Athletics

The mission of Cardigan’s athletic program is to support the School’s mission in educating boys in mind, body, and spirit by promoting healthy living and an active lifestyle.

Letter from the Athletic Director

Please read this detailed letter from Athletic Director Ryan Frost that provides an overview of our athletic program, what to expect at registration, and specific needs for fall sports. 

Philosophy

Cardigan Mountain School athletics emphasize respect, responsibility, and dedication. Student-athletes are rewarded for effort, hard work, and accomplishment. Each boy is given the opportunity to reach his full potential through a wide variety of competitive sport offerings and intramural activities with support from the teacher–coach model. The Cardigan Athletic Department is committed to maintaining a positive environment for teaching, training, and competition.

Purpose and Goals  

It is the purpose of the Cardigan Mountain School Athletic Department to provide all students with a unique opportunity to participate in an age-appropriate, competitive athletic program. Students choosing not to participate on a competitive team are provided other noncompetitive opportunities to develop their physical skills in the pursuit of a well-rounded education in mind, body, and spirit. The Cardigan Mountain School Athletic Department is committed to the following:

• Offering a balanced and varied program of interscholastic athletics, intramurals, and activities.
• Teaching the value of ethical conduct, sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork through dedication to the teacher–coach model.
• Modeling Cardigan Mountain School’s four core values: Compassion, Integrity, Respect, and Courage.
• Using positive coaching to address teachable moments in order to develop positive character traits on the field that translate to positive interactions off the field.
• Recognizing that a healthy athletic environment is inclusive, that every team member is equally important, and that the athletic experience should be fun for all participants, coaches, and spectators.
• Understanding that the systematic development of all student-athletes’ skills is a sign of thoughtful programmatic thinking. 
• Embracing the idea that individual, team, and program success is not measured in individual awards, wins and losses, or championships, but in effort, progress, resilience, and the dedication to hard work, one’s team, and one’s school.
• Acknowledging that commitment to the program and individual teams is essential and involves daily participation in all practices, games, and team functions, while maintaining a healthy balance of the big picture and the overall well-rounded education in mind, body, and spirit.

Sportsmanship Statement

Cardigan Mountain School believes sportsmanship is an essential component for the success of interscholastic athletics. Student-athletes, coaches, officials, and fans demonstrate sportsmanship by following the Cardigan core values of compassion, integrity, respect, and courage. We encourage all participants to enthusiastically support their team, recognize outstanding performance of opponents, and always exhibit good sportsmanship in their words and actions.

Team Membership

Cardigan Mountain School is committed to providing each boy the opportunity to participate on an athletic team. This commitment means that in most sports there will be more than one team per sport offering. The emphasis of the Cardigan Mountain School program is on developing skills, responsibility, teamwork, and a strong work ethic. As student-athletes progress up to varsity-level teams, the level of success achieved is directly related to the physical skills developed through the program.

Letter from Mountain Bike Coach

Families of boys planning to join Cardigan's Mountain Bike Team should also read this letter from Head Coach Doug Clark as it describes the goals of the program, the type of bike and other equipment best suited for your son, and how our coaches can help your son obtain the appropriate equipment.