Athletic Teams
| FALL |
VARSITY |
JV |
MIDDLE SCHOOL
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| Boys’ Football |
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| Boys’ Soccer |
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| Girls’ Soccer |
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| Boys’ Cross Country |
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| Girls’ Cross Country |
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| Girls’ Field Hockey |
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| Girls’ Volleyball |
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| Girls’ Tennis |
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| WINTER |
VARSITY |
JV |
MIDDLE SCHOOL
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| Boys’ Basketball |
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| Girls’ Basketball |
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| Boys’ Swimming |
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| Girls’ Swimming |
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| Boys’ Indoor Track |
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| Girls’ Indoor Track |
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Boys' Ice Hockey
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| SPRING |
VARSITY |
JV |
MIDDLE SCHOOL
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| Boys’ Baseball |
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| Girls’ Softball |
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| Boys’ Lacrosse |
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| Girls’ Lacrosse |
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| Boys’ Tennis |
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| Boys’ Golf |
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| Girls’ Golf |
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| Boys’ Track & Field |
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| Girls’ Track & Field |
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| Coed Ultimate Frisbee |
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Varsity In every sport, varsity competition is the culmination of the program. Normally, seniors and juniors make up the majority of a varsity roster. Some sophomores and a very few freshman students are sometimes included on Fieldston varsity teams.
Team size at the varsity level is limited. The number of participants on a team is based on the number needed to conduct an effective practice and the number needed to compete in interscholastic games. A student who chooses to participate on a varsity team needs to understand his or her role on that team, and early in the season a coach is expected to communicate clearly and candidly with each varsity player about that role. While we understand that playing time is important to every team member and coaches try to give every varsity athlete a meaningful amount of playing time over the span of a season, playing time at the varsity level is never guaranteed.
A positive attitude and a high level of skill are prerequisites for a position on a varsity team, as is the realization that a varsity sport may require a six – day per week commitment. As with junior varsity teams, this commitment often extends into vacation periods. In particular, we expect all varsity athletes to be available for practices and games during the second week of a two-week vacation period.
Junior Varsity The junior varsity program is intended for upper school students who display the potential to develop into varsity level performers. Although team membership varies, freshmen and sophomores occupy the majority of junior varsity roster positions. In certain situations, juniors who might be expected to contribute to the varsity level as seniors will be considered for junior varsity teams.
At the junior varsity level, athletes are expected to have committed themselves to the team and to continued self-improvement. To this end, emphasis is placed on physical conditioning, fundamental skills, strategy and teamwork. At the junior varsity level, although coaches make an effort to provide meaningful playing time for all team members, the outcome of the game becomes an important consideration, and the amount of playing time a junior varsity player has in a given game and throughout the season has to do with the coach’s assessment of how that player will perform in a given game against a given opponent than in the modified program.
Faithful attendance and effort at practice are important at the junior varsity level. Participants at this level are preparing themselves for the six day-a-week commitments that will be expected of them at the varsity level. Games and practices rarely take place on Sundays and holidays, but they sometimes occur on Saturdays and during school vacations. Except in rare cases, during the December and March breaks families of junior varsity and varsity athletes can count on having the first week to themselves. If families are at home during the second week, junior varsity and varsity athletes are expected to attend all scheduled practices and games. Middle School
Currently we offer a middle school interscholastic program to Form II students. Which middle school athletic teams we offer and how many we offer are determined by student interest and by the junior varsity and varsity teams we are able to offer.
Although the middle school program is a competitive program, it is designed chiefly to meet the developmental needs of its participants. At this level, the focus is on learning athletic skills, game rules, the fundamentals of team play, and sportsmanship. In that vein, athletes in our middle school program are prohibited from practicing or playing on junior varsity or varsity teams.
Middle school team coaches are expected to make every effort to provide each team member with an opportunity to play in every game or, if numbers make that goal impossible, to develop a rotation that will ensure meaningful playing time for each team member in as many games as possible. Unfortunately, because of the large number of Form II students who want to play on certain teams and the safety and space issues those large numbers can raise, we sometimes have to limit the number of players on a middle school team roster.
The middle school program takes place within the regular school calendar. In particular, there is no summer pre-season middle school program. The only exception to this is our middle school football program, which begins the day after Labor Day. Middle school team sign-ups occur during the first few days of each season’s physical education class, with tryouts taking place shortly after. Once selected, athletes on middle school teams practice during their scheduled physical education classes. Middle school games take place after school.
Team Trips
Many varsity teams supplement either their pre-season preparation or their competitive schedule by traveling during the summer, or during the winter or spring recesses. All costs associated with team travel are to be incurred by the participants. Fundraising can be a major source of revenue to help offset costs. As with apparel, students on financial aid are eligible for a discount and should consult with the coach or the director of athletics.
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