WHY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE AT THE HEART OF THE STUDENT ATHLETE SUPPORT SYSTEM

Year in, year out, young athletes across the world face a cutthroat moment in their developmental journeys. At key career milestones, whether transitioning from youth to senior sport or balancing academics with sport, the support many receive is too persistently narrowly focused on performance alone. Mental health struggles, educational challenges, and career uncertainty are persistent realities that get overlooked in favor of athletic development.

The reality is that thousands of young athletes are getting chewed up and spit out because nobody takes responsibility for their whole development. Mental health issues, academic gaps, zero life skills when their athletic dreams don't pan out. That’s… negligent.

There’s an urgent need for a truly holistic athlete support systems that treat young athletes not just as players, but as whole individuals. Mental wellbeing, educational progress, life skills, and long-term career planning must be as much a focus as physical training, tactics, and match outcomes.

One of the clearest examples of a more holistic, supportive system is the US pathway. Unlike many European countries where competitive sport development is primarily delivered through outside club systems, American student-athletes progress through their school and varsity teams into university sport. This integrated model creates natural alignment between academic achievement and athletic development.

In Europe there is a common (or at least accepted) belief that clubs shoulder the responsibility of developing athletes as whole people, preparing them not only to excel in sport, but to thrive in life after competition. Yet many clubs lack the infrastructure, motivation, or even mandate to provide this broader support adequately. Their primary focus remains on winning matches and producing pro-level talent, leaving critical areas like education, mental health, and career planning severely “underserved” (not to say negligent… again)… typically little more than PR, when you dive into it.

Schools are positioned to lead, with a unique and essential role to play. They are already in control of students’ schedules, academic progress, and wellbeing environments.  They are in ongoing coordination with the parents. This positions schools perfectly to enable the holistic support athletes require, by:

• Balancing training and competition demands without sacrificing education (and vice versa)

• Providing psychological, pastoral, and career support tailored to the evolving needs of different aged kids

• Fostering personal development, helping kids cultivate identity beyond sport, build resilience, and general life skills

When schools embrace this leadership, they become the heart of the athlete support system, driving integration across mental, physical, academic, and social development.  Regardless of where the actual performance training is happening (internal or external to the school).

The way forward requires collaboration: clubs, coaches, families, and educational institutions must unite behind holistic athlete development. But the foundation must be a school-centred ecosystem that leverages its unique access to students’ academic, sports and personal lives.  The onus is on leading, not necessarily on building infrastructure and knowledge internally.

Route is born to address this need, and support schools and families in driving this transformation.