The average American endures high school for four years. After completing their high school education, students traditionally matriculate to college or trade school. However, at Hill, it is common for teenagers to spend five or six years of high school. Typically, these students are athletes, reclassing for a fifth year of eligibility and a greater shot at playing a Division I sport in college.
The grant of a 5th year of eligibility to collegiate athletes and the creation of the transfer portal have changed the way college coaches recruit athletes. “Some of these big changes have trickled down to high school age student athletes and they increasingly feel like they can benefit from having more time to develop,” Ari Baum, head varsity girls ice hockey coach, noted.
Evelyn Finch ‘26, a hockey player from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, repeated her 9th grade year before attending Hill. Finch not only wanted less pressure in the college recruiting process, but also a full boarding school experience. “[The added year] has given me more time to clarify what I want out of my college experience and given me more time to build connections with coaches,” Finch explained.
Similarly, Julia Slaney ‘26, a hockey student-athlete from Scottsdale, Arizona, decided to reclass “to get an extra year of playing hockey and to even have another year of school to grow as a student and athlete.”
Their decisions are not new to the hockey world where it is common to reclass, much attributed to the nature of the game. “Hockey is a little bit different from a lot of other team sports in my mind,” Laura McConney, associate varsity girls ice hockey coach, stated.” Reclassing allows for another year playing at a high, competitive level against the best high school teams in the nation.”
David Page, the Harry L. Price Coach of varsity boys lacrosse and student-athlete college recruitment coordinator, mentions that reclassing can be ‘a waste’. “In some cases, I’ve advised against repeating because there really wasn’t a great reason to do it.”
Reclassing can be advantageous to student athletes for a variety of reasons, such as “injury during prime recruiting period, academic improvement to support recruitment at specific schools, social maturity, [and] physical maturity” Page maintained. However, Seth Eilberg, Wilbur C. Riley Director of Athletics and head boys basketball coach advised, “While doing an extra year can open new doors, it should be about the experience itself.”
