Athletics

When student interest in a particular sport warrants multiple teams to be created, tryouts will be held to determine the make-up of a varsity and a junior varsity team. Although both teams will follow the value driven mission of the athletics program, each team will have its own unique philosophical approach. In the junior varsity program, athletes will develop their foundational skills, be allotted equal playing time, and play a limited interscholastic schedule. In the varsity program, athletes will refine their sport-specific skills, earn playing time based on performance, and play a full interscholastic schedule. Leadership opportunities will be provided in both programs.

Athletics takes place Monday through Thursday from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. and is a required component of the school’s curriculum. Students are expected to participate to the best of their ability on a daily basis, and all out of-school commitments should be made in accordance with the athletics schedule.

With few exceptions, all interscholastic games are scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday afternoons and result in later dismissal times from school: 4:45 p.m. for home games and 5:15 p.m. for away games. Dismissal times are dependent on traffic, weather, and game conditions.

Students are required to wear school-approved apparel (t-shirts and shorts) during all practices and are expected to be prepared with sneakers, warm clothes, and a water bottle on a daily basis. Practice apparel is available for purchase through the online athletics store, $12/shirts and $10/shorts.

Students are welcomed and encouraged to use their own sport-specific equipment. When needed, Belmont Day can provide any piece of equipment on a daily or seasonal basis. In addition, students are responsible for their school-issued game uniforms, which need to be returned at the end of each season.

Students are assigned a locker for the duration of the school year and are responsible for their belongings and their actions while sharing this common space. When there is a question about acceptable locker room behavior, the school’s core values will provide the answer.

Tryouts are required when the number of students signed up for a sport necessitates more than one team. The director of athletics will be in contact with the families involved, and it is recommended that families sit down together to discuss the possible outcomes of the experience prior to tryouts.

As with any selection process, the school does its best to anticipate the full range of emotions a child may experience when placed on a given team with coaches and advisors ready to help students process their placement here at school. Additionally, families are encouraged to have thoughtful conversations with their child about the opportunities and challenges associated with both possible outcomes. Team decisions are made by the Director of Athletics with input from sport specific coaches.

While athletics are a required component of the middle school curriculum, students are eligible to apply for an athletic waiver one season per academic year if they exhibit exemplary skill in a sport that Belmont Day does not offer and are scheduled to participate in that sport for at least 5 non-weekend hours per week during the season.