Collegiate Times

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Before they become the idolized athletes on campus, many Virginia Tech recruits are directed to further their education and sporting careers at college preparatory schools.

Virginia's Fork Union Military Academy and Hargrave Military Academy serve as stepping-stones to college, as well as recruiting hotbeds for athletics.

Football team defensive coordinator Bud Foster said a year spent at one of these schools goes a long way toward success in college for some highly touted athletes.

"Most of the guys at Fork Union and Hargrave that we see are usually highly recruited guys who didn't make their SAT scores; that doesn't take away from the fact that those kids can do college-level work," Foster said. "The biggest thing is learning to be disciplined, developing good habits and study skills. You see a big change."

Boosting test scores and grades are common reasons athletes attend prep school. The NCAA Clearinghouse has a floating bar set for SAT scores and grade point averages for student athletes to be eligible for a scholarship.

Recruits can have a minimum GPA of 2.0, provided their SAT scores are above 1010, or a minimum SAT score of 820, provided their GPA is above 2.5. This standard must be met in addition to admissions requirements of their chosen university.

Tim Parker, senior assistant athletic director for NCAA Compliance, said that before an amendment was made to the NCAA's regulations, some prospects had found ways to "take advantage of" the system.

"From the time they enter high school, eight semesters from then, they have to have completed their 16 core courses," Parker said. "In the past, people were purposely not graduating after their senior year, then going the prep school route, because as long as it was pre-graduation, they could continue to accumulate core courses."

Fork Union High School graduate and football team center Ryan Shuman said that over 100 college scouts and coaches frequent Fork Union workouts.

Shuman, whose father coaches the varsity football team, said the school is focused on discipline and preparation, with fun activities few and far between.

"Instead of being in college and having fun, you're in military school marching around," Shuman said. "Everything is structured. You don't have much freedom."

At Fork Union, prep school students concentrate on one class per day for six weeks at a time, maximizing concentration and academic achievement.

"It's a one-class program, so if you are struggling in school or have a learning disability, it helps you because you can focus on one thing," Shuman said. "It helps bring up the SAT scores or your core GPA. There are only core classes."

Though the students are frequently enrolled at preparatory schools to elevate poor grades and standardized test scores, they must still meet certain military academy standards.

"They have to have a 'C' or better," said Matthew Brawn, Hargrave's athletic director. "Most of our students are here because of self-interest, not because of our coaches going out and grabbing kids."

While Fork Union has become known in Virginia as a football factory, Hargrave alumni at Tech are more frequently found in Cassell Coliseum. Head men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg said that the benefits of his players attending Hargrave before Tech are consistently apparent.

"They give the athlete a better understanding of the commitment and intensity you need to be successful at a high level," Greenberg said. "It gives a better understanding of being part of a team, and not being the team."

Greenberg added that the sense of responsibility and accountability contribute to the tremendous personal growth seen amongst the military academy graduates.

"You see them mature emotionally and deal with being away from home," Greenberg said. "When they came in they knew how to practice at a college level because of that experience."

This year's basketball roster showcases three Hargrave graduates, sophomores Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson, as well as senior A.D. Vassallo.

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