Athletics FAQs

On Wednesday July 22nd, the PVAC Athletic Directors voted to postpone the start of the fall sports season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Directors have created a condensed three-season plan, which will have competition begin in January. The Directors felt that this was the best course of action given the plans of our peer leagues in the DMV and will give our student-athletes the best opportunity to compete against both league and non-league opponents. All season plans will only go forward if health conditions allow.

Season 1 (Winter Sports: January - February)

8 Weeks

• 1 Week PVAC Tournament
• Sports
• Basketball
• Rock Climbing Team
• Swimming (Club)
• Ice Hockey (Club)

Season 2 (Fall Sports: February - April)

8 Weeks

• 1 Week PVAC Tournament
• Sports
• Cross Country Boys & Girls
• Soccer Boys & Girls
• Volleyball

Season 3 (Spring Sports: April - June)

8 Weeks

• 1 Week PVAC Tournament
• Sports
• Baseball
• Golf
• Softball
• Track & Field Boys & Girls
• Lacrosse Boys & Girls

All three divisions will have a physical education curriculum while engaged in remote learning.

In the Lower School, students will be engaged in one synchronous lesson a week, in addition to activities sent home to be completed asynchronously. Time blocks of PE for each grade (K-5) have been developed by the Lower School SRT to match the developmental ages and to balance core curriculum subjects.

In the Middle School, students will be engaged in two PE blocks a week in a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction; the delivery of the material will be dependent on the unit and content to be taught.

In the Upper School, most students typically receive their physical activity graduation requirement through participation in interscholastic and intramural offerings; however, both of these are on hold until in-person learning has resumed. Therefore, the PE department has created two options in addition to modern dance and yoga, for US students to remain engaged physically. An online Virtual Strava Club - Steps/Walk/Run/Bike/Hike PE Class will be offered, and students are highly encouraged to participate in a friendly challenge course in which they will set personal fitness goals with the aid of an instructor. In addition, a more rigorous agility and conditioning program utilized with the interscholastic sports teams in the past as a summer training program will be dispersed to those interested in a higher level of physical activity 

Students in the Lower School have P.E. regularly, as well as opportunities to participate in sports activities. SSFS Team Sports begin in the 6th Grade.  
 

Team schedules can be found on the School website under Athletics > Teams and Schedules. Select the Upper School or Middle School tab, then click your child’s team. Double-clicking on an individual game in the schedule provides additional details about game time, location, transportation, and a link to directions if away. Please keep in mind that return times listed are estimates only.  Team schedules are updated seasonally. All changes due to weather are typically decided by noon of the day of the game; changes are then posted online, and communicated to team members and parents/guardians via email. 

Upper School Athletics and Intramurals:
Steve Powers (Athletics Director)
Stephen.Powers@ssfs.org

Middle School Athletics:
Karen Cronin (MS Sports Coordinator)
Karen.Cronin@ssfs.org

Athletic related injuries or health concerns:
Julie Tucker (Athletic Trainer)
Julie.Tucker@ssfs.org

Physical Education/Off-Campus Sport Participation Credit:
Amanda Hill (PE Department Head)
Amanda.Hill@ssfs.org

There are no cuts on our Middle School teams. In the Upper School, there are cuts for varsity teams. (A JV team may be formed if there is enough student interest.)  Please refer to the Upper School and Middle School SSFS athletic philosophies that can be found online. 

For 2019-2020, the Middle School offers baseball, softball, basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, and volleyball. In the Upper School, teams include baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, ice hockey (a consortium team), lacrosse, rock climbing, soccer, track and field, and volleyball. Please keep in mind that teams can change due to numbers of participants.

Yes! Please direct all off-campus PE participation (dance, swimming, horseback riding, etc.) to the PE Department Head (Amanda Hill, amanda.hill@ssfs.org).

There are several PE and intramural course offerings available during the school day and after school that will fulfill the sports credit requirement. Please see the  Upper School Curriculum Guide for details.

• 9th and 10th Grades: Students must participate in two PE classes or team sports each year.
• 11th and 12th Grades: Students must participate in one PE class or team sport each year.