Athletics Perseverance Integrity Leadership
Abington Friends School
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AFS supports healthy living, leadership development and community spirit through a strong and dynamic athletics and wellness program.
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Now more than ever young people must
establish physical fitness as part of a healthy lifestyle. The AFS athletics program develops students into strong athletes who are successful and prepared to continue their competitive athletic experience in college.
At AFS, we teach more than just the skills they need to win at their chosen sport. Our faculty and coaches help our students become confident athletes who strive to achieve their personal best while cheering on their teammates.
“Being a student-athlete allowed me to grow both personally and athletically. Participating in AFS Athletics has not only allowed me to excel on the tennis courts and softball field, but has helped me to become a confident leader. Some of my favorite memories from AFS are ones spent with my teammates. I take pride in being an AFS athlete.� - Emily
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Interscholastic Athletics Friends and Champions
AFS students are involved, active and engaged. They are not just spectators. Our school size allows for students to play a sport when they are ready, and to choose to play more than one of our 20 sports if desired. Seventy-five percent of AFS middle school students and nearly fifty percent of upper school students play at least two seasons as a member of a sports team. Many of our coaches are also AFS teachers, and just as each student contributes to the collaborative effort to compete in a game, our coaches contribute greatly in the teaching and learning process of our students. There is a mutual respect among coach and player. This connectivity means our coaches not only see a student’s ability on the field or in the gym, but understand how they think, grow and contribute to the larger collective goals of the team and school. AFS upholds the true spirit of camaraderie. Each year, the Upper School students gather to choose a recipient of the Edward G. Thode Jr. Athletics Award. The Thode award is an honor, because students are using Quaker discernment and decision making together to recognize one of their peers. The award recipient is chosen based on qualities beyond athletic prowess, such as work ethic, consistency and sportsmanship.
“I didn’t get serious about soccer until freshman year. I was on the junior varsity team, but as I got older and continued working, I ended up being the varsity captain my senior year. For me, The Thode Award represents my hard work and the fact that my team and coach have had my back through the whole process. It’s a great honor to be recognized by your teammates, especially when they feel like family.”- Raphael, Thode Athlete Award Winner
Friends Schools League (FSL) AFS is a proud member of the Friends Schools League (FSL), a diverse group of nine independent schools that share the same Quaker values of healthy competition. The schools in the league – educators, students and families together – strive to create an environment of unreserved respect for all individuals and support of athletes at every level of development.
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The new Richard N. Berman Athletics Center is a dramatic expansion of the AFS athletics and physical education facilities, which includes: a competition basketball court, expansive spectator seating, a state-of-the-art fitness center and training room, and a multi-purpose space for yoga, dance and other activities. 8
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This new center demonstrates our commitment to provide excellent athletic facilities and fields and top-notch coaches and trainers to help all of our students grow and thrive as athletes. 10
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Friends Schools League championships of our varsity coaching staff have played a sport at the collegiate and/or professional level interscholastic teams and instructional athletics programs each year
20 Sports Offered
for both Middle and Upper School levels Boys Soccer Girls Soccer Boys Tennis Girls Tennis Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Wrestling Swimming (Upper School) Boys and Girls Indoor Track (Upper School) Baseball Softball Track and Field Boys and Girls Cross Country Golf (Upper School) Girls Lacrosse Ultimate Frisbee Co-ed (Upper School)
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Cultivating Student Athletes
“What I love about being a Roo is that not only are we having fun, but I get closer to other people in different grades through the sport and that makes a huge impact on the team and your day to day life at AFS.” - Claire
Building Champions with Character
At AFS, we believe in promoting the highest standard of excellence in physical education, but we accomplish this in our own unique fashion. Our mission statement speaks to our commitment to the moral, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of our students.
Lower School (Preschool–Grade 4) Recognizing the importance of physical education for growing minds and bodies, AFS emphasizes the joy of sports and active play. The early years at AFS plant the seeds that will produce leaders with a passion for play. We want our students to be confident, healthy, lifelong participants in physical activity. The daily schedule for Lower School students incorporates movement concepts and cultivates motor skills with daily recess periods and physical education classes.
Middle School (Grade 5–Grade 8) Middle School is the time in the AFS cycle when we encourage students to discover their athletic potential. AFS emphasizes engagement, skill development and team membership. These are the years that our students often ignite new passions that continue through Upper School and beyond. The flexible curriculum at AFS allows students the time and space year-round to explore what fits best with their abilities and personal goals. More than 75% of AFS middle schoolers are members of two or more athletic teams each year.
Upper School (Grade 9–Grade 12) From our championship-level players, to those who practice personal fitness options such as yoga and pilates, every upper school student is an athlete. 80% of upper school students participate in an interscholastic team and half of those students choose to participate in two or more. The AFS athletics program develops students into strong athletes who are leaders with integrity and perseverance, prepared to continue their competitive athletic experience in college. Many AFS alums have gone on to excel at universities such as New York University, Georgetown, and Howard. Throughout AFS history, alumni have become Olympic athletes, sports journalists and collegiate coaches.
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Roos continuing their athletic pursuits in college:
Roos continuing their passion for athletics as a career:
Sierra - Soccer - Saint John’s University Kara - Soccer - Cedar Crest College Madison - Track & Field - Ursinus College Jade - Basketball - University of Hartford Alex - Soccer - Susquehanna University Erica - Track & Field - Temple University Lauryn - Lacrosse - Howard University Jared - Basketball - Franklin & Marshall College John - Golf - Muhlenberg College Alec - Track & Field - Saint Joseph’s University Jason - Basketball - Xavier University Jake - Wrestling - New York University Andrew - Basketball - Penn State University Alexa - Basketball - Monmouth University Jabril - Basketball - Georgetown University Nicole - Cross Country & Track - Savannah College of Art + Design Nate - Baseball - Gettysburg College Ben - Tennis - Middlebury College
Jason - Basketball Coach - Louisville University Jesse - Sports Reporter - The Washington Post Angie - Basketball Coach - Abington Friends School Michael - Basketball Coach - Colgate University Ben - Sports Radio Producer - WIP Sports Radio Josh - Television Producer - Philadelphia 76ers Nancy - Athletics Administrator - George School Andrew - Basketball Coach - Oklahoma City Thunder Lauren - Basketball Coach - Shippensburg University Adam - Podcast Host - Bleacher Report Jason - Editor - ESPN Jeff - Baseball Blogger - Phillies Minor Thoughts
575 Washington Lane Jenkintown, PA 19046 215.576.3950 www.abingtonfriends.net/athletics
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AFS is a coeducational college-preparatory school for students from age 3 through Grade 12, deeply rooted in Quaker values.