Why Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified is embracing a new athletics-based school program – Orange County Register

An Orange County school district is set to launch a new program next year aimed at giving student-athletes an alternative approach to training and education.

Starting next school year, the Placentia Yorba Linda School District will offer what it calls the Universal Sports Institute.

The tuition-free, sport-focused program will allow students in grades three through twelve to train intensively at an elite level in the sport of their choice while allowing flexibility in their schoolwork, such as distance learning or personalized schedules.

Although it’s called an “institute,” Universal Sports is not a new school. Rather, it is a niche program dedicated to developing a student’s athletic abilities. Students will be taught at Parkview Independent Study School in Placentia, an established alternative school that offers “self-study” study pathways.

The program will provide coaches and trainers – including coaches and athletic directors from other district high schools who will take on additional work at Universal Sports – so that students have “personalized exercise and fitness programs, mental performance training, nutritional planning and recovery programs. and leadership development,” according to its website.

Athletic training facilities will be created at a property in the Yorba Linda district that now houses offices for educational services. No major construction is planned on the property, Superintendent Alex Cherniss said, but updates to the facilities will take place shortly.

According to the program’s website, the campus is expected to include strength and conditioning rooms, speed and agility training areas, tumbling mat space, cold plunges, a therapeutic swim spa, turf practice areas, batting cages and a golf simulator.

The facility will also be open to students across the district who are not enrolled in the Universal Sports program, Cherniss said. The school will have an “after-school program” created by PYLUSD administrators.

According to Cherniss, opening the space to students across the district creates athletic opportunities for students who cannot afford specialized training.

The program can provide training for all sports sanctioned by the CIF, the governing body for high school sports in California. And it’s open to students in Southern California, even outside the boundaries of PYLUSD.

At the high school level, students in the Universal Sports program can compete and take up to two courses (in addition to their studies at Parkview) at one of the district’s high schools: El Dorado, Esperanza, Valencia or Yorba Linda.

To be accepted into the program, students must meet certain athletic requirements.

A student-athlete must “provide evidence of elite athletic performance,” or in other words, achieve “a level of performance that places them on a state, national or Olympic track in their field,” according to the site Internet. Universal Sport program director Taylor Holloway and Parkview principal Dominique Polchow will manage the selection process, Cherniss said.

Special Olympics or Paralympics participants will also be considered for approval based on their level of success in their respective sport.

To remain eligible, students must provide annual activity logs and performance portfolios, including rankings and awards, which will be reviewed by select program administrators.

“This is a game changer for our district and the new direction of public education as parents and children continue to seek options and specialization for their educational experiences,” Cherniss said. “It’s great to see PYLUSD at the forefront of these new educational trends and is undoubtedly one of the reasons our enrollment is growing at a time when other districts are declining.”

Orange County is already home to a few athletic academies.

In San Juan Capistrano, EM Speed ​​and Power Traning’s primary clientele is softball and baseball athletes, but they also assist some soccer and soccer players. There, through a chartered academic program, students of any level can study independently and train extensively for their respective sports.

Orange County Sports Fundamentals in Anaheim houses a prep academy for athletes in grades seven through nine and uses El Rancho Charter School for its academics.

“Educational specialization is the future,” Cherniss said. “That’s why all these academies are opening and flourishing. Rather than staying on the sidelines, PYLUSD chooses to lead and not follow.

But Nancy Watkins, an education professor at Cal State Fullerton, expressed concerns about “accessibility and inclusiveness issues,” alleging the program could “indirectly discriminate against underserved families in our community.”

“This facility will only cater to a small segment of the student population — those who have the aptitude and interest to pursue athletics at a competitive level,” said Watkins, who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Orange County School Board this year.

“This creates an environment in which resources are disproportionately allocated to benefit a select group, potentially neglecting students who could benefit more from investments in arts, science, or technology resources that more closely match their interests and needs ” Watkins said.

But Jess Battaglia, parent of two PYLUSD students, sees Universal Sports as a potential “future” for her children.

“This is what I would call an exciting innovation brought to our district,” said Battaglia, who attended PYLUSD schools. “And this allows PYLUSD to not only be competitive with other school districts, but also helps us shine above the rest.”

Universal Sports, Battaglia said, has the opportunity to offer its students a “plethora of opportunities” for specialized training.

“It’s true that over the years, sports in general have become more competitive than ever,” Battaglia said. “A simple point of differentiation could very well be the difference between advancement to the next level of competition. »