If you have young athletes you have probably faced this scenario: Your traveling club team is playing in California over the weekend. The tournament starts Friday morning, which means you have to pack up and leave at least by Thursday night. Your son or daughter has a spelling test on Friday, a book report due the next Monday and a slew of math assignments just to get caught up.

If this has ever happened to you, you know the dilemma. You have committed to your team, but school is vital as well. What choices do you have? Many parents who have tired of reliving this scenario over and over again have turned to online learning and tutoring to help relieve some of the pressure on you and your young athletes. 

Help Needed
As our young athletes grow up, the stresses of sports and school increase as well. It is for these reasons that businesses such as Oxford Learning have introduced programs such as its Oxford Day Academy. According to Dr. Jan Belt, executive director of Oxford Learning in Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, they offer a flexible learning environment for young athletes that blend online learning with face-to-face coaching and support each child’s varied training schedule.

“The challenge of balancing sports and academics for student athletes can be very difficult for families,” she says. “We want to provide educational solutions that improve the quality of life for the whole family. The blend of interactive coaching and online curriculum in a flexible schedule provides the best of both worlds. Student athletes from grades 3-12 receive individualized attention with one Oxford instructor for every 10 students.

Dr. Belt, who holds a Doctorate in Education from Pepperdine University and has more than 30 years experience in business and education, says programs such as hers also offer additional offerings to parents. 

“To give top athletes the extra edge in their chosen sport, as well as their academics, additional services are available such as sports psychology, standardized test preparation, vision skills development, and speech pathology,” she says.

Parents who are taking part in the program, believe the one-on-one philosophy also helps their children learn faster and at a higher rate.

“The teacher to student ratio is better than at a private school, and my son is using cutting-edge technology to learn,” explains Chris Northfelt about her 6th grade lacrosse-playing son. “He’s in control of his learning, and he loves the Wii breaks.”

Wii breaks you ask? As a reward for finishing their daily assignments, students can play the Wii. They also make popcorn, take field trips to rock climb, and bring their pets for a visit. The whole idea is to make learning fun.

Students, as well as parents, enjoy how these types of programs have helped them be more successful in their online school.

“There are always teachers around to help if you have a question,” states Danielle Spencer, a 7th grade gymnast. “You can get more classes in without lots of interruptions and work at your own pace. My instructors act as guides and coaches working side-by-side with me instead of lecturing from the front of a classroom.”

In addition, students also are pushed daily to become better “student athletes.” Elementary students can choose enrichment courses such as Latin and Spanish, and middle school students can take advanced math courses such as Algebra. Students’ learning plans are individualized to help them catch up or get ahead based on their strengths and interests.  Instructors support all online K-12 schools, act as the student’s learning coach, and coordinate learning plans and conferences with online teachers and track progress.

In many online programs, students and parents also can choose when and how often your child attends.

“We offer a traditional 10-month schedule or year-round school to allow for training, competitions, and travel,” says Dr. Belt. “The day runs from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday so students can schedule their academics to support split training and days off during the week.” K&S