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STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
Mission
"Athletics for All" has been a long-held principle at Western Reserve
Academy. The athletic experience at WRA is viewed as a curricular
and integral part of the total educational experience that is built
around the WRA values of excellence, integrity and compassion.
For this reason, all WRA students and faculty are expected to participate
in a diverse, well-rounded interscholastic team athletics program.
Western Reserve Academy strives to ensure that each student-athlete
is enriched in mind, body and spirit by the team athletic experience,
realizes his or her individual potential and contributes at a team
level commensurate with his or her ability.
WRA athletics offers a needed balance to academics, co-curricular
activity and residential life. We wish to encourage and support
a healthy lifestyle by providing regular opportunities that can
produce physical, psychological, emotional and social benefits,
which enhance all areas of student development and carry over into
future endeavors.
Athletic Administration
Within the facilities and resources available, WRA is committed
to providing depth, breadth and choices for its students. WRA offers
23 different interscholastic sports for boys and girls and 53 separate
level teams throughout the year. In addition to the interscholastic
team sports offerings, there are numerous recreational, fitness
and alternative selections each year. On a yearly basis the athletic
office actively involves approximately 60 faculty/coaches and 15
non-faculty coaches and support staff.
WRA strives to maintain a high-quality, competitive interscholastic
athletics program.
WRA is committed to establishing clear coaching expectations, guidelines
and responsibilities for all team levels and coaching positions.
WRA designs and offers professional development opportunities that
support coaches in their particular sport.
Teaching/Coaching
Western Reserve Academy's resident faculty members coach all
sports and emphasize attitude and spirit, teamwork, sportsmanship,
physical/cardio fitness and development of fundamentals and skills.
With our faculty-coaches, WRA's athletic program mirrors our classrooms:
our coaching is a complex and demanding form of teaching. It is
a field where athletic and physical expertise and pedagogical style
are both important, but only part of the equation, which includes
the ability to build personal relationships, infuse trust and confidence,
create successful group dynamics, inspire individuals to make the
maximum effort, and model adult maturity and balance.
Graduation Requirements
Each student is required to participate in an organized sports
activity in each of the three athletic seasons. All freshmen and
sophomores must participate in a team sport for each of the three
seasons of their given year. Juniors and seniors must participate
in two or three seasons of interscholastic sports for each year.
When a student selects only two seasons of team sports, he or she
must also select a non-team sport, exercise/fitness option or non-sport
alternative. When a student wishes to participate in an alternative
independent project, he or she must submit an application to the
Athletics Committee before the beginning or the season. The Athletics
Committee reviews the request and makes recommendations to the director
of athletics. Students with special medical concerns are required
to give a written doctor's verification to the director of athletics.
In addition, those medically exempt students who are not in a rehabilitation
program must participate in an alternative activity or sign up to
be a team or athletic manager.
Athletics Office Contacts
Director: Charles Schmitt
Assistant to Athletic Director: Holly McDonough
Equipment Manager: Dan Medkeff
Head Athletic Trainer: Kristin Huntley, M.S., A.T.C.
Athletic Trainer: Brenda Lestock, A.T.C./L.A.T.
Strength and Conditioning Coordinator: Dan Gibbons, A.T.C
Athletic Fields: Jeff Arnold
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