Upper School

Athletics

Where competitors are made

Upper School athletics at Highland is the highest expression of everything that came before. Students don't just play here, they compete, lead, and leave a mark. On the field, the court, and the track, they discover what they're capable of when the stakes are real and the team is counting on them.

This is where the journey reaches full speed.

Almost everyone plays. That's the point

At many schools, varsity sports belong to a select few. Not here.

Each year, 78% of Highland's Upper School students play at least one varsity sport. That's not a coincidence, t's a philosophy. We build a program broad enough to welcome real participation and serious enough to win when it counts.

Big enough to compete. Open enough to include.

We win. A lot. But that's not why we do it

Since 2000, Highland teams have brought home 25 state titles in ten different sports. As a founding member of the Greater Piedmont Athletic Conference (GPAC), our athletes face tough competition across the conference and the state.

But trophies are the byproduct, not the goal. We believe that when students give their best effort, success follows. The winning takes care of itself when the work is real.

Compete hard. Compete right. The results speak for themselves.

Five pillars hold the whole program up

Highland athletics runs on five principles — built by our coaches, lived by our athletes.

Character

Who you are when the game gets tough.

Community

The team that has your back, on and off the field.

Commitment

Showing up, every practice, every season.

Competitiveness

The drive to be your best against the best.

Culture

A standard that's bigger than any single season.

Together, they teach students that the quality of the process matters more than the outcome of any single contest.

Three seasons, many teams. You belong here

Highland fields 20 varsity teams for boys and girls across three seasons, plus Junior Varsity options that give more students the chance to compete and grow. Click on the expanding boxes below to see the full list of offerings by season:

Team

Season

1 / 9

Meet Our Team

List of 3 members.

Gary Leake

Athletic Director
Reynolds Oare 00

Associate Athletic Director
Jasmine Whitney

Assistant Athletic Director

List of 3 items.

Fall Season

• Varsity Boys Cross Country
• Varsity Girls Cross Country
• Varsity Girls Field Hockey
• Varsity Boys Soccer
• Varsity Girls Tennis
• Junior Varsity Girls Volleyball
• Varsity Girls Volleyball
Winter Season

• Junior Varsity Boys Basketball
• Junior Varsity Girls Basketball
• Varsity Boys Basketball
• Varsity Girls Basketball
• Varsity Co-Ed Swimming
Spring Season

• Varsity Boys Baseball
• Varsity Co-Ed Golf
• Junior Varsity Boys Lacrosse
• Varsity Boys Lacrosse
• Varsity Girls Lacrosse
• Varsity Girls Soccer
• Varsity Boys Tennis

What they learn here, they keep for life

The final whistle is never really the end.

Highland athletes graduate knowing how to push past their limits, recover from a tough loss, and earn a win the right way. They've led teammates, managed pressure, and balanced a demanding sport with a demanding schedule. Those aren't athletic skills. They're life skills.

Long after the scoreboard goes dark, that's what stays.

See it for yourself

The best way to understand Highland athletics is to feel the energy in person. Come watch a game, meet our coaches, and picture your athlete in the lineup.