Life of an Online Student-Athlete
February 25, 2025
Students with a strong desire to pursue top-level, competitive sports require a great deal of time to train and travel outside of middle and high school.
The dedication required to achieve in sports comes at precisely the time in a student’s life when they also need to devote themselves to mastering challenging academic subjects in order to complete high school and apply to college and university.
Pursuing rigorous academics and competitive sports has long presented a challenge for dedicated student athletes because of conflicting schedules. For students in brick and mortar schools, finding a way to pursue their dreams of improving in sports means sacrificing class time or training time, particularly during open-ended competitions and tournaments. These scheduling conflicts often increase stress for students, faculty, coaches, and parents.
Online school can help. Student athletes who have made the transition from brick and mortar schools to established, respected online schools like Dwight Global Online School are reaping the many benefits of a customized school schedule. These students are delighted to discover they can be successful at both rigorous academics and their chosen sport.
Dwight Global alumna Jaiden Lynch ‘24, a competitive diver at the University of Texas, was one such student.
“My favorite part of Dwight Global was the flexibility. I had a tight schedule, especially during competitions, and the Dwight Global faculty were understanding when I needed more time for homework, or if I had to miss a class. When my family temporarily moved to Southern California, it worked out really well. I was able to dive more that year, and I did better than ever at competitions,” she said.
“Teachers at Dwight Global push you to reach your full potential,” said Lynch. “I felt a strong sense of community, too. Dwight Global offers in-person events at Dwight School campuses, and every student is a member of one of four houses. At Dwight Global, I had all the benefits of an in-person prep school from anywhere in the world.”
Divers aren’t the only student athletes who benefit. For example, several sports require students to train in remote locations, such as alpine skiers who must train on mountains where quality schools are scarce. Competitive tennis players also need flexibility to travel to tournaments around the world.
Online private school provides these student athletes, and others, with the ability to keep up with school attendance by logging on wherever they happen to be while on the road, even while training and competing.
Dwight Global alumnus Cooper Williams ‘23, played his freshman season of college tennis at Harvard, where he earned All-America singles status and 2024 NCAA Rookie of the Year. He led the Harvard men’s team to its highest NCAA ranking in program history, #6 in the nation. Williams now plays for Duke University.
“At Dwight Global, I had the flexibility to advance in both academics and tennis,” said Williams. “I learned time management skills that allowed me to succeed at the high school level, and that skill became my most valuable attribute during my first year at Harvard,” said Williams.
Williams arrived at Dwight Global in eighth grade after missing many days of classes at his private all-boys New York City school the year before. Williams was a top student there, but his demanding tennis travel didn’t mesh with the more rigid schedule of a brick and mortar school.
After he switched to Dwight Global, “I finally had the academic scheduling flexibility to get up early for tennis practice, then take my online classes, eat lunch, practice again, and have classes or faculty office hours in the evening," he said. “Having that flexibility changed my tennis game.”
Williams also said Dwight Global teachers and school leaders provided unwavering support and constant communication. “I also had the most wonderful Dwight Global college counselor who helped me through the college process. The whole system allowed me to thrive.”
Students at Dwight Global can choose morning, afternoon, or evening class times, maximizing their daytime hours to fit in training and competition. Students can adjust for their own particular learning styles, as well, such as morning classes for those who learn best at that time of day, or evening classes for those who prefer sports workouts earlier in the day.
The combination of convenience, increased flexibility, and more time for both school and sports lessens student stress and leads to success in both school and sports.
An added payoff to this dual success is frequent acceptance to a college or university of a student’s choice, and the possibility to play competitive sports at the collegiate level.
Dwight Global’s experienced college counseling team begins working with students in the 9th grade, to ensure a student chooses the best academic pathway and meets all requirements when the time comes to apply to college.
Dwight Global’s excellence in online schooling is recognized internationally by colleges and universities, and high school seniors have been admitted to the best schools in the United States and around the world.
Dwight Global understands the needs of student athletes. The school’s instructional flexibility, blend of live classes and asynchronous lessons, one-on-one faculty support, and college guidance provides everything a student athlete needs to succeed in both school and in sports.
Dwight Global offers both the highly respected and internationally recognized International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement courses, as well as a customized program of study.
Contact Dwight Global today to learn more.