Episode Details

Would a Soccer Prep School Fit Your Kid?

What is soccer prep school, and could it be a path your family has not considered?

After hearing about Ryan Farr's post-grad year, Liron and Matt wanted to understand an option they had barely considered. Jon Moodey, Northwood School's boys' soccer program director, explains how the school and Black Rock FC combine boarding-school life with soccer through the school year. Some players arrive in ninth grade; others, like Ryan, come for a postgraduate year.

The same players and coaches move from prep-school competition to club events. Jon describes the daily rhythm of classes, training and college guidance, and why he looks at character as well as soccer ability. The hosts also ask about tuition and need-based aid, the difference between getting seen and getting recruited, and why a Division III fit can be better than chasing a Division I label.

Jon says the program offers a platform: coaching, structure and college relationships. He cautions that it cannot guarantee a particular scholarship or placement. For parents weighing a move, the useful test is whether the child wants the school, the daily life and the soccer environment, even if the hoped-for offer never arrives. Chasing the Game is a weekly show for parents navigating youth soccer in America: the money, the leagues, the pressure, and what actually develops a player.

In this episode:

• Why a postgraduate year and a four-year prep-school path are different choices
• How Northwood's school team becomes Black Rock FC after the fall prep season
• What living away from home asks of a young player, alongside daily training and school
• Why Jon sees Ryan Farr's early time on the bench as part of his growth
• How showcases put players in front of college coaches without guaranteeing offers
• What need-based aid can change about the family's price
• Why Jon weighs character, while Northwood admissions makes the final decision

• (00:00) - The Prep School Path
• (01:33) - What Northwood Is
• (06:51) - From Northwood to Black Rock
• (08:52) - Ryan Farr and the Postgrad Year
• (13:10) - Development Beyond the Field
• (18:09) - Showcases and College Coaches
• (20:39) - Division I, Division III, and Fit
• (24:52) - Tuition and Need-Based Aid
• (26:21) - What Jon Looks for in Recruits
• (32:27) - No Guarantees, Only a Platform
• (38:27) - Admissions and the Campus Visit
• (41:21) - What the Hosts Took Away

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