School with Athletic Requirements

[Anonymous]

If you go to a school with an after-school athletics program and you have a non-athletic kid, how do you handle it? Particularly at schools where it seems like it would be tough to make a sports team, like Bullis or Gonzaga.

[Anonymous]

There are usually no cut sports (cross country, track) and/or options that do not require being the greatest athlete (no disrespect to these sports - still great options) like frisbee, fencing, etc.

[Anonymous]

Bullis has an activity requirement with both athletic and non athletic options.

But all the schools have no cut options.

[Anonymous]

They do something no cut like cross country, or they participate in other activities that count for the same type of credit like debate or robotics.

[Anonymous]

Gonzaga only requires one season. But the school play and some club sports like fencing count, along with no cut sports like rugby, crew, freshman football and cross country.
It’s actually great. My son tried something he might not have done and ended up sticking with it.

[Anonymous]

Bullis has an activity requirement 2 out of 3 seasons, not a sport requirement. There's all kinds of arts activities, from instruments to band to theatre to dance and more

[Anonymous]

I read the Bullis website differently -

Physical Education -
2 trimesters of Sports
Extra-Curricular Activities or
Additional Sports -
8 trimesters (2 activities/year
and 2 must be sports)

Rock climbing looks like a non-competitive sport Bullis offers. DC will not likely enjoy running cross country. Gonzaga and Potomac look like they offer a lot of non-competitive sport options, like weight training and conditioning.

[Anonymous]

Does Bullis offer weight training as an option for fulfilling the sports requirement? DS is a good athlete who plays multiple sports, but the way things seem to be going I’m no longer confident he’ll make the cut.

[Anonymous]

Reading the website and attending are 2 different things. My Bullis kid didn't do a single sport - did arts instead

[Anonymous]

The athletics requirements always look more onerous on paper than in practice. There is usually flexibility to add in more non-competitive activities than the handbooks suggest

[Anonymous]

DD's HS offers yoga as a sports option! And they can also do the school play in lieu of athletics. Then again, there's always Walking for Exercise!

Kick the tires and see what fulfills the requirement.

[Anonymous]

Usually schools with a sports requirement have options like these
- non-cut team
- non-team physical activity: yoga, dance, fitness, weight training

And, as others note, sometimes you can do an approved extra curricular activity instead (but sometimes you can't....so ask for details).

Another thing to note. Ask what the time commitment is for various options at schools. This varies a lot and makes a big difference if your DC also wants to take rigorous course schedule.

There is a huge difference between these requirements:
- stay after school for a 2 hr activity M-F (plus more for games/performances/competitions)
- attend a fitness/dance class 2x week for 45 minutes
- no requirement

And a huge difference if a school requires an activity for all 3 seasons a year (fall, winter, spring) vs 2 a year vs none.

I can't tell you how many people end up at a school for 9th grade and are surprised by how late their child is required to stay at school and how it impacts their HW time.

Of course, everybody learns balance, but be sure to know your kid (and their academic abilities and goals) and know how a school's activity requirements will potentially impact them.

[Anonymous]

On the flip side, we see enormous positives to an actual physical requirement: team and community building, outlet for stress, making new friends each season, learning to deal with successes and failures of a different kind, letting some kids shine in a different way, etc. I absolutely value our school’s physical activity requirement. It was an important aspect of our decision and the community vibe really comes through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga only requires one season. But the school play and some club sports like fencing count, along with no cut sports like rugby, crew, freshman football and cross country.
It’s actually great. My son tried something he might not have done and ended up sticking with it.

I agree. DS is also at Gonzaga. In addition to the sports PP mentioned, track and field (winter and spring), swimming and diving, and (I think) wrestling also are no cut. Strength and conditioning also counts, I believe. So, boys who aren’t particularly athletic or are but don’t make their preferred competitive sport still have a lot of options to play a sport and sometimes end up loving the new sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading the website and attending are 2 different things. My Bullis kid didn't do a single sport - did arts instead

It’s a whole separate red flag if the requirements as listed in the website are inaccurate…