Athletics

LOWER SCHOOL

The Lower School sports program introduces boys to Landon sports; the conduct expected of our athletics; the ideals of sportsmanship, teamwork, fair play, and determination; and some interscholastic competition in Grade 5. In addition to the daily sports program, students are given training in physical fitness and good health habits. Each grade has a weekly physical education class that incorporates topics of health.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

The objective of the Middle School athletics program is to teach and develop skills; to develop the spirit of cooperation, unselfishness and teamwork; and to emphasize sportsmanship, fair play and commitment. Coaches in the Middle School make efforts to play every player in interscholastic competition. Tryouts exist to determine the appropriate level of the boy and to make cuts from interscholastic teams. Many Middle School teams make cuts as there are limits on space and team sizes, but coaches aim to err on the side of inclusion when possible. We do not have an intramural program. Students who do not make their first choice team move to either another, larger team that does not have cuts or to strength and conditioning. Interscholastic competition is arranged with schools having similar athletics philosophies to allow Landon boys to apply individual skill, cooperate as a team, develop community pride, and – most importantly – learn the lessons of fair play. In addition to these physical endeavors, the program is supplemented with a health and wellness class. Meeting once per academic cycle, the class enables boys to study various aspects of physical well-being, nutrition, safety, and exercise.

UPPER SCHOOL

The Upper School athletics program holds that every boy should participate in sports every day, whether the participation is individual, intramural or interscholastic; in this way, athletics are best described as “co-curricular.” Participants aim to develop athletic skills and coordination, cultivate a disposition that embraces teamwork and cooperation over individual achievement, find opportunities for enjoyment and satisfaction within sporting pursuits, and appreciate the values of perseverance and effort necessary to meet goals within friendly competition. Because athletics are required, the Upper School will provide a reasonable variety of interscholastic and on-campus sports in order to meet the needs of boys with varying levels of ability and interest; at the same time, the Upper School does promote active participation and full involvement of boys within the spectrum of available offerings, be they interscholastic or not. Upperclassmen who are engaged in a high-level and intensive sports program outside of school, especially those Landon does not offer, will, in certain limited circumstances, be able to apply for a one season exemption through a program called Contract Athletics. While competition is an essential component of the sports program, winning is the byproduct of an approach to athletics that privileges good sportsmanship, fair play, and the involvement of as many boys as possible in practices and games. Finally, because Landon endorses the concept of teachercoaches, the sports program endeavors to provide a unique teaching situation whereby boys and their faculty-coaches share in vigorous athletics activities that bring out the best in all participants and support the school’s ethical mission to develop honest, respectful young men of integrity. Families are encouraged to consider the co-curricular athletic commitments when finalizing a student’s academic course load.