Athletics

The athletics program is divided according to season. After learning a variety of stretching and warm-up exercises, students play soccer during the fall, developing technical skills and participating in intramural scrimmages. The winter season is divided between a cross-country running program and a fitness challenge, where each student is taught and tested three times during the year in four fitness areas: push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle (sprint) run, and endurance (distance) run, with everyone working to demonstrate improvement. In spring, students participate in a health and explorations program that introduces a variety of sports and physical activities. The program is supplemented with short-term classes in dance and yoga provided by volunteer instructors. Through athletics, we focus on achieving five major objectives:

1. Valuing and modeling aspects of good character, responsibility, self-improvement, sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance.
2. Mastering the fundamental skills of soccer, running, and other sports in a fun, safe, and encouraging environment.
3. Developing small and large muscle groups, honing motor skills, and acquiring knowledge of game rules and strategies through a variety of structured activities and drills.
4. Promoting life-long enthusiasm for healthy living with physical activity, general fitness, and good nutrition as central components.
5. Preparing students for a rewarding experience in inter-scholastic team sports during grades seven and eight.