We're serious about athletics here at Greenhill, which is why physical activity is part of every school day.
 
We believe that learning to move is as important as learning to add and subtract. That's why Preschool and Lower School Physical Education is an important part of every school day. Through team-oriented activities, students build skills and learn valuable lessons, like how to give their all and be great teammates. Better yet, they get inspired to pursue sports and exercise for years to come.
 
In fifth and sixth grade, students practice a wide variety of team sports in PE class. They discover what they like and develop skills to play competitively. In seventh and beyond, students may choose to join one or more of Greenhill's 62 competitive teams. Alternatively, students can take PE electives like Dance, Ultimate Frisbee, Total Body Fitness, Yoga, and more. No matter what gets you moving, you'll graduate with a higher level of fitness and a healthy desire to push your own limits.
 

Healthy Competition

We believe that when taught correctly, competition is both good and healthy. Because all of our students are exposed to competition, even in their earliest years, we purposely and deliberately teach the principles of healthy competition. The foundation that we establish continues as our students transition to Greenhill sports teams and in our 7 – 12 grade Physical Education classes.
 
What is healthy competition? We believe that healthy competition focuses on having fun and learning skills; focuses on giving your best effort and pushing yourself harder than you would have without competition, rather than winning or losing; promotes teamwork and positive participation; drives you to achieve more growth and success; requires the courage to take risks; requires the willingness to accept the outcome even if it involves failure; and makes you feel proud of yourself for trying – no matter the outcome.
 
For the purposes of comparison, what is unhealthy competition? Unhealthy competition focuses only on winning, being the best, or being better than others; emphasizes the pressure to win over the fun of playing or learning skills; makes you feel like a failure for losing, even if you put forth your best effort; causes you to miss out on the important lessons that can be learned from losing; causes you to feel negatively about other peoples’ success as opposed to motivated or inspired; and motivates you to seek competitors who are naturally weaker than you, so that you feel like you an advantage.
 
Ultimately, competition is healthy when it pushes students to achieve their best. Healthy competition is evident when relationships with teammates and opponents are friendly and not strained. Each student strives to accomplish goals at his own pace, without worrying about what others are thinking or doing.
 

Preschool & Lower School

In Preschool/Lower School Physical Education, students participate in various movement activities designed to promote motor and manipulative development, the understanding of a healthy lifestyle, and a positive self-image.
 
Teachers place emphasis on enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction within movement experiences. We integrate PE classes with classroom units of study, engaging the students and building enthusiasm for athletics and fitness, which will carry them through competitive or recreational sports in Middle and Upper School and throughout their adult lives.
 

Middle School

Middle School Athletics provides all students with the opportunity to play a sport and improve athletic skills during the season. We establish an environment where our student-athletes are challenged and supported. Middle School sports are, in some cases, an introduction to team sports, and coaches focus on the fundamentals and an understanding of the game itself as stepping stones toward improvement.
 
Developing individual and team skills as well as a healthy team attitude are also the primary goals of the Middle School program. Throughout the program, we strive to teach our young athletes about the value of competition; commitment to a team and a season-long process; the value of teamwork; how to learn from both positive and negative situations; leadership, judgment, and character; sportsmanship and ethical conduct in the context of fair play; how to develop a strong work ethic.
 
These reasons are why players on Middle School teams will receive as much playing time in games as possible. Playing time will not be equal, but it will be meaningful over the course of a season. In certain sports, there will be an evaluation period/preseason to help coaches place students on an appropriate team and equal to his/her skill level. Ultimately, success on the Middle School level is not measured so much by wins and losses as it is by improved skills and a genuine interest in the sport itself.
 

Upper School

Greenhill Athletics strives to provide opportunities to all interested Upper School students to become well-rounded student-athletes. We pride ourselves in providing the best learning and competitive situations for each of our participants.
 
To this end, we seek to include all interested participants at an appropriate level of competition, and we are committed to the following goals: teach the value of competition; develop athletic skills; encourage commitment to a team and a season-long process; teach the value of teamwork; learn from both positive and negative situations; develop leadership, judgment, and character; develop sportsmanship and ethical conduct in the context of fair play; and develop a strong work ethic.
 
Being a part of the athletic program and a team is a privilege and a commitment to hard work, self-discipline, dedication, and relentless effort. In earning a place on an athletic team at Greenhill, the student-athlete accepts the following responsibilities: be a worthy representative of the team and the school at all times; maintain a high-level of fitness and health; be a positive contributor in practices and games regardless of playing time; be responsible for personal and teammates; safety at all times; be a model of good sportsmanship; learn to balance time commitments between schoolwork, school commitments, and athletics in a constructive manner; commit to fully participate in the entire season of practices and games; and be responsible for communication with coaches and staff when emergencies conflict with athletic responsibilities.
 
All Greenhill interscholastic athletic teams should strive to compete at the highest level possible. Competition is an important component in the pursuit of excellence. However, coaches, players, administrators, and parents should keep in mind that the overall mission of our interscholastic athletics program is to model and develop strong character, commitment, responsibility, and humility.

Greenhill School

A coed independent day school for prekindergarten – Grade 12
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