Athletics

From purposeful play to high-performance sports, athletics has been and continues to be an integral part of the student experience at Ridley. For over a century, sports have been part of our culture, community and approach to learning.

We know that physical activity is linked to our mental, social and emotional wellbeing, and when students are physically active, they are better prepared to perform and flourish.

Participation in Sport

Engaging in sports builds character, develops healthy habits, cultivates community and teaches life lessons. As such, all students at Ridley are required to participate in sports. Regardless of your child’s experience, interest or current skill set, we are confident they will develop the motivation, confidence and competence to be active for life!

Lower School

Lower School students at Ridley participate in a physical literacy rotation. Our Learn to Train model supports Sport for Life’s long-term development framework and is focused on building confidence and developing foundational skills in advance of sport specialization. Our Lower School students at Ridley will have exposure to various activities during each school year (12 in total), allowing your child to develop these essential skills and their love of sport! Opportunities to engage in friendly competition and apply learning will take place at the end of each term through inter-house activities.

Important: Lower School students are not permitted to participate in Middle School sport unless invited by the team’s Head Coach and the Director of Athletics.

Middle School 

Middle School students at Ridley participate in sport throughout the school year. Our Train to Train model supports Sport for Life’s long-term development framework and is focused on providing an environment that supports fun and friendship, cultivates life skills, and further develops sport-specific competencies and fitness.

Formalized competition takes place within the Canadian Independent School Athletic Association (CISAA) and focuses on the process of competing and applying learned skills, not on results. Furthermore, our association believes in meaningful competition (where competitors are matched with others of a similar level of ability and are challenged to be the best they can be at that moment in time) and, where it’s safe to do so, offering equal competition opportunities.

Although we will ensure that every child can participate in sport, please note that not all students will make the competitive team roster of their choice. Our coaches make decisions based on what they believe is best for all students involved and are guided by our school and athletic association values. If further discussion is warranted, please arrange an appointment with the Interim Director of Athletics, Mr. David Zanic.

Important: Middle School students are not permitted to try out for or participate on an Upper School team unless invited by the team’s Head Coach and the Director of Athletics. 

Upper School

Upper School students at Ridley participate in sport throughout the school year. Our approach supports Sport for Life’s long-term development framework and is differentiated by interest and stage of development.

Sport for Life

Our Train to Train model supports Sport for Life’s long-term development framework and is focused on providing an environment that supports fun and friendship, cultivates life skills, and further develops sport-specific competencies and fitness. Competition, if any, takes place internally amongst peers.

Competitive Sport

Our Train to Train model supports Sport for Life’s long-term development framework and is focused on providing an environment that supports fun and friendship, cultivates life skills and further develops sport-specific competencies and fitness. Formalized competition for those choosing to participate in competitive sport takes place within the Canadian Independent School Athletic Association (CISAA) and focuses on the process of competing and applying learned skills, not on results. Furthermore, our association believes in meaningful competition, where competitors are matched with others of a similar level of ability and are challenged to be the best they can be at that moment in time.

Prep Sport

Our Train to Compete model also supports Sport for Life’s long-term development framework but is focused on developing high-performance athletes. Formalized competition for Prep sport takes place within various provincial leagues and international events (Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association, Ontario Women’s Hockey League, Midwest Prep Hockey League, etc.).

Upon arrival to campus, all NEW Upper School students will register for their fall term of sport with the athletics department (please visit us in the Athletic Centre), while all RETURNING Upper School students will register virtually during the first week of school.

Important: Although we will ensure that every child can participate in sport, please note that not all students will make a competitive team roster, and at the Upper School level, playing time is not equal. Our coaches make decisions based on what they believe is best for all students involved and are guided by our school and athletic association values. If further discussion is warranted, please arrange an appointment with the Interim Director of Athletics, Mr. David Zanic.

Upper School Fees

Although the school’s athletic budget covers most costs associated with sport, some components will incur additional fees for families. We believe you will find tremendous value in the fees associated with the experiences and exposure your child will receive.

• Uniforms: All student-athletes must purchase a base training kit (t-shirt, black shorts, hoodie, and sweatpants) from our campus store, Hank's, to be worn for all sports practices and travel and physical education classes. Students will also purchase individual team uniforms, including the game jersey(s) for most teams. You can estimate the cost to range between $50.00–$200.00 CAD per competitive sports team your child participates in. 
• Mouthguards: Of note to our athletes playing field hockey and ice hockey is our athletic association’s mandatory mouthguard policy. All students must have a properly fitted mouthguard to compete.  
• Events and Overnight Trips: We also have events that include Canadian Accredited Independent School (CAIS) National Tournaments and Ontario Federation Secondary Athletic Association (OFSAA) Championships that some teams may qualify for. For these specific events, the school uses a cost-sharing formula to determine the fees covered by the school and those paid for by the participating families. 
• Prep Sports: In our Prep Sports Programme (ice hockey, basketball, rowing), additional fees are associated with these teams’ extended competition schedules. All costs are outlined in a separate pre-season letter to parents.  

Questions

If you have any questions about our Athletics programming, please email Mr. David Zanic, Interim Director of Athletics, at [email protected].