One of the first facts families learn at The Gregory School is that we have a no-cut athletics policy. This means that any student at any grade level, from the novice to the advanced player, can participate in interscholastic sports. And we have the numbers to back this up. For example, this year we fielded three Upper School boys basketball teams and a girls team and three Middle School soccer teams. Between Upper and Middle School this spring, we have 55 students participating in track and field. This is just a fraction of the numbers.

“Credit goes to our coaches,” Athletic Director Angela Earnhart said. “They do a great job of working with everyone at all levels. Our coaches know that anyone is welcome. As long as you have a good attitude and a strong work ethic, we’d love to have you.” Coach Earnhart added that the inclusiveness of our athletics program does not make us non-competitive. Our athletics web page offers a lengthy list of accomplishments.

Having a good attitude and work ethic is an important part of The Gregory School’s athletics philosophy because, as Coach Earnhart explained, “We work to teach life-long lessons through athletics. Our program and our coaches are not just about the kid on the court or the field; We focus on them as a whole person.” 

For this reason, teams provide plenty of opportunities outside of playing, including volunteering off campus, building community on campus, holding work days in the gym, and more. And, of course, all TGS student athletes know that school has to come first. TGS coaches also encourage students to play multiple sports rather than specializing. Students who participate in a sport every season all four years of Upper School get their photo on the gym wall and special recognition at the Upper School athletics banquet as a “Hawk for All Seasons.”

When The Gregory School athletics program combines the personal attributes we encourage in our athletes with our coaches’ readiness to include novice players, we create a student-athlete experience for students who may never have expected to have one, adding a new, meaningful dimension to that student’s life.

Coach Earnhart cites the example of TGS senior Chris Corral ‘23. “I saw Chris from across the gym with his mom at the Activities Expo the day before he started school here as a freshman. I approached him about playing basketball.” Chris was hesitant and said that he’d never played before. “I told him, ‘We can’t teach height, but we can teach everything else.’” This year, Chris was a starting varsity player who scored 23 points in a single game.

"Playing sports here made me into the person I am today," Chris said. "From the friendships I’ve made to the massive changes in my lifestyle, I’m grateful for all four years I got to play for the Hawks."