PrepWell Academy prepares you for high school, college, and life

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 16 Should Your Child Specialize In Their Sport?

prepwell podcast Jan 19, 2020

Show Notes:

Today, I make the case for sports specialization - the process by which families decide that it’s in the best interest of their son (or daughter) to focus exclusively on one sport - and so they drop all the others (along with other extracurriculars in many cases).

For example, a boy who has always played football, basketball, and lacrosse while growing up (all in different seasons), decides to drop everything but lacrosse in 10th grade. Or, a girl, who has played volleyball and softball growing up - decides to go all-in on soccer in 9th grade.

Is this a good idea? What does the timing look like? What are the advantages and potential drawbacks of this strategy?

Now, If your child is not an athlete, then you might not get as much value from this episode, but I still think there are a lot of great lessons to be learned. The episode is geared toward families who have children who have grown up playing multiple sports, and...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 15 | Why Colleges Love Leaders and How Your Child Can Become One

prepwell podcast Jan 12, 2020

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:03 Why do colleges seem to love leaders?

0:04:13 How can you help your child become a leader?

0:05:55 Why is it so important to start early?

0:07:23 What happens if your child waits too long?

0:08:20 Can 9th and 10th graders become leaders?

0:09:44 What about starting your own club?

0:11:10 What about a Shark Tank Club?

0:12:05 Don’t make this mistake

0:12:45 What about Captains of sports teams?

0:14:37 How your child’s job demonstrates leadership

0:15:15 Students who lead their families

0:15:45 Tried-and-True leadership opportunities

0:16:30 How important is leadership to military programs?

If you want to support the show, here are three immediate steps to take.

Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen to podcasts
Follow me on Instagram or Facebook
Give us a review
Share this episode with a friend
Join our mailing...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 14 | Top 10 Things Your High Schooler Should Have done This Year

prepwell podcast Dec 29, 2019

Show Notes:

In this episode, I share with you what every 9th, 10th, and 11th grader should have done between June and December of this year (the first half of the academic year).

I lay out these 10 DIRECTIVES by grade (9th, 10th, and 11th), with a short explanation as to why each is so essential.

If your child is a PrepWeller, who has been keeping up with their videos for the last few months, this will be old news to them. They will have heard this (ideally) and taken action and been on their way. They are my superstars. If you are the parent of a PrepWeller, who hasn’t quite kept up with the weekly lessons, well, now you’ll learn 10 of the most important things that I’ve been directing your child to do since June. Yes, these are just the tip of the iceberg, but worth noting And, hint hint, it might be a good idea for you to check-in with your child to see how they’re doing with these directives.

Here is what I discuss in this...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 13 | How to Keep Track of your Child’s Extracurricular Activities

prepwell podcast Dec 22, 2019

Show Notes:

In this episode, I discuss how to help your child keep track of their extracurricular activities. There are many options - some of which your child (or you) may already be doing - from doing nothing, to recording events in a notebook, collecting articles or certificates in a physical folder, updating a computer file or spreadsheet - or, doing what PrepWellers do - which is updating, in real-time, their own LinkedIn profile.

The goal of these options (and there are plenty of others) is to document important moments in your child’s life.

Today, I’m going to walk you through the importance of this process and each of the steps required to be successful.

What I discuss in this episode:

0:01:37 How do PrepWellers track their activities?

0:02:08 Why should my child track their activities?

0:03:50 A practical reason to track activities

0:04:15 How will tracking help with college applications?

0:05:25 When...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 12 | Should my child take the SAT or ACT?

prepwell podcast Dec 15, 2019

Today, we’re talking about how to approach the SAT and/or ACT - the two standardized tests that most colleges will use to assess your child’s readiness for college.

This is a very important topic. As with most things related to college admissions, students and parents should get involved far sooner than they think - if they want to do well.

That’s the entire point of this podcast, and PrepWell Academy - to give you the early head’s - to help you prepare early - so that your child can perform well.

Here are some questions I address:

How do I approach these tests?
When should I take these tests?
Which test should I take?
What’s the difference between the tests?
How do I compare an ACT and SAT score?
Should I take one or both?
How big a deal is my score?
How many times should I take it?
How much should I expect to improve?
What are the best ways to prepare for these tests?
What if I don’t want...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 11 | Everything you Need to Know About College Affordability

prepwell podcast Dec 08, 2019

In this episode, I break down the financial terminology and buzzwords surrounding college affordability. Unlike most generic overviews, however, I explain how these terms actually affect our lives. How much will college actually cost? At what income level does need-based aid disappear? And other difficult questions...

Show Notes:

In this episode, I advise parents on what they need to know about paying for college - before it’s too late. If parents put their heads in the proverbial sand until junior or senior year of high school, their financial flexibility may be severely limited. Listen to this podcast to orient yourself to the timing, relevance, and potential risks associated with today’s college costs and what you can do about them.

In this Episode:

0:00:51 Why is it hard to get straight answers from parents about financial aid?

0:02:00 What matters when it comes to paying for college?

0:03:15 The importance of early planning

0:03:23 A...

You made my son do what?

case studies extracurriculars military options Dec 07, 2019

Would you want your son to experience this?

On a cool Friday afternoon in San Diego, CA, 36 high school lacrosse players (9th - 12th) were leisurely stretching out on a well-manicured grassy knoll 300 yards from the Pacific Ocean.

This was the group's final day of tryouts for the JV and Varsity lacrosse team. The participants were told to show up with a t-shirt and running shoes and to be prepared for a 3-hour workout.

Halfway through their stretching routine, two other former Navy SEAL Instructors and I emerged from of our cars and walked over to greet them. This was no ordinary greeting.

Here's how the next four hours unfolded for the group:

Activity: Introduction and (Dis)orientation

With bullhorn in hand, we told the group that the original plan had changed. The 3-hour workout had been extended to a 24-hour Hell Night where they would be tested with a series of mental and physical challenges that would last until the next day. This was not true, but we had to get the athletes...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 10 | What to Expect of Your Freshman

prepwell podcast Dec 01, 2019

This podcast explores the life and times of freshmen in high school today. What are they up to? What's going through their minds? How motivated are they? How motivated should they be? Are we expecting too much or too little? How do we guide our freshman so that they start off on the right foot?

If you want to support the show, here are three immediate steps to take.

Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen to podcasts
Follow me on Instagram or Facebook
Give us a review
Join our mailing list
Enroll your 9^th or 10^th grader in the program

What I discuss in this episode:

0:01:37 What is life like for today’s high school freshman?

0:02:14 The importance of peer groups

0:03:02 Why do freshmen do dumb things?

0:03:30 What do we want from our freshman?

0:04:14 How to avoid the big 4 life-altering mistakes

0:05:10 How do we get teens to think about the future?

0:05:24 How to build great habits (e.g....

Are Kids Specializing in Youth Sports Too Early?

athletic recruiting case studies early preparation middle school Dec 01, 2019

What Happened to All the 3-Sport Athletes?

These days, many parents (and their children) are feeling pressure to specialize in a particular sport earlier and earlier.

The pressure can come from coaches, parents, trainers, kids, or the media. A billion-dollar industry has emerged to meet this growing trend.

In some cases, a child's first taste of athletic success (at age 5) will send a parent on two wheels to Dick's Sporting Goods. The sales associate sees this parent from a mile away. Hello daily sales quota!

I know it's flattering when the volunteer coach tells you that Ricky or Samantha has a "big league swing". You wonder, "Could it be? Could my son/daughter be that special athlete? Could I be the next Archie Manning?"

But before quitting soccer and dance and buying Ricky a $299 T-ball bat or Samantha a $199 softball glove, consider whether specializing so early is in their best interests?

This blog post makes the case for a slower transition to specialization - or no...

PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 9 | Phil Black Answers Most Popular FAQs

prepwell podcast Nov 24, 2019

In this episode, I answer a ton of popular FAQs from parents, students, and PrepWellers. Check out the timeline below and see if any of these questions pique your interest.

If you want to support the show, here are three immediate steps to take.

Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen to podcasts
Follow me on Instagram or Facebook
Give us a review
Share this episode with a friend
Join our mailing list
Enroll your 9th or 10th grader in the program

Here are the questions I answer in this episode:

0:01:03 Do I have to take SAT Subject Tests?

0:03:01 Do colleges care if I take the SAT or ACT?

0:03:11 Is it true that Ivy League schools do not give merit scholarships?

0:03:49 How many times is too many for taking the SAT?

0:04:48 Is it possible to get a full-ride scholarship in baseball?

0:06:00 How many colleges should I apply to?

0:06:46 Is it better to get an A in a non-weighted class or a B in a weighted...

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