Mentoring for student athletes in Los Angeles helps a high school or college athlete keep school on track while the sport takes most of the week. Blackburn Mentoring pairs each athlete with one dedicated mentor who meets with them every week, in person in Los Angeles or by video, to plan around practices, games and travel, keep up with every class and protect the grades that keep options open. The first step is a free 20 minute intro call.
What makes school hard for LA athletes
Southern California high school sports are big. The CIF Southern Section, which governs high school sports across much of the region, lists 555 member schools. For a serious athlete that can mean practice most days, games across the county, club seasons that overlap school seasons and weekends lost to tournaments and showcases.
In Los Angeles, the drive is part of the schedule. An away game or a club practice can add hours in the car, and homework that starts at 9 p.m. after a game rarely goes well. Athletes are often disciplined in their sport and still fall behind in school, because nobody builds the school week with the same care as the training week. That is the gap a mentor fills.
Grades that keep doors open
For athletes hoping to play in college, academics are part of eligibility. The NCAA Division I initial eligibility page lists 16 core courses, with 10 of them (7 in English, math or science) completed before the seventh semester, and a minimum 2.3 core course GPA for Division I. For students who also want University of California options, the University of California A to G requirement asks for 15 yearlong courses with a C or better, at least 11 finished before the last year of high school. Rules change, so always confirm with the NCAA Eligibility Center, the UC site and your school counselor.
A mentor does not advise on recruiting, eligibility or admissions. What a mentor does is keep the athlete steady in the courses they are taking, week after week, so a heavy season does not quietly cost a core course grade. Our guide on college athletic eligibility explains the basics for families.
What a mentor does with a student athlete
- Builds the week around the sport. Practices, games, travel and drive times go on the calendar first; study blocks fit around them, including early mornings. Under California Education Code 46148, the regular school day at California public and charter high schools can start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., which leaves some students a usable morning window, and mentors offer early morning, evening and weekend sessions.
- Plans for travel and game days. Work moved earlier in the week, materials downloaded before the bus, and an email to teachers before an absence rather than after.
- Keeps up with every class. A weekly check of the school portal so missing work is caught in days.
- Handles the hard seasons. Injury, a coaching change, being cut or wanting to quit. See staying on track after an injury and when a teen wants to quit a sport.
- Looks beyond the sport. Interests, a first job, and a plan that works whether or not the sport continues. See career planning for student athletes.
College athletes in Los Angeles
College athletes face the same squeeze with less supervision: early training, travel, classes and study hall. A mentor works alongside the athletic academic support a campus offers, not instead of it, helping the athlete plan each week and follow through. Our guide on time management for college athletes covers the method. Sessions happen in person in Los Angeles or by video, which works well during travel.
How parents are involved
For high school athletes, parents can join the intro call, help agree the goals and receive regular progress updates. With your permission, the mentor can coordinate with the school counselor, a tutor or the coaching staff’s academic contact. For college athletes, updates are shared with the student’s permission.
What mentoring is not
A mentor is not a recruiting service, an athletic trainer, a sports psychologist, a tutor or an admissions consultant, and mentoring does not promise grades, eligibility or scholarships. If an injury or a mental health concern is involved, the right medical or licensed professional comes first. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Related
- Mentoring for student athletes
- Balancing sports and school
- Academic coaching in Los Angeles
- Teen mentor in Los Angeles
- Back home from college in Los Angeles
- Mentoring and coaching in Los Angeles
Common questions
How can a mentor help a student athlete?
A mentor builds the school week around practices, games and travel, checks in between sessions and keeps every class on track, so a heavy season does not cost grades the athlete needs later.
Do you help with recruiting or NCAA eligibility?
No. Mentors do not advise on recruiting, eligibility or admissions. They help the athlete keep up with the courses they are taking. Confirm eligibility rules with the NCAA Eligibility Center and your school counselor.
Can sessions fit around practice and games?
Yes. Mentors offer early morning, evening and weekend sessions, in person in Los Angeles or by video, which also works during travel.
Do you work with college athletes?
Yes. Mentors work with college athletes alongside the academic support their campus offers.
What if my athlete is injured or wants to quit?
Those seasons are often when a mentor helps most: keeping school steady, keeping a routine and thinking through what comes next. Medical questions belong with the athlete’s doctor or trainer.
How do we start?
Book a free 20 minute intro call. After the call your athlete is matched with one dedicated mentor within 2 business days.
Get started
Want to talk through how a mentor could help your athlete? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free 20 minute intro call.
Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.