Sports at Boarding & Day Schools

Athletics often play a significant role in the school search process, whether your child is a seasoned athlete or interested in dabbling in a new sport during their K-12 school tenure.

Availability and Eligibility

The first step is to consider your  child’s opportunities in their sport by evaluating the programs at the schools under consideration. In some parts of the country, private school students are able to play on the sports teams in their public district. It is also important to understand state athletic association rules as well as school community rules in regard to participation in sports. Students who are reclassing may have limitations on participation. Admissions staff are familiar with the rules and regulations not only for their school but also the state and can be helpful in understanding eligibility for athletic teams.

Boarding Schools Recruiting Process

At boarding school, everyone’s an athlete. There is a place on the team for a student who has never played a sport, who has been cut from their local travel team, or for the student who simply wants to try something new. A sport for everyone is one of the great value propositions of boarding school life, since students benefit from the teamwork, camaraderie, and physical development of interscholastic athletics. Boarding schools manage this by having multiple teams, allowing all levels of athletes to benefit from participating in high school sports. Some schools offer sports that are welcoming to beginners, such as mountain biking, kayaking, cycling, snowboarding, or Ultimate.

Boarding schools are also home to some of the most competitive and successful athletic programs in the world. Examples include Brewster Academy, which has sent 21 graduates to the NBA, or Shattuck-St. Mary‘s ice hockey program, which has produced 21 Olympians and sent 103 players to the NHL draft. There are programs which are known to prepare athletes for college sports teams, such as the Lawrenceville and Hotchkiss lacrosse teams, and the Baylor School golf team.

For most applicants, the first step in the recruiting process is to complete a student athlete inquiry form on the school website. This form can be found on the Athletics page of the school website. Some schools don’t have an athletic form, but instead list the coach’s contact information. Students should reach out to the coaches early in the application process, either through the inquiry form or by email. They might be asked to meet on campus, to attend a game, or to speak by phone or Zoom. Boarding school ice hockey coaches have reported receiving between 100–400 inquiry forms, while other sport coaches have told us they get about 80–100 inquiries per year. The coaches do their research, sometimes watching these athletes play in person and always reviewing their grades and trying to get a sense of how they would contribute to school life.

At the boarding schools which are selective in admissions, the support from a coach is meaningful and can make the difference between acceptance and denial. Contacting coaches during the application process can also help you learn about the team program and culture. The coaches and admissions team are in turn able to get to know your student and see the positive ways they could impact the school community.

Day School Recruiting Process

Similar to boarding schools, day schools often have athletic programs that welcome every athlete, no matter their skill level, and some offer top-tier athletic programs in one or more sports. School offerings heavily depend on what sports and activities are popular in the region. States have different rules and regulations regarding recruiting students for varsity teams. For example, Michigan and Florida don’t allow sports recruiting at the high school level, and all inquiries to coaches are sent to the admissions offices. It is important to understand these rules when approaching coaches and athletic directors. Some states and schools have strict policies around coaches interacting with potential students, while others encourage student-athletes and coaches to interact throughout the admissions process.

When Sports and Extracurricular Activities Affect Admissions

Schools, both boarding and day, are looking for active participants in their communities. They offer so many sports teams and arts programs, and they seek students who will participate in many activities, contributing to school life and helping to build a sense of community.

While schools welcome students who excel in one area, there may be concerns about an applicant who is so involved in their club team or activity that it will limit them or even prohibit them from participating in school life. We encourage you to have conversations with administrators and admissions staff around your child’s activities and emphasize where your student looks forward to fitting in the community.

Adapted from “Sports and the School Admissions Process,” by Kristin White, MBA, IECA (CT) and Rebecca Wilson, MEd, IECA Associate (WA), originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of IECA’s Insights magazine.