How good for homeschooling?

[PGA HERO]

Sorry if this has been addressed but what are the thoughts here on homeschooling for sports development?

 

With the current pandemic situation in '20 - '21 my partner and I are thinking of pulling our teenager out of school to homeschool.

 

Benefits - more time to practice and play.  Makes traveling much much easier.  Hoping this correlates to a move up the JGS rankings.

 

Detriment - some peer and socialization issues?

[Fairway14]

4 hours ago, PGA HERO said:

Sorry if this has been addressed but what are the thoughts here on homeschooling for sports development?

 

With the current pandemic situation in '20 - '21 my partner and I are thinking of pulling our teenager out of school to homeschool.

 

Benefits - more time to practice and play.  Makes traveling much much easier.  Hoping this correlates to a move up the JGS rankings.

 

Detriment - some peer and socialization issues?

 

If the teenager is 13 to 15 years old there is no need to travel long distances to play golf tournaments. At that age learning/developing technique is most important, and that is done thru instruction and hundreds of hours of  driving range/putting green practice. When/if the player is able to consistently shoot par 72 he/she can compete in local/regional amateur  tournaments against adults, which is more than sufficient to earn a D1 college golf scholarship.

[MB19]

5 hours ago, PGA HERO said:

Sorry if this has been addressed but what are the thoughts here on homeschooling for sports development?

 

With the current pandemic situation in '20 - '21 my partner and I are thinking of pulling our teenager out of school to homeschool.

 

Benefits - more time to practice and play.  Makes traveling much much easier.  Hoping this correlates to a move up the JGS rankings.

 

Detriment - some peer and socialization issues?

The decision to home school your child is a very personal one, and it has many different variables to account for.  There are people who homeschool their kids on this board, there are people who think homeschooling your kid will turn them into a social misfit who has no business going to college, and then there is every opinion in-between.  Get all the information you can outside of this forum, because this isn't really the best place to seeking academic advice for your child.

 

If the state you live in is friendly towards homeschooling families via its policy and programs, then it makes your new job as your child's school teacher easier.  In Florida, for example, there is usually a homeschool expo held with workshops and copious samples of curriculum for sale to use.  Virtual schooling is also an option in some states.  Knowing what you are getting into, academically, is a vital part of this equation. 

 

Look yourself in the mirror, and ask yourself if you (or your partner) are ready to make the huge personal sacrifice of removing a huge chunk of personal freedom from your life in becoming a stay-at-home educator.  This requires buy-in from the parents in a big way.  Spending the majority of your week with your kid, every week, can be rewarding just as it can be other things.  

 

Getting your teen to buy-in is another matter completely.  Every kid is different, so it is impossible for a stranger to say how any given removal from a public or private school to homeschool situation plays out.  Similarly, every kid's level of commitment to primary sport is different regardless of talent level.  Former #1 MLB pick Casey Mize decided, as an early teen, that owning a video game console would distract him from his development as a baseball player--and he stuck to that maxim.  In spite of not getting drafted out of high school, he went on to accomplish his goal of becoming a major league pitcher and is having a nice rookie year with Detroit.  Would he have sacrificed leaving his high school to accomplish his goal?  Maybe, as high schools schools like Montverde, Oak Hill Academy and IMG Academy recruit nationally and take kids out of their native environments each year... but still, those kids do have peers with them all the time (whether they get along or not is another story).

 

If your teen is already a social kid, firmly focused levels of success they want to achieve, home schooling them shouldn't change them much at all.  If friends are the focal part of their life, they could very likely resist the change to homeschooling and rebel.  It's ok to remind your teen that their social landscape will change dramatically after high school, and that they'll need to make new friends sooner or later.  Also, a kid who is really into their JGS ranking will be playing with a lot of the same kids in tournaments over the next few years (and have likely already been playing with them for years).  This, potentially, supplements whatever social deficit they experience not going to a brick-and-mortar HS anymore.  Being able to adjust to a different social environment is part of life, sooner or later.

 

The old stereotypes about homeschooled kids are fading away, slowly but surely, as school choice in the United States grows.  Public educators will, no doubt, rush to this thread to tell you how anti-social the homeschooled kids they've encountered as transfers are--and it's ok to have an opinion.  But remember, you are doing the opposite in pulling a teen from a public or private school--it isn't the same thing.

 

Finally, don't do this for golf--do it for your family.  Your teen's golf game may improve, and that's great--but it's a bad reason to pull your kid from school.  Other reasons are there, but if you can't find any--don't do it.

[tiger1873]

My kids are doing online school.  The first thing you need to ask is your kid self motivated.  If they are then there is a good chance it is a food fit.

 

kids that are not motivated need structure. That means lots of oversight by parents to make sure they work at school of they are home.  I’ve seem a lot kids have issues over the years since we have meetups with other parents who do online school.

 

My kids like to go out and git balls on the range mid day.   They go out in the rain or heat and do it for hours by themselves. I think that why the school works for them.

 

Other kids just need someone to push them. In most those cases attending an academy like IMG or one of the many golf academy’s like leadbetter in Orlando is a good fit. 
 

In my opinion regular public school is an issue for anyone who is looking to up their kids game.  The main reason is most public schools are not that flexible with the schedule.  In that case a private school or some sort of online school is going to be a better choice.

Edited September 5, 2021 by tiger1873

[tiger1873]

7 hours ago, Fairway14 said:

 

If the teenager is 13 to 15 years old there is no need to travel long distances to play golf tournaments. At that age learning/developing technique is most important, and that is done thru instruction and hundreds of hours of  driving range/putting green practice. When/if the player is able to consistently shoot par 72 he/she can compete in local/regional amateur  tournaments against adults, which is more than sufficient to earn a D1 college golf scholarship.

This is wrong a kid needs to travel a lot at 13-15 if they have any chance of competing nationally.

 

You have to learn how to play golf in a wide range of conditions and area. Try playing in the midwest vs California or Florida.  Leaning to adapt is what makes you a better player.

 

you may not have to travel to get a D1 but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t if you can afford too.

 

[Fairway14]

1 minute ago, tiger1873 said:

This is wrong a kid needs to travel a lot at 13-15 if they have any chance of competing nationally.

 

You have to learn how to play golf in a wide range of conditions and area. Try playing in the midwest vs California or Florida.  Leaning to adapt is what makes you a better player.

 

you may not have to travel to get a D1 but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t if you can afford too.

 

 

What matters is learning , practicing excellent technique so that one can be consistent from day to day, week to week, month to month etc...

Consistent excellent play is what college coaches want to see.  AJGA events are filled with kids using questionable technique  playing too many tournaments . Their development would be much better served improving their technique at home, mostly at the range and practice green , and also playing some local,  regional tournaments.

Excellent technique will work well on any kind of grass, in any kind of climate, at any elevation, so no need to travel as a youngster. If for some reason a kid/family goal is to play in lots of national junior tournaments that's one thing. But if the goal is to excel at college golf and have a pro playing career he/she is best served by using his teenage years learning and practicing excellent technique.

[tiger1873]

1 hour ago, Fairway14 said:

 

What matters is learning , practicing excellent technique so that one can be consistent from day to day, week to week, month to month etc...

Consistent excellent play is what college coaches want to see.  AJGA events are filled with kids using questionable technique  playing too many tournaments . Their development would be much better served improving their technique at home, mostly at the range and practice green , and also playing some local,  regional tournaments.

Excellent technique will work well on any kind of grass, in any kind of climate, at any elevation, so no need to travel as a youngster. If for some reason a kid/family goal is to play in lots of national junior tournaments that's one thing. But if the goal is to excel at college golf and have a pro playing career he/she is best served by using his teenage years learning and practicing excellent technique.

The kids who are at the top all travel. It’s just what happens if you want to play at a higher level. 
 

Different regions have very different golf.  Some areas the fairways are like concrete and others you might lose your ball.  Also playing hot weather and cold weather is just as important.  We live in Florida and try to play at least a few colder events in the winter.     This is extremely important some the biggest tournaments are played in march and can be kind of cold.   
 

Most of the kids around here got good technique by 10 or 11.   
 

If your winning AJGA tournaments then what ever technique your using works pretty good the chances are you going to college anyways.

 

 

[DevilDog]

Best kids my son has played against all went to regular school.  All of them.  They are all so good that they are going to compete in every tournament without being home schooled.  Gordon Sargent is one son competed against.  He is amazing and attended a regular school.  

[Abh159]

If you are going to choose to homeschool your child, make sure you are doing it because you feel it will give them the best chance to succeed in LIFE. Don't do it because you think it will make them become a better golfer (or quarterback, or second baseman, or any other athlete in any other sport).

 

And as others have mentioned... it's not as easy as just giving them a computer and telling them to go nuts. You and/or your partner are now going to become full-time educators. If you cannot handle that responsibility then it's going to be your child that suffers because of it. 

[golfortennis]

I recall a thread in a tennis forum about this same topic, and one thing the person mentioned was how they were able to cover each day's curriculum in about 3 hours, leaving a fair bit more time for work on their other interest.

 

Now I certainly don't mean to say it is the reason to home school.  There is a lot of great advice in this thread, but when I thought back to my school days, I could see the argument of just how much time is wasted in school with the teacher trying to calm the class down, lining up in grammar school, etc.

 

While I don't have kids, I do have to agree with general feeling that golf shouldn't be the reason to homeschool.  @MB19 made a great post.  Really gives a lot to think about.

[jkpgolf]

Homeschooling is not quite what most golf kids are doing. Most use a distance learning program. Kids do all the lessons online and they can easily finish all their school work in a 3 hour day. It is fantastic! I highly recommend it. Parents are not the teachers,  you don't do any teaching. All the lessons are online for them to do when they want. They go at their own pace. You won't be giving up your life to be their teacher.  

 

There are several programs and we tried a few but the best is Laurel Springs Prep. My son is in grade 10 and I have a daughter doing school through them as well. Everything is on line. Teachers are top notch. Your teachers in each subject are there to help them during their office hours 2 hours everyday. Every teacher has different office hours and you don't ever have to log and and speak with them if you don't want to. It a great system. If you need the teacher they are there otherwise you just keep going with your lessons. 

 

So much time is wasted in school.  

 

If your kid loves golf or any sport, absolutely use a distance learning program! Let them pursue their passion and they will have more time to socialize with their friends as they can practice golf, do school then have plenty of time to hang out with their friends in the afternoons. 

 

I understand it can seem like quite an undertaking at first until you understand how it works, but it is the best decision you will ever make.  After a week, you'll wish you had done it sooner. 

 

 

[TripleBogeysrbetter]

16 hours ago, jkpgolf said:

Homeschooling is not quite what most golf kids are doing. Most use a distance learning program. Kids do all the lessons online and they can easily finish all their school work in a 3 hour day. It is fantastic! I highly recommend it. Parents are not the teachers,  you don't do any teaching. All the lessons are online for them to do when they want. They go at their own pace. You won't be giving up your life to be their teacher.  

 

There are several programs and we tried a few but the best is Laurel Springs Prep. My son is in grade 10 and I have a daughter doing school through them as well. Everything is on line. Teachers are top notch. Your teachers in each subject are there to help them during their office hours 2 hours everyday. Every teacher has different office hours and you don't ever have to log and and speak with them if you don't want to. It a great system. If you need the teacher they are there otherwise you just keep going with your lessons. 

 

So much time is wasted in school.  

 

If your kid loves golf or any sport, absolutely use a distance learning program! Let them pursue their passion and they will have more time to socialize with their friends as they can practice golf, do school then have plenty of time to hang out with their friends in the afternoons. 

 

I understand it can seem like quite an undertaking at first until you understand how it works, but it is the best decision you will ever make.  After a week, you'll wish you had done it sooner. 

 

 

Even sounds like some traditional colleges today.  Some of the 100 and 200 level classes are done online.  The professors have office hours.

 

Its the way of the future.  I figured back in 2000 it would be a bigger thing by now.  I can see Generation Z and beyond their kids in these models sports or not.

[Golfingdawg19]

When you are looking at homeschooling your child, you have to really take a hard look at what your rationale for doing it is. If you are doing it so your kid has more time to practice golf, then I don't know if that is the best answer. The bottom line in sports is either you will be good enough or you won't. Having that extra bit of practice will help your kids in some ways but in the end it isn't going to make them great. Here at our local high school we had a kid get drafted by the Orioles for baseball. He very seldom started on our HS team and didn't do all the travel ball stuff the other kids did. He got drafted because he was 6'4, could run a 4.6 40 yard dash, and had a rocket arm. It didn't matter that he was a raw player. The scouts knew they couldn't teach those kind of measurables. So all that travel ball that those other kids played didn't help them that much in the end. You either have the ability or you don't. So just be careful on why you choose to homeschool. It is the right idea for certain situations but not for everything.

[DevilDog]

3 hours ago, Golfingdawg19 said:

When you are looking at homeschooling your child, you have to really take a hard look at what your rationale for doing it is. If you are doing it so your kid has more time to practice golf, then I don't know if that is the best answer. The bottom line in sports is either you will be good enough or you won't. Having that extra bit of practice will help your kids in some ways but in the end it isn't going to make them great. Here at our local high school we had a kid get drafted by the Orioles for baseball. He very seldom started on our HS team and didn't do all the travel ball stuff the other kids did. He got drafted because he was 6'4, could run a 4.6 40 yard dash, and had a rocket arm. It didn't matter that he was a raw player. The scouts knew they couldn't teach those kind of measurables. So all that travel ball that those other kids played didn't help them that much in the end. You either have the ability or you don't. So just be careful on why you choose to homeschool. It is the right idea for certain situations but not for everything.

 

Similar is true with golf.  College coaches are looking for raw talent with abilities that can't be taught with distance being number one.  Take a kid that hits it 300+ with decent control and teach them control, course management and the like.  As  my son's instructor told me, a great instructor can maximize what a kid can do with golf swing speed but it is like baseball in that a pitcher has natural ability to throw in the 90s or doesn't.  Can up a kid a few miles per hour but not a quantum leap. 

[kekoa]

I have a friend who just started the whole home schooling for his son who is 12 y/o.   I haven't asked him directly, but I am assuming it is 100% to put more time in and get better at golf since it is basically his only sport.   He is a good player, but has struggled in local tournaments lately with some high scores.   I'm really curious how it is going to work out for them.  

[tiger1873]

6 hours ago, kekoa said:

I have a friend who just started the whole home schooling for his son who is 12 y/o.   I haven't asked him directly, but I am assuming it is 100% to put more time in and get better at golf since it is basically his only sport.   He is a good player, but has struggled in local tournaments lately with some high scores.   I'm really curious how it is going to work out for them.  

 

I wouldn't assume since Covid that he is doing it for golf.  My younger daughter we pulled her out of elementary to do virtual because all the mask requirements.  She is still in elementary school so I don't think it the correct time but having to wear a mask all day was not something she wanted to do. I know of a lot parents who did the same thing.

 

Your friends sons golf game will improve a lot if they like golf.  More freedom means more time to do what a person likes and that should translate into practice which will lower scores.

 

 

 

[BloctonGolf11]

If you homeschool your child for golf you need to reassess your priorities full stop. 

 

Changing your child's educational and social life based solely on a sport is a ridiculous premise. You need to research and be incredibly prepared to be a successful homeschool parent. A kid has a .001% chance of making a living off golf. If you think academically or socially homeschooling is best, go for it, but doing it for golf is a bad idea from the start. 

[leezer99]

14 minutes ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

If you homeschool your child for golf you need to reassess your priorities full stop. 

 

Changing your child's educational and social life based solely on a sport is a ridiculous premise. You need to research and be incredibly prepared to be a successful homeschool parent. A kid has a .001% chance of making a living off golf. If you think academically or socially homeschooling is best, go for it, but doing it for golf is a bad idea from the start. 

 

But what if they are the next Tiger Woods?

[Abh159]

29 minutes ago, leezer99 said:

 

But what if they are the next Tiger Woods?

 

Send them to a public high school. Seemed to work out pretty well for Tiger.

[heavy_hitter]

56 minutes ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

If you homeschool your child for golf you need to reassess your priorities full stop. 

 

Changing your child's educational and social life based solely on a sport is a ridiculous premise. You need to research and be incredibly prepared to be a successful homeschool parent. A kid has a .001% chance of making a living off golf. If you think academically or socially homeschooling is best, go for it, but doing it for golf is a bad idea from the start. 

 

Agreed.  There are parents that do an outstanding job at homeschooling.  If the primary reason is to home school to golf more, that parent is probably not going to do an outstanding job.

[tiger1873]

1 hour ago, Abh159 said:

 

Send them to a public high school. Seemed to work out pretty well for Tiger.

 

That was a different time.  We are talking what almost 30 years ago so not too relevant based on changes in a lot schools and areas.  Some of us live in Big Cities other in small towns. Others on the east coast or west coast and everywhere in between.  

 

The best thing is you can choose I can tell you based on where I was living my choice or options would be very different.

[tiger1873]

1 hour ago, BloctonGolf11 said:

. A kid has a .001% chance of making a living off golf.

 

Are you talking tournament golf or are talking about working in golf or using golf as  tool for business.   

 

There are a lot jobs in Golf in general especially when you talk about Club Pros, Teaching Pro's and Equipment reps. Even more if you talk about maintenance.   Add in the fact that you could play a lot golf in certain business situations (which being a good player matters) the odds of making money off of golf is very high.

 

I understand what you are saying but you don't have be winning the weekly PGA pro to make money in golf.  Many of the kids who play junior golf may not end up on tour but they do end up making good money in the business of golf.

[golfortennis]

I would ask one question of the "don't do it for golf" crowd(of which I am probably more part of than not):  would you say the same about a dancer or a musician?

[RmoorePE]

15 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

I would ask one question of the "don't do it for golf" crowd(of which I am probably more part of than not):  would you say the same about a dancer or a musician?

I think it would have a lot to do with proximity right? I mean, if you live in an urban area where your child can get access to great after school dancing and music education, then they could get the benefit of public school as well as the extra curriculars they like. Same with any sport, there is a girl a few towns away that was really into big-time fastpitch (Got a D1 scholarship). She had to go to home schooling (So though Sr year) just because there was not enough time for her to get from her rural living area, to the gyms and fields she trained at.

 

Same is true with golf IMO. Kids who live on the course or have easy access in some way, have a way better opportunity to excel. I have always thought the world is full of good surfers but only 1% of people live by the beach. 

 

To this end my wife and I were talking about moving my daughter along in golf as she seems to be really into it, and thought the best value for us would be to build a nice simulator setup/weight room. The #1 source of attraction is proximity - that's human nature.

[leezer99]

1 hour ago, golfortennis said:

I would ask one question of the "don't do it for golf" crowd(of which I am probably more part of than not):  would you say the same about a dancer or a musician?

My daughters gym has home school available for their level 10 and elite gymnasts. Both boys and girls. If you don’t you can’t even practice with them because they practice in the AM. 

[tiger1873]

24 minutes ago, leezer99 said:

My daughters gym has home school available for their level 10 and elite gymnasts. Both boys and girls. If you don’t you can’t even practice with them because they practice in the AM. 

There are a lot elite golf academy’s in Florida. A lot of international kids attend those schools because they are paid for there home countries. The play a lot golf at these schools.

 

The truth is to compete at a high level it almost takes sending your kid to these schools or have the ability to out practice  them.  Everyones situation is unique but you can’t be dropping a kid off at 8:30 and picking up at 4pm and hope they will be able to practice enough.

[StudentGolfer4]

9 hours ago, golfortennis said:

I would ask one question of the "don't do it for golf" crowd(of which I am probably more part of than not):  would you say the same about a dancer or a musician?

Of course not. I would tell them not to do it for dance or music. 😂. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. 
 

In all seriousness, no one knows your child and their wants and needs better  than you do. I will also say, if the decision doesn’t work out you can always make a change down the line. 

Edited October 28, 2021 by StudentGolfer4

[StudentGolfer4]

7 hours ago, tiger1873 said:

There are a lot elite golf academy’s in Florida. A lot of international kids attend those schools because they are paid for there home countries. The play a lot golf at these schools.

 

The truth is to compete at a high level it almost takes sending your kid to these schools or have the ability to out practice  them.  Everyones situation is unique but you can’t be dropping a kid off at 8:30 and picking up at 4pm and hope they will be able to practice enough.

I think you may be overstating the number of elite golfers that go to non traditional schools. I took a quick look at the UT men’s team. Of the 11 it appears 10 of them went to a traditional high school, some private and some public. The reason I say 10 is because one student is from Mexico and I am unfamiliar with their schools.

 

edit: this is at first glance. Someone with better details of Texas high schools may be able to chime in and add some insight.  2 of them went to Plano West (traditional public), 2 Kincaid (prep school), Memorial High School (traditional public, Highland Park (traditional public), Arlington Heights (traditional public), and 2 others from Texas that also appear to be public. 1 did go to a private baptist school. 
 

it would be interesting to check this out at other top D1 programs. I would be willing to guess the large majority did not come from an “elite golf academy” or were home schooled. 

Edited October 28, 2021 by StudentGolfer4

[tiger1873]

9 hours ago, StudentGolfer4 said:

I think you may be overstating the number of elite golfers that go to non traditional schools. I took a quick look at the UT men’s team. Of the 11 it appears 10 of them went to a traditional high school, some private and some public. The reason I say 10 is because one student is from Mexico and I am unfamiliar with their schools.

 

edit: this is at first glance. Someone with better details of Texas high schools may be able to chime in and add some insight.  2 of them went to Plano West (traditional public), 2 Kincaid (prep school), Memorial High School (traditional public, Highland Park (traditional public), Arlington Heights (traditional public), and 2 others from Texas that also appear to be public. 1 did go to a private baptist school. 
 

it would be interesting to check this out at other top D1 programs. I would be willing to guess the large majority did not come from an “elite golf academy” or were home schooled. 

 

Kids that go to Elite schools are supposed to turn pro. They don't care about college. They charge something like 80k a year. Not sure of the discounts they get but it costs a lot money.  

 

I am also lumping in National Junior Golf team that pretty much control ever aspect of a kids life there not letting them go to traditional schools either. 

 

I do not know the percentage of Pro's on tour that went to these elite schools but there is enough for people to justify spending the money to do it.  I will also say some the kids are pretty good too.

[MB19]

17 hours ago, leezer99 said:

My daughters gym has home school available for their level 10 and elite gymnasts. Both boys and girls. If you don’t you can’t even practice with them because they practice in the AM. 

Bless those gymnast parents, man.  One of my old roommates and his wife traveled the country for years, going to several competitions every year.  She ended up getting a full-ride to University of Denver, which was very convenient as they lived in Highlands Ranch.  That gymnast grind is one that I respect, but man it is brutal with the early mornings and $$$.