The Los Angeles Galaxy is using blended learning to help its student athletes in its under-16 and under-18 academy teams to help students “excel both on the field and in the classroom.” 

By combining online classes with in-person instruction, academy teams can practice more throughout the day.

"They can practice daily, as opposed to three or four times a week, and sometimes twice a day. The team is hoping that the increased practice time will help the players improve quicker,” said The Los Angeles Daily News.

While not all students who are on the team’s academy attend the school, there are about 50 students in the school since starting in September, the school’s first year in operation.

As opposed to being a GED program, all students affiliated with the academy attend an online high school that allows them to obtain their high school diploma despite their rigorous training requirements.

"For the online high school curriculum, we partnered with a WASC-accredited, public, online, charter school called California Connections Academy (Cal-CA), specifically the Capistrano Connections Academy (Capo-CA),” said the LA Galaxy School’s website.

"California Connections is responsible for providing academic course work. They offer a strong college preparatory program, including required A-G courses for entry into UC/CSU schools, honors and Advanced Placement courses. “

To provide additional support and supplement the online learning, the school provides in-person instruction through academic coaches who "support our student-athletes through the day-to-day online academic routine and offer assistance in the form of:

•  tutoring
• academic coaching
• small group instruction
• 1 to 1 mentoring

"Student-athletes receive continuity in their education without impeding the demands of developing elite soccer players. At the LA Galaxy Academy Blended Learning Environment, we set high standards for both on the field and in the classroom,” the site says.

Read more about the LA Galaxy School of Blended Learning Environment here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

1/28/2016