Welcome to Walden Athletics

Walden School follows a no-cut policy in all sports. A variety of sports are offered and provide opportunities for students in all three divisions to participate in and enjoy the benefits of athletics. It is important to remember that athletics is an EXTRA-curricular activity, designed to add to, not replace or compete with the academic concerns of the school. In all sports, academics must come first. Grade checks are conducted on a weekly basis. There are valuable lessons that sports and being part of a team can teach kids that transfer, directly and indirectly, to their academic performance. Responsibility, motivation, time management, a sense of self-worth and connection, pride, testing your limits, initiative, cooperation, respect, health, commitment, learning that life is not always fair, all these things are an integral part of a properly run sports program. All these things contribute to doing well academically.

My philosophy is that sports should be used as a vehicle to get people involved, in the school, in their families, and in each other’s lives. That involvement will create a sense of community and family. That, in turn, will lead to a vibrant, enthusiastic camaraderie that makes a school successful…. a place that you want to be…. a home away from home.

Walden is known for its caring environment, its openness and its parental involvement in academic areas, so the base is there to expand that into athletics. My goal is to have parents and kids want to be here at Walden with their friends and teammates after school and not scatter to their homes and club teams. That goal brings up the issue of commitment. Kids need to be committed to Walden, first and foremost, above whatever club, church league, “Y”, etc. that they may take part in. A sports program cannot be built on a part time basis. If the school athletic programs are first class, then these other programs will not be able to compete for our athletes.

I feel that it is extremely important to make every effort to have our coaches be in-house. The advantage of having a coach who is also a teacher should be obvious. There is already a connection and it works toward the goal of involvement of kids, faculty and parents in creating our family, our pride and our spirit. It is extremely beneficial for the teacher to see the student in a non-classroom setting and equally beneficial for the student to see the teacher in another light.

I believe that developing a sense of continuity from Lower School through Upper School is also a key to the growth of our sports programs. Toward that end, we try to use Middle School and Upper School athletes to help run our Lower School Clinics. Again, the benefits of creating a sense of family and the increase in school spirit and that flows from this sense of “connectedness” will make Walden Pride more than just a catch-phrase.

The Upper School offers teams in cross country, volleyball, basketball, dance and both indoor and outdoor track & field. The Middle School mirrors these offerings. Lower School Grades Three and Four can participate in cross country, basketball and outdoor track & field and are offered clinics in dance and volleyball. Students in Kindergarten through Grade Two are offered clinics in cross country, volleyball, dance, basketball and track & field. We offer a swim clinic for grades 3-12. Athletes in Middle School and Upper School also have access, in season, to our Weight Room as part of their practices. Any student above Grade 6 may enroll in weight-training sessions on a first-come, first-served basis.

An Athletic Department Handbook is provided to all who participate in our programs and outlines the philosophies, time commitments, academic, attendance and conduct eligibility requirements for each division. Walden is a member of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association and, as such, follows KHSAA requirements in all Upper School sports.

John Jackson

Director of Athletics