A seismic shift is reshaping the education of elite junior athletes across the UK and beyond. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, a new trend has taken hold: the explosive growth of dedicated online schooling for tennis players and other young sports stars. While studies have highlighted the emotional and mental health toll of remote learning on the general student population, a distinct cohort is embracing it for the freedom and focus it provides, albeit with deeper questions about pressure and a conventional childhood.
The Flexibility Trade-Off: Training vs. Tradition
For parents and their aspiring champions, the calculation is clear. The traditional school timetable is incompatible with the demanding regime of national and international junior tournaments. Online models promise a solution: the ability to train for several hours during the day, accelerate sporting progress, and still accommodate academics on a flexible schedule. The anecdotal evidence is striking; among advanced junior tennis circles, attending an online school now appears to be the rule rather than the exception.
This is starkly illustrated by the growth of institutions like ICL Academy, the largest online school for tennis players. According to its COO, Dayton Hansen, ICL has seen a staggering 4300% increase in overall enrollment since 2020, now serving approximately 532 competitive tennis players globally. "This is by far and away the largest number of junior tennis players attending one single school," Hansen notes, describing it as a sustained shift, not a pandemic blip.
Socialisation in a Virtual World: A Core Concern
The most persistent critique of online education is the potential loss of social development. Schools like ICL and the prestigious Dwight Global Online School assert that community is a designed component, not an afterthought. They point to organised in-person meet-ups at tournaments, STEAM weekends, orientation events, and even proms. Blake Spahn, Vice Chancellor of Dwight Schools, states their online enrollment has more than doubled since 2020, built on a long-term model refined over 14 years.
For families, the decision is deeply personal. Meg Stratton, mother of top-ranked US junior Tristan Stratton, 16, said keeping him in a physical high school became "untenable" due to travel. "He is much more focused now," she reports. Similarly, Laura Lafors from Virginia moved her 17-year-old son Cole to online schooling for the flexibility to pursue college tennis ambitions, reassured he had already experienced two years of high-school socialisation.
The Psychological Balance and the Bigger Picture
However, the model isn't a universal success. Some parents, speaking anonymously, reported their children were "miserable," with one New Jersey mother fearing that a life of hitting tennis balls and staring at screens was "stunting his emotional and mental growth."
Mary Beth Finegan, a clinical director at New York Sports and Performance Psychology, acknowledges the benefits of flexibility for elite athletes' time management but urges caution. She highlights research on the risks of early sports specialisation and burnout, emphasising that in-person learning generally fosters better social interaction and non-verbal communication skills.
The trend intersects with another contentious practice in junior tennis: "reclassing," where students are held back a grade for a sporting advantage. Coupled with the unique, intense pressure of tennis—often described as a tormenting endeavour for players and parents alike—it prompts a sobering question. With the odds of professional success infinitesimal, parents must scrutinise the real goal of remote schooling. While it builds character and teaches resilience through failure, would any parent, all things being equal, genuinely doubt that in-person peer interaction is superior for holistic development?
What is certain is that online schooling for athletes is here to stay, likely pushing traditional brick-and-mortar schools to consider blended offerings. In an increasingly fragmented society, this educational choice represents another move towards a la carte living, prioritising specialised excellence over shared, universal experiences. The quiet cost of that trade-off for a generation of young athletes is still being calculated.
