Haley: a Student Athlete Success Story

How It All Started

As a 10th-grade Division-I prospect, Haley had a lot ahead of her. Naturally active and coordinated, she was one of the best point guards in her league. With a lightning-fast crossover and an eye for open lanes, Haley easily dominated the competition on the basketball court.

Unfortunately, her performance in the classroom was another matter altogether. Missed homework assignments and a lack of focus left Haley feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and terrified. Despite her best efforts, she soon found herself on academic probation. With their daughter’s sports eligibility at risk, Haley’s parents knew they needed help. That’s when they contacted Vested Academics.

How the Vested Academics Team Helped Haley and Her Parents

Communication—Regularly connecting with Haley’s parents, coaches, and teachers gave our Learning Support Team a better understanding of what unsuccessful approaches had been tried in the past and, more importantly, what new techniques were actually producing results.

Academic Coaching—With one-on-one support, Haley learned how to keep an organizer that outlined her assignments and long-term projects. Even though it felt odd at first, she eventually saw how staying organized gave her more free time for practice, workouts, and socializing.

Outlined Goals—By discussing how Haley could take the same hard work ethic she used to succeed at basketball and apply it to her schoolwork, her academic coach helped create realistic daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

Personalized Study Schedule—After assessing the times of day at which Haley focused best, her academic coach designed a study schedule that capitalized on this prime academic real estate. Regular check-ins further reinforced consistency and that the new system was working.

The Result

With a new schedule that supported her needs and a plan to improve her writing skills, Haley was able to find a study approach that worked with and for her. Interspersing movement breaks with her studies addressed her ADHD, allowing her to feel more balanced. She began to see her grades increase in both English and math. And, with her eligibility no longer an issue, Haley became a contender for several top-tier D-I basketball programs.

By the end of her junior year, she was recruited and given offers from three of her top five schools. Both Haley and her parents were happy to learn that she could continue working with her academic coach next year and during her freshman year of college. Knowing that she had the support system she needed in place, Haley was confident that she could pursue her athletic dreams and budding academic interests at the same time.