if it were my child, i would allow her to pursue her athletic goals...she is of an age where she should be making decisions about the course of her future, but I would make sure she understands the difference of atmosphere-not as nurturing, teachers who aren't held to the same standards as in a private school may make the classroom experience difficult for her. While sports are important (I am a former Phys. Ed teacher and baseball coach) I would advise her not to make the move unless the plan is to gain something from participation...like a scholarship? or if it will apply to her major in college...like teaching or playing professionally? if she just wants to be able to play, there are other ways to advance like playing for a community team or getting a part time job at a rec center and coaching younger kids.

Have you considered allowing her to join a private gymnastics club? Some of these clubs are heavily involved in competitions and events. This might be appealing to your daughter.

In my original response to you, I said it sounds like your daughter is a pretty responsible kid, and you've just confirmed it! Kudos for raising such a thoughtful child, who sounds like she's well on her way to being a wonderful young adult!

Thanks everyone for your helpful insight. After some very serious consideration, our daughter has decided to stay at the private school.

When I curiously & nervously asked her how she came to her decision, she answered with the following...

"When you made the decision totally mine, I really had to think about it and....While I really thrive on sports, one injury can put all that on the sideline....sports are not likely going to pay my way at college ....but I know my academics can....so it just makes sense for me to stay at the school with the best academics"

I was speechless....This was a a little more insight than I was expecting from my 15 year old daughter.

I think she'll do ok.

Proud Parent signing off....

I transfered my junior year from a Catholic school to a public school just so I could be in a better volleyball program. It was a good decision because I do better in school when I am in a serious sports program that I enjoy. It kept me out of trouble and kept my grades up.

There are two *possible* solutions I can think of.

Some public schools allow private schooled and homeschooled children to participate in their sports teams and other clubs. You can check into this possibility.

If the school is still good academically, you can let her go! The bonus, is that with her better educational background, she might have a leg up on the other kids with a good GPA and end up graduating with honors and getting awesome scholarships!

I'm sure that you've taught her well from childhood and any reservations you may have about public school should be allayed by the trust you have in your daughter and her level head you've given her.

Thanks MagnetMom and Healthy for your advice!

My Daughter is shadowing one of her friends at the public school for a day this week.

Hopefully this will help with the decision.

Another college issue is Title IX, and the scholarships that are available for girls in sports. It's no guarantee, but I'd definitely talk to someone from the college community and find out what's available.

I, like healthy, wouldn't want to see anyone transferring out without a lot of consideration, but if she's already dedicated to her sport, she will no doubt get a lot out of competing on a high school team, with the opportunity to possibly participate on a college team and defray the costs of college.

And any "step down" the public school might be (and it might not honestly be that bad), she'd gain a bump from the extra curriculars.

Good luck and let us know what happens!

Hi. I don't have all the answers, but maybe some of my questions/observation can help you decide how to proceed. Is your daughter talking about transferring mid-year, or next? Mid-year may be more of an adjustment...does she already have friends at the public school? Does she know the gymnastics coach, and is she pretty sure she'd make the team, or would she be devastated if she didn't? If her whole desire to transfer is for sports, and she was disappointed in that realm, would the private school take her back?
She sounds like she'll be academically successful anywhere, but you might want to find out about how the public school college placement rate is...What does your daughter aspire to study in college, and are the public school's graduates accepted into those universities at the same rates as the grads from her private school? Is your daughter potentially good enough to get some college gymnastics scholarship money, which would be unavailable if she doesn't compete on a team now?
I was an excellent student academically, but I'll admit that personal growth doesn't just come out of a book, and being on sports teams can also be looked at in a positive way on college applications, even if no scholarships are anticipated. I have fond memories of competing on various teams and in clubs both in H.S. and college. There's a certain sense of camaraderie, and I do still keep in contact with quite a few friends I met that way. I'd hate to deny a teen a chance to pursue their goals, especially since it sounds like your daughter is pretty a responsible kid.