athletics at an independent school
Fitness For Life
Preschool through grade three students take regular physical education classes that stress learning hand eye coordination, gross motor skills, and technical skills through inclusive games and exercises aimed at a lifetime love of movement. The lower school program introduces a variety of sports, aerobic conditioning, and encourages a love of activity.
Beginning in fourth grade, formal team sport development is introduced with a focus on skill-building, social development, and sportsmanship. As an example, Harbor's 'March Madness' tournament takes place each spring with students determining teams, designing jerseys, and assigned coaches and playing positions.
Private School Sports
Students begin competing on interscholastic teams in grade five, with soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter. Team sports at Harbor, near West Islip and Setauket, offer an unusual opportunity and are based on the values of everyone participating and playing hard and playing fairly. In a larger middle school, or in a high school that begins in seventh grade, an eighth grade athlete might very well be lost, dominated by older and more skilled students, and neglected by coaches who focus on key team members. They might not play often, or may not even make the team. At Harbor, the same young athlete will have an opportunity to lead, building technical skills with intense personal coaching and developing interpersonal skills as the natural role models for younger students.
Preschool through grade three students take regular physical education classes that stress learning hand eye coordinator, gross motor skills, and technical skills through inclusive games and exercises aimed at a lifetime love of movement. The lower school program introduces a variety of sports, aerobic conditioning, and encourages a love of activity.
Beginning in fourth grade, formal team sport development is introduced with a focus on skill-building, social development, and sportsmanship. As an example, Harbor's 'March Madness' tournament takes place each spring with students determining teams, designing jerseys, and assigned coaches and playing positions.
We use the teacher/coach/advisor model at Harbor. Because our coaches are also our teachers and advisors, the relationships between students and teachers continue to the fields and court, thus extending the classroom-learning environment. Often, this helps reinforce lessons learned in class and on the field. Moreover, as teacher-coaches, we often see different aspects of students on the field than we do in the classroom, providing a more rounded view of our students and offering teaching opportunities in a different setting.