Lower School

Athletics

It starts with play

At Highland, athletics begins long before the first whistle of a varsity game. It begins in the Lower School where our youngest students run, jump, throw, and discover that moving their bodies is one of the best parts of the day. This is where confidence takes root, one game at a time.

Physical education every week

Movement isn't a once-in-a-while treat at Highland. It's a daily habit.

Lower School students take physical education three to four times a week, with units that run three to four weeks each. They learn the skills and rules behind team sports like soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and indoor hockey, not through drills alone, but through games that make learning feel like fun.

And it doesn't stop at team sports. Students also build lifelong fitness habits through running, jump rope, and cycling. The goal is simple: give every child a reason to keep moving long after the school day ends.

Recess is more than a break

We treat recess as part of the program, not a pause from it.

Every day, students head outside to play on their own terms. They invent games. They negotiate rules. They build friendships and burn energy. It looks like free time, but it's where some of the most important lessons happen: cooperation, creativity, and how to share a win or shake off a loss.

Blue or Gold? Rivals for 50 years

Few Highland traditions run deeper than Blue vs. Gold.

In third grade, every student joins the Blue or Gold team, and so does every new student through eighth grade. From fall to spring, teammates earn points in physical education class, building toward something bigger than any single game: belonging.

The whole thing comes to a head each spring at field day. Students tackle an obstacle course, sprint the 80-yard dash, push through a distance run, and test their aim with accuracy throws. It's spirited. It's loud. And it's the kind of day kids remember for years.

Fundamentals now. Confidence for life

Everything we do in Lower School athletics points toward the same outcome: a child who feels capable.

We teach age-appropriate skills, encourage social and emotional growth, and reward effort over outcome. Students learn responsibility. They practice compassion. And bit by bit, they discover the quiet satisfaction of doing something hard and doing it well.

That feeling — I can do this — is what they carry forward into Middle School, Upper School, and everything beyond.

See where your child's journey begins

The best way to understand Lower School athletics is to watch our youngest Hawks in action. Come visit, meet our coaches, and picture your child here.