July 2011
Dear Hill Students and Parents:
Welcome or welcome back to Hill! After 10 years on the faculty, I am very excited to be in a new position as Director of Athletics. Our entire Athletic Department team greatly looks forward to working with you all in the upcoming school year.
New students (and the few returners who have yet to complete athletic signups), please take time right now to thoughtfully consider your athletic participation for the 2011-12 year. The following information included in this email will serve as an introduction to Hill athletics for new families and can serve as a good reminder for returners. Included here is:
- The role of athletics in The Hill School curriculum
- Our shared vision of sportsmanship for players, coaches, and fans
- Game schedules
- Preseason practice for fall sports
Athletics at Hill
Athletics are a co-curricular element of a Hill education for their role in teaching students about physical effort, leadership, cooperation, concentration, and grace under pressure. We offer both interscholastic and intramural athletics. Our interscholastic teams are the core of our program, so each student must be involved with at least one of these teams per year (although we recommend students try two or three seasons). Competition, the commitment to excellence, teamwork, and the support of school community are hallmarks of these programs.
Our athletic requirement is THREE seasons of athletic participation each year, ONE season of which must be inter-scholastic in nature. There are some valid
exceptions to this requirement to allow students to pursue excellence in theater, the arts, or community service. Please note that intramural sports are
only available to fifth and sixth form students. The link to our online athletic registration form is included
here.
Please fill out the registration form for after-school activities ASAP, but by August 1 at the latest. More information about the Afternoon Arts offerings, are available
here.
Sportsmanship
The enclosed Code of Conduct Summary is a clear, if simplified, version of our expectations. To fully realize the educational benefits of athletics outlined above, participants must compete both fiercely and with respect for their opponent and for the rules of the game. We remind parents and students that many behaviors that are commonly accepted in other athletic settings today are contrary to the ideals of the Code. Among the behaviors that we need to minimize are:
- Fans or athletes criticizing a decision by an official
- Disrespectful words or actions toward an opposing player or coach
- Fans who direct any comment (humorous or demeaning) at an opposing player
- Parents “coaching” their child from the sideline
Schedules
All interscholastic team game schedules will be posted on the school website at www.thehill.org/scoresandschedules (at the bottom of any Hill webpage, click on “scores” or “schedules”). The fall 2011 game schedule is now posted. Directions to away games can also be found on the website. The web is the best place to find updates and changes in our schedules, as well as results and game recaps.
Preseason
Preseason for most fall sports begins on Thursday, August 25, 2011 (Golf will return on Monday, August 29). View the Preseason Calendar. Information for parents and answers to frequently asked questions about preseason can be found here.
On Thursday, please come to the John P. Ryan Library between 10 a.m. and 12 noon to register. After check-in we will move you into the dormitory where your team is staying for preseason. Attendance at all practice sessions is mandatory throughout this preseason period. Starting on Thursday, August 25 and going through Saturday, September 3, all attendees will be staying on campus. Day students will check out on Saturday, September 3 after practice. Year-long boarding students will move to their permanent rooms on Septembert 3.
Please note that attendance at preseason is by invitation only. Our head varsity coaches invite student-athletes who are legitimate varsity candidates. However, student-athletes must understand that attendance at preseason does not guarantee a spot on a varsity roster. All sports will insist that preseason participants be willing to make a varsity-level commitment during that time (August 25-September 3). Students need to have enough physical conditioning to complete two practices per day, and must realize that one of the goals of preseason is to prepare varsity teams for a demanding fall season. New students who are skilled and dedicated to their sport may find that preseason also helps acclimate and orient them to The Hill, but that orientation is not the primary purpose of fall preseason practice. New students who are not prepared for the rigor of practice are better served by starting school on Sunday, September 4, when new-student orientation takes place. If you have any questions concerning your appropriateness for preseason, please contact the head varsity coach of your sport (contact info below).
All athletes must communicate directly with the coach if you have not already done so, since the coach is responsible with presenting the Athletic Office with an accurate list of participants in his/her sport’s preseason. The most reliable method to contact the following coaches during the summer months is via e-mail.
Other Reminders
1.
You must SEND YOUR MEDICAL FORM to the Health Center by mid-August; you cannot practice without it. 2. You need to bring bed linens, a pillow, and towels.
3. We also recommend student-athletes bring extra bottled water/gatorade and a fan.
4. There will be a swim test for all new students, so please bring a bathing suit.
5. Personal equipment is required for some sports (both intramural and inter-scholastic). In general, the school supplies clean T-shirts, shorts, and towels to all athletic participants who request those items. The school provides team uniforms, but expects students to buy personal items that cannot be re-used by other students in succeeding years.
We very much look forward to welcoming you back to campus this fall. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Athletic Office at 610-705-1201 or by e-mail through Marian Threadgill at
mthreadgill@thehill.org. Have a great rest of summer.
GO BLUES!
Seth Eilberg
The Hill School
Director of Athletics
seilberg@thehill.org