Issue link: https://trevordayschool.uberflip.com/i/915972
Rather than hold athletics practices only after school, they were reconfigured to run concurrently with physical education classes, which are scheduled during the school day. Each season, students have the opportunity to choose to participate on a Middle School athletics teams or take PE electives. Team practices and PE classes are held at the same time, six periods per 10-day cycle— the majority of which are the last period of the day. PE electives conclude at the close of the school day, while athletics practices extend into after-school hours—but typically end 60–120 minutes earlier than peer schools, depending on the sport. Before implementing this new program, students were released from classes at the end of the school day, and athletic team practices would begin shortly thereafter. While this schedule is still standard at many schools across the city, this kind of timetable often constrains students to choose between participating on a school team, or enrolling in an extracurricular club team, or engaging in other off-campus activities. Trevor's schedule, however, frees students to engage in one or more extracurricular activities after school, in addition to Trevor athletics. Director of Athletics and Physical Education, Craig Stolzberg, believes this program is an important distinction and niche of Trevor's. "We now offer more classes and electives than our peer schools, and we have opportunities to train more athletes. With PE and athletics most often scheduled in the last period of the school day, practices that previously began at 4:00 pm, for example, are now ending at 4:15 pm, giving students who participate in extracurricular club teams the ability to continue participating there, as well as on a Trevor team. is allows for more multi-sport athletes and it encourages connections among teammates and classmates." Four years ago, after thoughtful evaluation, Trevor combined its Middle School Athletics and Physical Education (PE) programs. c e innovative program also leads to a higher level of competition among our teams. For instance, a student who has already been playing on a volleyball club team for several years before 6th grade can continue to play on that club team, and also join Trevor's program. Mr. Stolzberg explains, "ese are the kids who want to do both. And this schedule gives them the option to do so, thus giving our athletes more opportunities and time to improve." More practice time results in improved skills and increased competitiveness for Trevor teams. Middle School student-athletes enter Upper School better equipped to handle the increased competition in Junior Varsity and Varsity teams, and possess a higher engagement level and school spirit. Not only has this program increased Trevor's level of competition, but it has also caused a drastic increase in overall student participation—affording the Athletics Department the ability to create more teams for athletes at different skill levels. Mr. Stolzberg says, "I think the major draw is that it allows for students who have never participated in sports to give it a shot, at the correct developmental level. And, because of the timing, it allows for athletes who are advanced in sports and already playing on highly competitive teams to also play for and 1 6 T R E V O R D AY S C H O O L n FA L L 2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 T R E V O R T R A N S L AT E S : middle school intersection of athletics and physical education