Olympic Athletes Who Homeschool

by Danica Davidson

One of the greatest honors in the world is being able to compete in the Olympic Games. Athletes not only show us how skillful people can be, but we come together as a globe to celebrate human achievement.

People don’t wake up one day and decide to be in the Olympics. It takes an amazing amount of hard work and practice. Likewise, this hard work and practice starts at a young age. Even small children dedicate themselves to athletics and dream of someday being celebrated and world-famous Olympic winners. But there’s a fundamental challenge to working for the Olympics at a young age . . . how do these kids get their education in?

They can’t skip out on learning. In order to both study and practice, a good number of athletes in the Olympics and Junior Olympics find that homeschool works well for them. Some are taught by parents, others by tutors, and others through an independent study school like Laurel Springs School. Some mix and match with these options. Again and again, many of these kids like how it works out for them.

Just how many Olympians homeschool or have homeschooled? I’ll name off just a few. Carly Patterson and Tanith Belbin, who have won Silver Medals for gymnastics and ice dancing, respectively, both did. Shayna Syken, a Gold Medal Winner in the Junior Olympics, homeschooled. David Boudia has received more than one medal for his work with the US National Diving Team . . . and he has also homeschooled. Ariel Rittenhouse and Katie Hoff have been on the USA Women’s Diving Team and they’ve used independent study too. All of these stars have homeschooled.

Think about it. Wouldn’t having a flexible education schedule be really beneficial for young athletes who want to practice for the Olympics? There are tons of ways to homeschool, and it can be an individualized and personal way to go through school. There are teachers and tutors involved with independent study who understand the importance of athletic practicing, and would be more than happy to help students figure out how to best get everything done.

Olympian athletes are a dedicated bunch, and it’s vital they be dedicated to their education too. For many, homeschooling is what they find works best for them. These athletes make it big because they commit themselves to their talents and skills and we applaud them every four years. We can also applaud many of them for equally committing themselves to their education, knowing how important it is to learn.

Laurel Springs School, founded in 1991, is an accredited, college prep private school offering distance learning programs and teacher services for students in grades K-12. Located in Ojai, California, Laurel Springs serves students across the United States and in 43 countries. Current enrollment is 3,000 students, with more than 2,000 students enrolled in the online high school program. Laurel Springs uses web-based communication tools, a standards-based curriculum, and personalized instruction to offer students the highest quality home education experience.

www.laurelsprings.com