Fairmont Schools

The Solution For Middle School Athletes

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Lombardi’s words will resonate with parents whose student-athletes aspire to play at the highest levels because they understand that elite athletes require elite training. “Perfect” practice does not take place in a vacuum—it requires pairing committed athletes and highly skilled coaches to bring its promises to fruition.

For this reason, Fairmont Schools launched Fairmont Athletic Academy (FAA) in 2020. “We recognized that there was a real need for an athletics program that could take a club or travel team athlete and turn them into a regional or national player,” says Program Director Phil Lopez. “But we didn’t want the exceptional nature of our program to stop with athletics. We wanted to bring it into the classroom as well. Fairmont is renowned for its academics. We didn’t want parents to have to choose between exemplary training and exemplary academics. With our program, they get the best of both worlds.”

Fairmont Athletic Academy is offered to middle school student-athletes at Fairmont Schools’ San Juan Capistrano campus. Academy students benefit from spending part of their school day improving their sports performance and skills while reaping the rewards of Fairmont’s award-winning curriculum and teachers.

Recognizing the unique needs of elite athletes, Fairmont offers a schedule that dedicates 85 minutes 5 days per week for strength & conditioning and speed & agility training, and 85 minutes 3 days per week for sport-specific training with their coach.

Gustav Gratzer of the Strikers FC soccer club explains, “A club coach gets an hour and a half twice a week to work with their whole team, of which only so much time can be dedicated to individual skills. Here, I have an athlete 85 minutes three times a week for the whole year to build those individual skills.”

“Fairmont has a history of innovating,” says Rebecca Lugo, Head of School at Fairmont San Juan Capistrano. “When we see an opportunity to address the needs of our families, we seize it. Our leadership heard from many parents about their student-athletes’ challenges – returning home late after practices, starting homework at 9:00 pm, and missing out on important things like family time and sleep. Fairmont responded by developing Fairmont Athletic Academy to address these concerns.”

Working with sport-specific coaches and experienced trainers, each student follows a customized training regimen that leverages technologies like VALD SmartSpeed, JumpMat, and ForceDeck, along with GymAware and dynamometers to track speed and strength metrics. Additional tools are used to provide data-driven testing for resting metabolic rate and VO2 max.

A premier program attracts premier talent. FAA’s coaches and trainers represent some of the top programs in Orange County and beyond, such as Tstreet Volleyball Club, Strikers FC, Tribe Baseball, OC Elite Football, and iTennis. It also attracts some of the county’s top student-athletes who aim to excel not only on the fields, courts, and ice but also in the classroom. Although the San Juan Capistrano campus is just four years old, it capitalizes on Fairmont Schools’ 70- year history of proven academic results. Fairmont SJC has already earned an A+ rating from Niche.

Do you have a middle schooler who is looking to get to the next level of play? Learn how they can benefit from Fairmont Athletic Academy’s unique and personalized approach to growing elite student-athletes at their upcoming Evaluation/Combine Day – Wednesday, August 7th at 12:45 (grades 5-6) and 2:15 (grades 7-8w). Scan the QR code to RSVP. For additional information about the program or to schedule a tour, contact Betty Petersen at bpetersen@fairmontschools.com or 714-234-2784. Fairmont San Juan Capistrano offers rolling admission.

Fairmont Schools
San Juan Capistrano • Anaheim • Anaheim Hills • North Tustin
714.234.2771
FairmontSchools.com