Online school and junior tennis: freedom, focus – and a quiet cost

Elite junior tennis players are flocking to online schools. The model offers flexibility and focus - but raises deeper questions about growth, pressure and childhood

In a major study released recently in Epidemiology, conclusions were drawn - yet again - regarding how shutdowns and online learning were ultimately very damaging to kids' emotional and mental health (obviously some cohorts of kids were more affected than others with financial security a big part of the calculation). This is no major surprise as parents and students alike weren't happy with the remote learning environment.

Yet despite this general consensus about online schooling not being as healthy as regular school, a new trend has exploded since Covid: the rapid growth of online schooling for tennis players and other athletes. Parents and their junior athletes feel that by being able to play several hours in the day instead of after school it will accelerate their progress in the sport while still leaving room for academics. And from my perspective, as a parent of a competitive tennis player who attends a regular" school, it appears to be the rule, not the exception, that most advanced junior players are in online school and not in a physical building. I often find myself bonding with the few other parents whose kids remain in regular school as we're a rapidly dwindling species.