This is the first post in a series which will address the reasons why a basketball player should consider attending a prep school. I’ve decided to write on this issue due to the fact that taking part in a post grad year is not as common as one might think. As someone who personally attended a prep school for a post grad year, and has placed numerous players into prep schools for over a decade I have experience from each side. The goal of my coming articles is to provide information which will help a player better understand their options. If you are considering attending a prep school for a post grad year then contact me today to speak in more detail.
I will be addressing a number of benefits over my coming articles. Some of the benefits which I will discuss include:
- Improving grades, test scores and earning college credits
- Advanced competition and coaching
- Maturing emotionally
- Knowing what level college player you are
This article will focus on the benefit of physical maturity. Boys mature at different times. We all know the 8th grader that was taller than the rest and had facial hair. We also know the 22 year old who still isn’t shaving and looks 15. Everyone matures physically at a different age. But your body composition can potentially determine what level of college basketball you could play.
The time between 17 and 20 are vital for a basketball player to mature physically. Once the right hormones kick in a player can add muscle and speed quickly, without changing anything else in his life. Some players are born with these great genetics (LeBron), while others like Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller had to greatly improve their skillsets to earn a spot in the NBA.
Attending a prep school can give a player’s body an extra year to catch up to his peers. To give a personal story, I graduated high school at 6’7’’, 195 pounds. Between then and the first day of college at the US Air Force Academy, I had put on 20 lbs. I used the summer before my post grad year at the US Air Force Prep School to lift and work on my skills. This added with more time in the weight room and unlimited food in the dining hall, allowed for me to add this mass. And while battling in the post, every pound counts.
While there are no guarantees that your body’s genetics will allow you to put on weight during a post grad year, you can definitely get stronger, faster and improve your skillset. This will put you ahead of your peers who are looking to attend college directly from high school.
