What private school/s have the best sports programs for boys + girls?

[Anonymous]

Which schools in the area have the best athletic programs for boys + girls?

[Anonymous]

landon, st albans, georgetown prep, holton, stone ridge, episcopal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which schools in the area have the best athletic programs for boys + girls?

Ironically, Landon has a very poor athletic program. Actually, unless a boy arrives at Landon with strong athletic skills in all likelihood he will not develop any new or additional athletic abilities while he is a student at the school.

Team sports practices are only for about an hour at the end of each school day. For many boys these practices are a complete waste of time. These practices only serve to shorten the academic school day and there is not enough time available for anything that faintly resembles a quality team practice.

Because team sport practice sessions are so short, for the most part after a few stretching exercises the coaches and the starting teams just practice plays that will be used in their next game. The rest of the boys just stand on the sidelines for the rest of the practice session.

There is very little time allowed for conditioning, drills, or skills training. Don't get me wrong this is enough if your DS is on the starting team, but if DS is not a starter he will hardly get any exercise at all. It’s fine to play your best players during games and to do everything in your power to win, but this logic should not serve to exclude boys with less talent from even participating in practices. Team sports are part of Landon’s school day (P.E.) and as such they are part of its tuition, yet many boys are left out and flat out ignored by the coaches. They’ll take your money, but they won’t even let you practice???

No wonder why bullying and poor sportsmanship are rampant at Landon.

Just like so many other lies Landon has harbored through these many years, it is not even a good school for physical fitness conditioning, learning teamwork and sportsmanship, or acquiring athletic skills.

[Anonymous]

Not sure where you are getting information from but sports practices are not an hour each day. PE and team sports are part of lower school. Team practices for LS (3-5) are from 1:30 to 2:20 each day. Only 5th graders play other schools. PE classes (physical fitness) is also part of the lower school curriculum which is taught by the US conditioning coach.

Middle school sports are from 2:30 to 3:40 but usually seem to run longer depending on the sport. There is also intramural opportunities and conditioning class each season.

Every boy on a Middle School team must play at least half a game in 6th grade and then it progresses to a quarter of the game in 8th grade. A and B have been eliminated so all the "good kids" are not on one team.

My son has played soccer and baseball at Landon and has learned many skills and had drill sessions. 7th and 8th grade practiced baseball at different stations for different skills.

Upper school practice is from 3:40 to 5:30 for freshman, 5:45 for jv and 6:00 for varsity.

Yes, not everyone will get to play in HS but that is true for every school both public and private.

Varisty/ JV Soccer and Football ran summer camps from the end of June to the end of July for all players interested in playing in the fall. My son participated in this and was warmly welcomed by the kids there including some players that had graduated. Many times football players were joining in the soccer games at the end of the practice.

Conditioning was available all summer to rising HS and current HS students with the conditioning coach 2x/ day morning for 2 hours and afternoon for 2 hours.

There were many times a rising freshman was working with a rising senior.

As long as someone is willing to work hard and shows that on the field and in the gym, the other athletes will appreciate that. You have to put the effort in. It is when someone comes, is not in shape and expects to have lots of playing time that it becomes an issue.

[Anonymous]

It can vary by sport. For example, for girls, St. Stephens St. Agnes is the best in lacrosse and field hockey, but not that good in sports like soccer or basketball. As a rule of thumb, given the bell curve and the importance of having a large pool of potential athletes, the single sex schools tend to have strong programs across the board. So, for girls: Visitation, NCS, Holton, Stone Ridge tend to be strong; for boys, Georgetown Prep, Landon, St. Albans (that's not getting into the WCAC schools). But there are exceptions by sport, as noted above (additional examples: Sidwell excels in boys soccer; Maret is very strong in Volleyball, etc).

[Anonymous]

My children have benefitted greatly from the sports program at Bullis. Not only has the program provided exercise and the development of skills in variety of sports (and physical education in Lower School) but they have truly learned the life lessons that come from being a member of a team and being coached by faculty members.

[Anonymous]

SSSAS has a focused sports program where students select one sport to play daily for each trimester. Every sport imaginable with top facilities at all 3 campuses. Also place importance on proper training with conditioning resources, trainers and coaches.

My child not much of an athlete until he entered but learned to love the benefits of teamwork and the entire playing experience. Have to say that when I do carpool there, the kids all look lean, healthy and athletic.

[Anonymous]

Here is the reality of most of the sports programs at the elite athletic independent schools. They don't bring an average athlete to "develop" him into a good one. They expect these athletes to be good to start with. And then build them into a truly elite level. If you are looking for "participation", go to some of the other less elite athletic schools (Sidwell, Maret, many others, etc.). At the top athletic schools, do not expect to get development for your money. They expect athletes to develop themselves outside of their programs, through club and local league play, etc. Of course there are single sport and coach exceptions, but for the most part, they are looking for the best, and to make them better. The second tier kids are welcome to join the teams, but they are not going to get alot of play. That doesn't mean it can't still be a positive experience for them.

[Anonymous]

A lot of truth in the above post. If your child is an average to above-average athlete but wants to be active and get the great benefits of team competition, schools with offerings but without the high-powered label may be the best route.

[Anonymous]

OP,
Also for some sports, like soccer or swimming, distinction happens outside school in clubs.

[Anonymous]

Ironically, Landon has a very poor athletic program. Actually, unless a boy arrives at Landon with strong athletic skills in all likelihood he will not develop any new or additional athletic abilities while he is a student at the school.

Team sports practices are only for about an hour at the end of each school day. For many boys these practices are a complete waste of time. These practices only serve to shorten the academic school day and there is not enough time available for anything that faintly resembles a quality team practice.

Because team sport practice sessions are so short, for the most part after a few stretching exercises the coaches and the starting teams just practice plays that will be used in their next game. The rest of the boys just stand on the sidelines for the rest of the practice session.

There is very little time allowed for conditioning, drills, or skills training. Don't get me wrong this is enough if your DS is on the starting team, but if DS is not a starter he will hardly get any exercise at all. It’s fine to play your best players during games and to do everything in your power to win, but this logic should not serve to exclude boys with less talent from even participating in practices. Team sports are part of Landon’s school day (P.E.) and as such they are part of its tuition, yet many boys are left out and flat out ignored by the coaches. They’ll take your money, but they won’t even let you practice???

No wonder why bullying and poor sportsmanship are rampant at Landon.

Just like so many other lies Landon has harbored through these many years, it is not even a good school for physical fitness conditioning, learning teamwork and sportsmanship, or acquiring athletic skills.

To Clown who posted this:

I assume you are some father at Landon or some clueless parent who thinks Johnny Boy should be an All star and get more playing time. Anyone who has coached youth sports before, recognizes boys with natural talent and those who work their hardest to improve their game. Not every kid who goes to Landon, Mater Dei or Prep is an athletic super star. Coaching can only a boy so far its what the boy does after practice on his own time. Kids will never become the athletes they want to become if they just think an hour of practice will develop them into stars.

The last time I checked, Landon MS athletics are pretty solid. They seem to beat every local school they play except for Mater Dei. Mater Dei has a different athletic philosophy than Landon, STA and Bullis. MD is clearly the best athletic school in the area for sports at the MS level. Disregard that Mater Dei has a lot of boys who turn 15 in 8th grade, MD has a much longer sports practice than most MS teams do in the area.

Landon MS sports practices typically run from 2:30 to 3:45ish depending on who the coach is.

Why don't you give an example of poor sportsmanship at Landon. I guess Landon is the only school in the area that has bullies.

Whether your son is a starter on the football field or is a bench-warmer, the life lessons boys through competitive team sports are invaluable.

[Anonymous]

True, and the club sports influence is growing (not entirely a good phenomenon, as that tends to exclude people without money).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:True, and the club sports influence is growing (not entirely a good phenomenon, as that tends to exclude people without money).

This comment is absolutely true. As an example, it is why a sport like lacrosse continues to be largely an affluent, insular sport. Much of the development occurs through elite club team that end up costing thousands to participate in.

[Anonymous]

Here is bad sportsmanship.

Landon runs up the score in middle school football every year against STA. Kids sit on the bench and don't play at all until the game is well out of reach (like 35 to 0 or something). STA on the other hand comes with maybe 20 kids on the team (rather than the 35-40 landon seems to have) and plays everyone. It is middle school after all.

Yes Mater Dei does the same thing.

But isn't it funny how STA then plays Landon much more closely come varsity time? Why is that? Because by then they don't play everyone and many boys realize football is not for them. But those that stick with it have been developed.

[Anonymous]

Go Bulldogs! STA has beaten Landon in football for the league title two out of three years. (But Prep is still the best--which is why they got booted out of the IAC in football. . .)