There's a New Prep School in Quebec

In case you haven't heard, there are a few prep schools in the Toronto area of late and they all seem to have a focus on basketball.  All you'd need to do is check out the newly formed National Prep School Athletic Association to see who these programs are.  Now I'm not one to judge on the nature of such institutions, nor would I really want to.  The bottom line for me is that they provide an outlet for athletes that decide that basketball is their best way to a quality education at the post secondary level.

To each his own I guess.

I'm sure that there are other types of secondary school type institutions like these across Canada (I know that there was one out west but I can't recall the name for a link search) but our man Barry Hayes of Hoopstars Canada has found out that there is one such prep school beginning in Quebec.

The school will be called Alma Academy and will be partnered with QC United Sports Club (who incidentally have an AAU program for basketball).  This is said to be the first French prep school of it's kind in Quebec and thus the premiere, at this point.

I'm not surprised by the development but I am a little cautious, for the program.  There have been some prep schools in recent years in the US that have failed their athletes and this has done nothing but put the athletes in a terrible situation both academically and athletically. I'm not saying that this fate will befall Alma Academy but I'm one to side on caution.

Personally, I hope that this academy does take off and provide that model from which other prep schools that develop in Quebec can look to.  Come to think about it, it's about time that this has happened in the province.  The rich abundance of ball talent in the province should be able to support something like this outside the CEGEP and I'm looking forward to seeing them grow the program this season.