About us
&
Frequently asked questions
What is Post-Graduate Basketball?
Post-Graduate Basketball in many ways serves as the bridge between High School and College. Many players in High School have tremendous talent and even potential talent that often does not get highlighted as it should. Some High School coaches are very busy and just don't have the time or know-how to get their players recruited into college for their athletics. So, the NCAA grants what is called a gap-year for student-athletes to take a year off after graduating High School to focus solely on their basketball skills, and to work on their academics, which is usually to raise their SAT/ACT scores in order to become qualified and eligible to receive college scholarships (athletic & academic scholarships). The NCAA recognizes Post-Grad as a legitimate form for a gap-year. This time enables student-athletes to become fully eligible to receive D1 and D2 scholarships both academic & athletic, and to gain additional exposure that is needed to earn those athletic scholarships.
Who we are & What we do?
We at Experience Academy provide you with elite basketball training coupled with one of the most rigorous schedules in the Post-Grad/Prep world. Our program is a 9-Month basketball immersion program. This follows the typical College school year of mid-August to April. Each year, our program begins in mid-August and our last games of the Season will be played in March, and then from March to July is off-season time where players need to be building their bodies and focusing on recruiting. When our program begins in mid-August, the first 2 months of our program is rigorous training, conditioning, and workouts from early in the morning to late in the afternoon (typically 6:00am to 5pm). When our game season starts in late October we will be traveling across the US playing elite competition and staying in hotels or Airbnb. We will still have training and conditioning through the duration of the program, but it will be tailored back when we start playing our game season. However, from the months of March to June we will also be focusing on getting everyone recruited out. So during this time of March to June there are typically college visits, clinics, tryouts, and workouts that are done.
Most post-grad/prep school programs play 20-25 games per season. During the 2019-2020 Season we played 43 games. During the 2020-2021 Season we played 42 games. For the 2021-2022 Season we played a total of 58 games. For the 2022-2023 Season we played a total of 46 games. For the 2023-2024 Season we played a total of 48 games.
Most post-grad/prep school programs play other prep school programs. We do not. Yes, we play other prep school programs, but we seek to play one of the most rigorous schedules in the US, because we like playing the roughest and toughest competition that there is. This gives student-athletes an accurate understanding of what D1 and D2 basketball is really like. We are considered a College Preparatory Program, which means our practices are college-level practices, we hold student-athletes to college-level behavioral standards, and student-athletes will be prepared when they are asked to come for college visits and college workouts. We know that all it takes is for players to shine during key games and that film serves as their resume and portfolio. You will be given training, a mindset, and a lifestyle that will prepare you for Collegiate life and basketball. In virtually every game student-athletes will be going head-to-head against D1-level and Pro-level prospects.
We play a nationally ranked schedule against IMG Academy, Oak Hill Academy, and Montverde Academy, and we play the Military Academies such as Fork Union Military Academy, Hargrave Military Academy, and Massanutten Military Academy. Additionally, we also play D1 Junior Colleges "JUCOs", and will at times play JV teams from D2, D3, or NAIA Universities.
In addition to playing the best competition in the US, we also film our practices and our games - this enables student-athletes to study and watch lots of film. We hire professional photographers and videographers, and we will showcase you and conduct video interviews which allows us to build a professional profile of you as a person and as a player, and this is part of the branding that we use to market you. We will help to build your brand in order to get you college scholarships or even paying basketball contracts going International. Our unique and rigorous schedule enables you to play against future Pro-players and D1 prospects; therefore, your game will be tested.
We also bring in several guest speakers each season which are typically College Coaches and sometimes professional athletes to speak to the players. We typically bring in D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO college coaches to speak to the student-athletes in terms of what they look for in their recruiting. This is filmed, but not made public and it is only made available to the student-athletes who attend our program.
In terms of academics, we also offer ACT Prep through a third-party professional tutoring service. This is a 6 week in-person course and there are professional tutors that can answer your academic questions. Students will go through a full ACT Prep booklet with all the subjects together. There is an additional online study portal with other materials for online quizzes and practice tests, as well as books that enable student-athletes to focus on their academics while attending our program and to gain needed knowledge to raise their ACT scores. We are also affiliated with a High School which enables student-athletes to retake high school classes to boost their current GPA even after they have graduated from High School.
We have leadership and character development courses, one-on-one mentoring and one-on-one coaching. The leadership classes consist of several courses and are integrated into the program. We take this part of our program very seriously, because we know that the student-athletes attending our program will be future leaders, and we want them to be well-equipped to face life's challenges and adversities. We have daily spiritual devotions and prayer before practice, and we read several books together as a group.
Players will have access to a Vertimax during practice time.
If you and your family believe you have what it takes to play Collegiate basketball and/or to make a career playing basketball then our Post-Graduate Basketball Program will showcase your skills, attitude, and academics to Colleges across the nation in order for you to get you full-ride scholarships. Our program is not a basketball camp. In terms of housing, each player will have their own personal bedroom and personal bathroom, closet, desk and chair for studies and dresser for clothes. You will have 3 other roommates which will be your teammates (in most cases) - and they will have their own personal bedroom and bathrooms as well. Each player's room will be under lock and key. In each unit, there are 4 bedrooms and each bedroom has its own bathroom, closet, table and chair, and dresser. So each student athlete will be rooming with their teammates (in most cases) , and in the unit they share a full-size kitchen, living area, washer and dryer, and outdoor balcony. There is also a swimming pool and hot tub at the housing complex, pool table and ping-pong table, as well as a workout room. Our program is a 9-Month basketball immersion training program designed to give you the best opportunity to play against elite competition, and to get you mentally, emotionally, physically, academically, and spiritually prepared for your future goals.
Where is Experience Academy located?
Experience Academy is located in Johnson City, Tennessee. This region is an ideal place to live, work and play. Johnson City is located in the Northeast Tennessee region and is ranked #9 in the unmatched natural beauty and rich culture, and is ranked #9 on the Forbes Magazine list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers in 2015. Here you’ll find relaxed lifestyles, beautiful mountain surroundings and a strategic location. We think you’ll find the Tri-Cities region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia to be an ideal place. Our housing is located near East Tennessee State University (ETSU).
What is included in the cost of tuition?
Please see "Our Services" to get a detailed list of what we provide at Experience Academy. For those interested in the tuition investment of our program we ask that you complete our application and speak with our admissions coordinator so we can better understand your needs and goals, and so you can better understand us and what we can provide you. Please see our Admissions Process for details.
How does Experience Academy assist with college planning and placement?
Experience Academy takes a very active role in helping each student set realistic goals for their future. Experience Academy staff educates each student athlete and their family on college recruiting, and NCAA compliance. Once on campus, each student-athlete will have various meetings to review their academic and athletic profile, college recruitment, and enrollment. Our entire purpose and the mission of our program is to showcase you so that you get college scholarships and/or paying basketball contracts. Our trained staff actively seeks to recruit you into our program for each upcoming season, and as soon as your place is reserved in our program we are actively seeking to communicate with Colleges to get you recruited by them. Your success is our success.
Would a Post-Grad year affect my 4 years of NCAA eligibility?
No, as long as you follow NCAA Guidelines, your NCAA eligibility will not be impacted. However, NCAA regulations vary by sport and on a case-by-case basis, so please contact us for more information on your individual situation.
How Many Games do we play?
While at Experience Academy, you will play a 25+ game schedule against some of the best competition in the country. During the 2019-2020 Season we played 43 games. During the 2020-2021 Season we played 42 games. For the 2021-2022 Season we played a total of 58 games. For the 2022-2023 Season we played a total of 46 games. For the 2023-2024 Season we played a total of 48 games.
Where is our Local Airport?
Triflight.com - Tri Cities Airport 2525 TN-75 Suite 301, Blountville, TN 37617
