When NBA players talk about family life, the conversation usually stays abstract, balancing travel, seasons, and time away from home. Dennis Schröder took a more direct route. In a recent interview with BILD, the German guard explained why he and his family chose homeschooling for their children in the United States, and his reasoning had little to do with convenience or privilege.
“This is a difficult situation here,” Schröder said. “In America it’s a bit dangerous. There are so many guns. You keep hearing reports about someone going into an elementary school.”
For Schröder, the decision was rooted in safety and proximity.
“We just want the kids to be with us and for us to have control, so we can pass on the right values to them.”
The setup reflects both intention and structure. Schröder explained that three private tutors come to work with his children, covering their curriculum in a controlled environment. It’s a solution that fits the realities of an NBA lifestyle, but more importantly, it reflects a parental choice shaped by the social context of where the family currently lives.
Schröder also acknowledged the cultural divide this creates.
“In Germany, that’s not normal,” he said, referring to homeschooling.
Germany enforces compulsory in-person schooling, leaving little room for alternatives outside rare exceptions. Schröder admitted that the long-term plan remains open:
“We’ll have to see how we handle that in the future.”
What makes Schröder’s comments resonate is their clarity. He isn’t presenting homeschooling as a trend or a luxury. He’s framing it as a response to an environment he finds difficult to accept for young children. In doing so, he highlights a reality many international players quietly navigate: living in one system while being shaped by the values and norms of another.
For Schröder, the choice underscores a broader truth about life in the NBA. Even at the highest level of professional sport, family decisions are often driven not by fame or resources, but by the same fundamental instinct that guides parents everywhere, the desire to protect their children and stay close while doing it.
