At Crimson Global Academy (CGA), our community now includes 200+ student-athletes around the world. CGA athletes come from a huge range of sports including football, gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, golf, equestrian, skiing and snowboarding, gaming, motocross, go-karting, martial arts, and much more. We’re also seeing students join from as early as Grade 6 as they begin taking their sporting ambitions more seriously.

As that community grows, CGA is continuing to evolve with them.

“We’re seeing more full-time enrolments from ambitious student-athletes who want the flexibility to pursue sport at a high level without compromising on the quality of their education. Increasingly, families are making that decision earlier too, with students joining from as early as Grade 6, whether their goal is to turn professional, pursue recruitment at a US college through the NCAA, or simply see how far their talent can take them.”

Peter Kim, Director of Athletics, Crimson Global Academy

The newly created Director of Athletics role reflects that evolution, bringing greater focus to the student-athlete experience and stronger collaboration across academics, university counselling, admissions and student life.

Looking Ahead to 2027

More Specialised Guidance for Student-Athletes

In 2027, we’re looking to add a dedicated Athletics Counsellor to help families interested in competing at US colleges through the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) navigate academic eligibility, course planning and recruitment timelines.

For student-athletes considering the US college pathway, early planning matters. Course choices, graduation timing, reclassification and other academic decisions can all affect future eligibility. As NCAA rules continue to evolve, we want to help families stay informed and make the right academic decisions at the right time.

Read our guide to the NCAA’s biggest rule change in years.

Building a Stronger Global Athlete Community

We’re also exploring a dedicated CGA Athletics Club where student-athletes can connect beyond the classroom.

The club could give students a place to celebrate wins, share training approaches and best practices, and hear from guest speakers on topics such as sports psychology, performance, building an online athlete profile and personal brand, and navigating athlete management and representation.

As our athlete community grows, we also see more opportunities for students to connect in person. That could mean meeting at tournaments, training together, or even forming CGA teams to compete in events.

We’ve already seen what this can look like with CGA’s equestrian team, which brought students together to compete and represent CGA.

As more athletes join CGA around the world, we hope to create more opportunities like this across different sports.

More Academic Choice and Support

Flexibility isn’t only about when students learn. It’s also about giving them the academic options and support they need for wherever they want to go next.

CGA recently expanded its AP offering to 27 subjects, including AP Business with Personal Finance, with AP Networking planned for the 2027–28 academic year.

We’re also keeping a close eye on electives that are especially relevant to student-athletes, including Health Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology, Entrepreneurship, and Social Media Business Marketing.

For students considering US universities, we’re also beginning to offer SAT preparation at no additional cost for Grade 11 students. For student-athletes targeting US colleges, this means another important part of the admissions journey can be supported alongside their regular CGA studies and sporting commitments.

A February-Start US Diploma Pathway

From 2027, we’re also planning a February-start US Diploma programme for Southern Hemisphere students, giving families another alternative to the International A Level pathway.

It’s another step towards CGA’s vision of making a world-class education genuinely accessible globally. Students in Australia, New Zealand and other Southern Hemisphere locations should not have to fit classes into inconvenient hours or structure their training around a timetable based in another time zone.

Instead, they can choose an academic pathway and timetable that allows them to prioritise both their education and their sport.

Strong Academic Outcomes

That flexibility is backed by strong academic performance and growing recognition of the CGA experience.

For 2027, CGA climbed to #2 in Niche’s Best Online High Schools in America rankings, reflecting the strength of our academics, teachers and overall student experience.

Read more about CGA’s 2027 Niche ranking.

Our exam results tell a similar story. In the 2026 A Level examinations, 44% of CGA students achieved A–A grades*, compared with 29.2% across the UK domestic average. In AP examinations, 33.8% of CGA scores were a perfect 5, compared with 19% nationally.

Explore CGA’s latest exam results and academic outcomes.

For student-athletes, those outcomes matter. Flexibility should not come at the expense of academic quality. Whether their future leads to NCAA competition, professional sport, a leading university or an entirely different path, a strong education helps keep their options open.

Meet Cindy: International Tennis and Outstanding Academics

Shanghai-based tennis player Cindy Qu is an example of what that balance can look like.

Now in her third year at CGA, Cindy competes internationally while maintaining an almost perfect GPA. She uses CGA’s flexible learning options to stay on top of her learning during demanding training and tournament periods while working towards her ambition of competing at an NCAA Division I university in the US.

“I chose CGA so I would have time for my tennis practices and my extracurriculars.”

Watch Cindy’s story.

Her experience reflects what we want for every CGA athlete: the freedom to pursue their sporting potential without having to compromise on academic ambition.

The Next Chapter for CGA Athletes

There is no single pathway for a student-athlete.

Some are aiming for US college recruitment through the NCAA. Some hope to turn professional. Others simply want to see how far they can take their sport while keeping their academic options open.

As our community grows, CGA will continue evolving around those ambitions, with greater specialist support, more academic choice, stronger connections between athletes and an increasingly personalised learning experience.

Because taking sport seriously shouldn’t mean taking education less seriously.

Build the Right Academic Pathway for Your Athlete

Every athlete’s situation is different.

Chat with our CGA Admissions Team today for personalised recommendations on academic requirements, course selection, year-by-year planning, and transitioning to online learning.