What is IMG Academy?

High school is a very important time in a student’s life; it helps you mature into a young adult, prepares you for college, and teaches you many of the skills you will need to succeed as an adult. For student athletes, high school is also a time of intense physical development, when training intensifies, and they look to recruitment by colleges or even professional teams. 

The level of effort and commitment needed to be a top athlete is remarkable, and some schools exist specifically to support these students. In this article, we’re going to explore one such institution: IMG Academy. We’ll cover what it is, how it works, who it’s for, and whether a school like this is the right choice for you. Let’s get started!

Exploring IMG Academy

IMG Academy began as a training program for tennis specifically, but grew significantly since then. Currently it combines several different programs, all related to athletics. These are: 

• A boarding school, which seeks to prepare high school students for both collegiate athletics and college coursework.
• Sport camps, which are shorter in duration, and which help students hone their skills in a particular sport.
• Adult programs, which are sports camps for adults who aren’t looking to be Olympians, but who want to improve their golf game or tennis swing. 

We will be focusing primarily on the boarding school in this article, but we wanted to illustrate the breadth of what IMG offers. 

Their academic offerings are entirely reasonable, about in line with other private schools. They do not have the same advanced coursework available as you will find in specialty academic programs, but then, that is not their focus. Their program is rigorous enough to ensure that student athletes are able to enjoy both halves of that phrase, which isn’t always the case. 

IMG Academy also offers in-house college counseling, which is primarily meant to help students navigate the often confusing recruitment process for NCAA athletics. The school ensures all of its students are compliant with regulations, and regularly sees a significant portion of its class get recruited to collegiate teams. 

Outside of pure athletics, IMG has a full suite of associated programs. For athletes operating at the highest levels, their body is their main tool and instrument, and they need to have a keen understanding of how to keep it healthy. On top of that, there are many soft skills that athletes need to master to succeed in college or professionally. These are often referred to as intangible skills; the abilities an athlete demonstrates off the field that help them succeed in games. 

This mixture of nutritional advising, sports medicine training, and conditioning help student athletes get the most out of their bodies, and hone their abilities to professional levels. 

Finally, we must emphasize again that IMG Academy is specifically designed for student athletes. All students there participate in a sport, and most of your time outside of class is dedicated to your sport (or sports) of choice. Going to IMG is something you do if you are serious about athletics, and want to take them seriously. 

The following sports are offered at IMG

Admissions

Admissions to IMG Academy is competitive, and is done on both academic and athletic merit. Highly talented players are scouted and recruited by the school, others may apply for their programs. The level of competition depends on the sport in question. Tuition prices also vary by sport. 

There is some financial aid available, with scholarships being decided on the basis of both need and athletic talent. If you are a top player in a top sport, you are more likely to receive a scholarship offer. 

Is IMG Academy Right for You?

This depends on your goals and talents. If you are not a student athlete, or if you are an athlete in a sport not offered by IMG, then this probably is not the right school for you. Their entire program is focused on athletics; while their academic program is good, it is the athletics program that draws students. 

While they do have a very strong athletic program, you do not need to attend a sports focused high school to succeed in collegiate or professional sports. They do have a remarkable track record of producing athletes, but this is something of a selection bias; students who want to be athletes, and who have the talent to do so, are often recruited by the school. 

IMG athletes and teams see a great deal of success, but this is again in part due to selection bias. The school exists to work with student athletes who are already well positioned and talented, and help them elevate their abilities to the next level. 

Some students will thrive in the environment offered by the school, and will excel both academically and athletically. Surrounding yourself with like minded peers is one of the key benefits of this kind of program; when every student has the drive to be a top athlete, and the resources to do it, they are better able to understand each other, and to improve each other as well. 

Many students may be well served by this school, but we recommend it to students who fit the following profile:

• You are a highly dedicated and accomplished athlete in one of the sports IMG Academy focuses on.
• You intend to continue pursuing your sport seriously, to the highest levels, regardless of where you attend high school.

Finally, if you are recruited by IMG Academy, and are already at a private school, then attending is worth considering. This depends entirely on your own goals; if you prefer to focus on academics, then IMG may not be the best choice. If, however, athletics is your main concern, then it is a great option for you.

What it Means to be a Student Athlete

Athletics is a very important aspect of high school for many students; millions of them participate in dozens of sports, devoting long hours and intense effort to pursuing glory. There are often jokes told about the lack of academic prowess of these athletes, or negative associations with school districts who pour all of their money into athletic facilities, while neglecting things like libraries. 

While there may be some truth to these stereotypes in some schools, many more athletes are students first, and devote equal effort in the classroom as on the field. It does take effort to do this however, and student athletes often have to juggle multiple priorities and responsibilities in order to meet all of their obligations. 

While high school sports can be a wonderful way to spend your time, you need to make sure your expectations are grounded. Only a very small percent of high school athletes enter college sports, and an even smaller number of them become pros. This isn’t to say that it’s impossible, but that you should not bet everything on doing so. Enjoy high school athletics for what they are, and what they can offer.

Final Thoughts

There are high schools for all kinds of specialized interests, those that allow students to pursue their own research, the advanced study of the arts, or in the case of IMG Academy, athletics. Not all high school students are so specialized in their interests as to benefit from these kinds of schools, but for those that are, they provide an excellent opportunity.

We hope that this article has given you a solid introduction to what IMG Academy offers, and provided enough context for you to evaluate if it is the right choice for your goals. The high school you attend is of key importance for your college aspirations, athlete or not. If you want further advice analyzing your high school options, or help navigating the often confusing college recruiting process, schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can help you. We have a long experience working with student athletes, and are always happy to hear from you.