Most competitive athletes spend a lifetime dedicating themselves to their craft. It takes a lot of focus, training, and talent to be able to compete in elite athletics. For many, they start their training in childhood and continue on through high school and into adulthood.
However, for young athletes it can be incredibly difficult to balance their education with their training schedule. Between working out, going to practice, and travelling for games or competitions, student athletes don’t have a lot of spare time. For those enrolled in regular high school programs, they ultimately miss a lot of class, their marks and education suffering because they don’t have enough time to get everything done.
That’s why many students turn to flexible learning options, like homeschooling or online education. Having the ability to fit their education around their athletic schedule is invaluable, giving students the opportunity to dedicate themselves to their training, while also getting an education. But, some homeschooling methods can put students at a disadvantage, either by not giving them enough support to succeed in their course work, or by not being an accredited program, which means students cannot get a diploma and then pursue college or university programs easily.
With Ontario Virtual School, students can customize their courses and learning to fit their needs, while also earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, which they can then use to apply to college and universities, not just within Canada, but internationally as well.
Every course with OVS has prerecorded video lessons that students can watch whenever they would like around their schedule, there are no set due dates for handing in tests or assignments, so students can submit their work at whatever times work best for them. As well, each course is led by an Ontario Certified Teacher that will be marking student work, and is available over email for student support and questions, which means students can get support and feedback whenever they need help.
Through our program many student athletes have been able to get an education while excelling in their athletics as well.
NHL Drafted Athletes
In 2022, through our partner program Northern Pre-University, we had seven of our graduates drafted to the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with NPU, we also partner with programs like the Nordic Hockey Academy in Norway, to help international hockey players get access to our flexible online program. Below is a list of the 2022 graduates along with links to their athletic pages. Each of these students was able to graduate from our program with an OSSD, while also competing in elite hockey programs.
- Nathan Gaucher– 1st round Anaheim Ducks
- Maveric Lamoureux– 1st round Arizona Coyotes
- Noah Warren– 2nd round Anaheim Ducks
- Tristan Luneau– 2nd round Anaheim Ducks
- Patrick Guay– 4th Round Vegas Golden Knights
- David Spacek– 4th round Minnesota Wild
- Alexis Gendron– 7th round Philadelphia Flyers
Additional OVS Student Athletes
It’s not just hockey players that use our program to gain a high-quality education while also dedicating themselves to their athletic goals. Over the last few years we’ve had several student athletes, such as tennis players Adrian Catahan and Kirtan Patel, baseball players like Nicholas Deschamps or Sarah Sparrow a soccer player from the UK.
In addition, we’ve had students like Lia McKinnie, trying to balance school, athletics and a part-time job, or Nathan Cafuta who was not only able to focus on his soccer training but also his music, while attending school online with OVS.
This year we’ve helped pairs figure skater Brooke McIntosh graduate with OVS, and her younger sister, Olympic swimmer, Summer McIntosh is currently studying with us. Plus, Kartik Singh, a young golfer from India who just won the 2023 FCG Callaway World Championships, has recently joined our program.
No matter which sports you’re interested in or what level you compete at, Ontario Virtual School can help you get an education while also pursuing your athletic passions.