Athletes Embrace Homeschooling
by Mimi Rothschild
I came across an interesting article in the Indy Star this morning. The feature chronicles the daily routines of olympic hopefuls who have turned to homeschooling. Home education offers flexibility that is vital for young athletes who are always on the road and always training for the gold.
Obviously many of these kids are not going to compete for the rest of their lives. It’s important that they have an education to fall back on. And yet, most public schools cannot cater to the needs of kids who are attempting to compete in worldwide athleticism. The strict schedules, curriculum, and classroom environment are hard to keep up with for an up-and-coming athlete.
That’s where the benefits of homeschooling come in. A young athlete can practice for a few hours in the morning, do an hour of school work here and there throughout the day, and continue training in between study hours. It’s up to the student and parents to organize a curriculum and coursework schedule to uniquely fit each child’s needs.
Unfortunately, not all schools allow students to compete on sports teams. Some states are more progressive than others. Contact your school administration to find out if your child can compete with in school sporting events.
Homeschooled athletes are able to earn college scholarships. Homeschoolers must register with the NCAA initial eligibility clearinghouse. You’ll have to submit standardized test scores and a transcript.