10 Tips on How to Select the Best Sports School for your Child
Remember that today your child has more school options than you did while growing up.
Schools are a place of hope – a first opportunity for a child to become socialized lays a basic foundation of knowledge and a stepping stone towards a promising future with abundant learning opportunities.
On the first day of school, each child embarks on a new world — a world that primarily shapes a child’s impression of learning and education which will stand them in good stead in the future.
While traditional schools still act as the ideal platforms for children, however, there is no denying that sports schools are now becoming a potentially great alternative option for children and young adults. In an attempt to navigate today’s youth sports scene, more sports schools emerging at a modest pace across the country.
For kids who are really serious about sports, finding a sports school is the biggest hurdle parents have to overcome these days. A legion of schools claiming to be the best Sports schools leaves parents with the dilemma of choosing the best environment for their child. So, this begs the question, how do you pick the right sports school that will prepare your child for a dynamic future in the cut-throat and fast-paced world. There is a wide range of actors that parents should consider while making this choice and below we look at ten of the best.
Motives and Consider your Child’s Interest
The first thing to consider is whether your child really wants to join a sports school or is it a secret dream of a parent. Assuming your child is interested, then encourage them to enroll in the best sports school where they can learn some of the basics of the sports they are interested in and take part in a variety of sports and other activities which will stand them in good stead in the future.
Also, consider the school’s approach from balancing academic learning to sporting training. Your child may be a slow learner, is the school provide enough support for such students? It is also possible that your child has the ability to reach the summit of the sport, i.e., tennis prodigy, can the school provide challenging training to help them reach their full potential? Keep your evaluation for the long haul and shortlist schools matching your child’s personality, interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
Research the School Online
Basic online research will help you in knowing the reputation of the school before you visit them will help to clear up many questions Once you know about academic and sporting models, facilities, class sizes, and rankings, you can move on to asking questions during your visit that will help you to understand the school better. Talk to parents who have enrolled their children in the school. And remember your child has more school choices than you did while growing up.
School Curriculum
A good school is distinguished by its curriculum. The most common curriculums choices today are CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, IB, state board, etc. Inspect which one does the school teach? Does school differ from primary to high school and does the school offer more than one curriculum?
For a sports school, it is important to have programs placed on developing compassion, sportsmanship, and life skills. And combined them with the theme of flexible and customized classroom sessions. Also, inquire if the school holds interactive motivational sessions with top athletes and inspirational figures? Does the school have professional educators committed to each child’s progress? Also, till what grade is the school? If the school has only elementary grades, you may need to change in the future. Therefore, you must carefully research the curriculum of each school.
Encapsulated by the dictum of ‘athlete-friendly academic support,’ The Sports School values the importance of sports and education and therefore provides a range of different sports and physical activities in its academic curriculum and emphasis 3-8 hours per day of specialized sports training.
Affordability
With the world we live in is changing rapidly, and the graph of the sports industry is going up at an incredible rate, it goes without saying that the best schools come at a higher cost. Therefore, it is important to make sure the options meet your financial needs and goals – whether you can afford the fees without stretching your budget too much and straining your family?
You also may want to track down schools that offer an affordable fee structure with good sporting and academic training. And don’t fort that playing sports and quality education doesn’t come cheap, but the benefits gained will leave an everlasting impact and long-lasting well-being.
Language Offerings
In this increasingly global economy, knowing a foreign language is valued even more than before. Most sports schools offer English and local languages. However, depending on your circumstances, you may want your child to be exposed to a foreign language such as French, Italian, or Spanish. If this aspect of education is your priority, explore those options as well while searching for schools.
Measure of Diversity
Students in schools with a high measure of diversity are exposed to many different cultures, ideas, and experiences. Reports on the importance of diversity in the classroom highlight the value of teaching children how to interact with other cultures and how to participate in a democratic society.
Determine what sets the School Apart
As they say “All that glitters is not old.” Most sports schools in India are usually founded on a central philosophy that is different from the standard traditional school. Some schools choose to place more emphasis on specific sports and extra-curricular activity skills. Other schools may choose to focus a little on sports and more on academic learning. It is best to figure out what their philosophy towards education is and how flexible their sporting commitments are. Talk with the school principal to get to know what their approach toward sports schooling is. Do they believe only in sporting excellence or do they also educate children by giving them ample opportunities in other areas as well such as arts, dance, theatre appreciation, and other supports?
For kids who genuinely love sports who wants to reach the pinnacle of their sport and also in the idea of doing well in academia, there are a few schools such as The Sports School who welcome children from secondary age, whose sole purpose is to develop young talents while also providing a flexible educational curriculum that revolves around sporting commitments.
The Infrastructure
Does the school have good-sized playgrounds that are suitable for a variety of sports? Does the school well-equipped with certified coaches? Are the classrooms look inspiring, organized, and well-maintained? Does the school have access to smart classrooms, libraries, gyms, lecture halls, etc.? Is the overall school premises maintained well and do they have clean bathrooms? These are some of the questions you need to examine regarding the infrastructure.
Ensure If the School Perform Academically well too
In addition to sporting excellence and divergent learning, make sure how good the school’s academic performance is. Other than making sporting stars of tomorrow, how many students from the school have excelled academically as well and examine whether the school’s ranks have gone up or down and what the reasons might have been. Ask the school about how their best students have fared in their higher education – both on and off the field. A good record of ranks is an indicator of the quality of teaching.
Pay a visit to the Schools
The websites and brochures only give a pictorial glimpse of how the school is, but nothing beats visiting the school to see it for yourself. Make an appointment for a visit during regular school hours. If you can, visit a few classrooms, gyms, playgrounds, and the library to get a sense of how the schools run.
Probe into the quality of the educators in the school and ask about their qualifications, experience, and training method. Look into whether the schools have a full-time specialized staff such as a psychologist or a therapist.
Final Thoughts
Sports are fun, rewarding, addictive, and all-consuming. For a child or an adult, this could be their life. As a parent, it is important to be supportive but also to offer perspective. With these tips in mind, you are now poised to make a strong decision for the best education for your child. We wish you the very best of luck!
If you are a parent, who’s looking for a well-rounded sports school for your kids, a professional athlete already looking to scale greater heights, a student looking for a meaningful sports graduate program, or someone looking for an exciting new career, we invite you to spend some time looking around our website to learn more about us.
Built on a network of sports-minded professionals, The Sports School is India’s first integrated school for sports and academics serves as a platform for young people to pursue their choice of sporting & academic dreams.
We offer unparalleled holistic educational programs, with world-class sporting infrastructure and amenities, sporting and academic excellence to help you jump-start your carer sports and beyond.
[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://thesportsschool.com/book-visit/” text=”Click Here” ] to book a visit to The Sports School campus now!
