seeking info on Ezell-Harding, Goodpasture and Lip

[wrsmith]

My family and I are considering moving from west Tennessee to the Nashville area for better academics and athletics. My older son will be a sophomore next year and his primary sport is track and field (already 6'2" high jump this season as a freshman and a good pole vaulter). However, he enjoys football and has played QB/DB/WR. We would like to find a place that has good academics, a good track and field facility and coach, and where he will have a good chance to be on the field in football and not on the bench waiting to be a senior. I was wondering what anyone on the board could tell me about Ezell-Harding, Goodpasture and David Lipscomb for academics, track and field, and what they have coming back at QB, wide receiver and defensive back. Any info you could provide would be most appreciated.

[Edited by wrsmith on 4-18-03 12:58A]

[Paxton]

Of the three schools mentioned Ezell-Harding is probably the best place to go if your son plays quarterback or receiver. They throw the ball all over the place and their last two graduating top receivers have gone onto to Vanderbilt and Sewanee on some type of athletic or academic scholarship. They had heavy loses at receiver and cornerback. Coach Smith dosen't care about age of the player as long as they play, he makes playing football fun. You really can't make a bad choce on anyone of the schools mentioned. All have good track programs and are tough academically. Ezell is probably the cheapest of the three from a money stand point. If you have questions concerning Ezell, please feel free to call coach Smith(Ezell Football Coach) at 615-367-2045. Good Luck and happy hunting

[rollredroll]

Just out of curiosity, wrsmith, how did you narrow your choices down to those three schools?

[DrCross]

It's interesting to see the three schools named are all church of christ. If it turned out a to be just names you have heard of then I would suggest looking into Christ Presbyterian Academy. If those are the type of schools you are specifically looking into then I would probably choose the one with the most class, Lipscomb.

[nate3422]

i would say for football ezell harding, i pl ayed there under coach smith in his 1st year there and he is an awsome coach. i earned all state receiver and awards for db while i was at ezell, they have a really good senior qb coming back and could use a good tall receiver to throw too. im not sure how they are doing in trck right now, when i was there the track program was pretty good and academics are really good at ezell, wasnt easy at all and i learned alot that has helped me in college. if your looking for your son to play for a good program and coach i would pick ezell. i earned a football scholorship playing there.

[Guest cole703]

Everyone on this thread is only looking at football. If you are truly interested in track & field along with football, academics, social life, etc... you need to keep your options open. David Lipscomb would be the top choice of the schools that you listed but you may want to look at other schools as well. Brentwood Academy & Montgomery Bell Academy both have outstanding football & track programs but it may be difficult to get playing time and the academic load at MBA would be very difficult if you could get in. Franklin Road Academy, CPA, and Father Ryan all have good athletic programs and are at various stages with regards to football and track. All of the schools are great, you just need to find the one that fits your needs and has an opening in the sophmore class.

[Edited by cole703 on 4-18-03 2:31P]

[boneal52]

Won't must of these schools have lengthy waiting lists? I'm pretty sure CPA does. I could be wrong, some correct me if so.

[Redtwin]

All of those schools will have lengthy waiting lists for the 7th and 9th grades but they usually make a case by case judgement for students transferring from different areas. Also, there are usually a few spots in each class that open up each year due to expulsions and people who flunk out.

[OnlineLC]

I have found that most spots open up for the following reasons:

 

a) Parents move to new city

Financial Conditions have changed (eg Job Loss)

c) The child wants to be at another school. (The reality being that a Private Christian School is not always the best for the child)

 

Posted by Redtwin:

All of those schools will have lengthy waiting lists for the 7th and 9th grades but they usually make a case by case judgement for students transferring from different areas. Also, there are usually a few spots in each class that open up each year due to expulsions and people who flunk out.

[wrsmith]

First, let me thank everyone who has provided me with some input. As to a couple of questions that were raised, we are a church of Christ family and I would likely look first at C of C schools. With that said, however, I would look at other good private schools also. It seems from a distance that Franklin Road Academy has the best track program in the state. I have not been able to find their tuition rates on their web site and I fear that means that it will be very high. As you could see from my original post, I'm very concerned about academics and that will be a driving factor. Both of my boys are intelligent (if you can believe IQ tests) and make excellent grades. They also happen to be excellent athletes (my older boy and I just returned from the meet in Knoxville where he was disappointed in his high jump of 6'1" but he had just jumped two days earlier and it's difficult for a high jumper to jump in meets that close together). I just want them to be happy, learning (with me still having enough money to live on) and have access to good track and field facilities and coaching along with other sports they might be interested in (the 7th grader is 5'11" already and is high jumping 5'4"). As we drove back from Knoxville today, we stopped by the campus of Ezell-Harding and looked at their track facilities. We will likely be taking a family trip to Nashville soon to take a closer look so any additional information you can provide about quality and costs of Nashville area private schools is most appreciated. Again, thanks for everything you've provided to this point. It's been very helpful.

[Paxton]

The cost of one year at Ezell-Harding is about $4,600.00 a year. Academics are excellent at Ezell and they place a great emphasis on christian development. If and when you come back to Nashville, please give Coach Smith a call at 615-367-2045.

[rjduck50]

i dont blame you one bit if you leave; i did just this past year. i know who you are but i won't say just in case yall decide not to leave i wouldnt want to get your sons in trouble with their coaches.

[Edited by rjduck50 on 4-26-03 10:40P]