Re-class-ing
A reclass year can mean a lot to a student-athlete. It can mean the difference between starting on the high school varsity team or playing on the junior varsity team with minimum minutes. It can mean the difference between going Division I or II on an athletic scholarship or having to pay for college. The physical and monetary investment can be the best investment ever for your child.
“It’s not because a kid is not doing well in school or is too young for his grade. It’s just because you’ll be one year older in high school and you’ll be that much better of a player.”
— Bob Hurley
Head Coach, St Anthony’s
What is reclassing ?
Reclassification, or reclassing, means to change an athletes graduation year . i.e ,a child is born 2006 and his high school graduation year is 2024. He is ‘class of 2024.’ If the child gets reclassed his graduation year would now be 2025, or ‘class of 2025.’ He has ‘been assigned to a different class.’
Reasons to reclass ?
Relassifying is still highly controversial and most people don’t understand the concept fully. Here are three main reasons an athlete would consider reclassing:
Age
The student athlete might have a late birth date for his/her sport , and may need the extra year for mental and physical maturity.Academic
The student athlete may need an extra year to master skills needed to be successful academically in the next grade.Athletic
The student athlete could use this time to sharpen his/her skill set , improve athleticism , and or play at a higher level with this added year.
Notable Reclass NBA Players
Reclassing at SAA
At SAA we will meet with your family and your son/daughter to go over your families goals and reasons for the reclassification. We will collectively, make a strategic plan for his/her reclass year. The year is a great ‘extra year’ but only successful if you have a solid plan and goals set.
At SAA we will work with you to make sure the right academic path is in place. Maybe your child needs credit recovery and should just redo 8th grade. Other options are in place for student athletes that are honor roll students and repeating a grade would be counter productive, we have accelerated academic tracks for those students. Maybe your son is ready to do some High School courses but other courses would be beneficiary to retake , we can also cater to the needs of that student as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My child is a honor roll student. Can he/she reclass?
A: Yes, at SAA we make individualized academic paths for all reclassed student-athletes. If suitable for you your child can start taking High School classes during their reclass year.
Q: Can my kid reclass and still play his senior year?
A: It depends on his birth date. We will check that for you when we meet.