school team. The NM Board of Athletics oversees and mandates the requirements for homeschooled students who wish to play on a public school team. The requirements here are that the homeschooled student provide their grades to the School Athletic Director before trying out for the team, and then at the same intervals that the school grades are issued. A letter requesting to play on the team must be approved by the School's athletic director, and he must comply with the rules published by the NM Athletic Board, which include things like maintaining a certain grade point average among other things. He is considered one of the top 5 players on the team. He has participated in every single activity the team experiences, including camps, weekend trips with visiting Pro-Basketball stars, trying out for the All-State Team (and making the team), and being present at the games and camps where college scouts are present.
Assuming you are following the guidelines for homeschooling in your area, and assuming your area allows homeschooled kids to participate in certain activities, it should be easy to figure out what the requirements would be for the governing athletic boards/bureaus/etc, and finding the way to meet those requirements. It has been very easy for my nephew and his Mom to find the requirements, submit the appropriate paperwork, and comply with the rules.
Kristi
Assuming you are following the guidelines for homeschooling in your area, and assuming your area allows homeschooled kids to participate in certain activities, it should be easy to figure out what the requirements would be for the governing athletic boards/bureaus/etc, and finding the way to meet those requirements. It has been very easy for my nephew and his Mom to find the requirements, submit the appropriate paperwork, and comply with the rules.
Kristi
--- In [email protected], "cariscanlon" <carisboutiqueandbargains@...> wrote:
>
> I am looking for advice from anyone who has unschooled an elite athlete and had them get scholarships to play in Division 1 schools.
>
> I am starting to get nervous for my almost 13 year old son. He is considered one of the top football players in the nation for his age/grade level. He has been unschooled since he was 7. He is a bright, inquisitive, friendly, loving child but he definitely has gaps in traditional school levels.
>
> I am hoping someone can give me some resources on how to get/keep him on track.
>
> Thank you in advance,
> Cai
>