After-School Athletics for 4th and 5th Grade

The Park School Athletics Department provides opportunities for all athletes to realize their potential and compete in an environment where their experiences are positive and rewarding — and that work begins with our Lower School students.

Fourth and fifth grade students have the opportunity to learn and develop skills as a rostered member of our Lower School teams and to compete, depending on the sport and our roster size, against other area schools and programs. The goal of our Lower School Athletics Program is to provide opportunities for students to develop teamwork and skill sets, to be introduced to the fundamental skills and strategies of their chosen sport, and basic introduction to gameplay when roster sizes allow. 

Coaches will strive to have all students receive balanced participation in games; however, those students who attend practice consistently will earn more playing time than others. 

JOIN US!

We are one of the very few local schools who offer a “team sport experience” at the Lower School level, and are fortunate to be able to introduce team sport and school spirit to our younger students.

Our student participation in, and excitement about, this program is tremendous, and our parent support is equally important — it is critical to have both engagement and commitment. Participation numbers and consistent attendance will directly impact the programming that can be offered.

Lower School sports have been a tradition at Park, and we are excited to have your child take part. We have merged this athletic experience with our Lower School activity offerings to allow families to make educated choices throughout the year. There is no charge for our program (the cost is subsidized by Athletics). We are thrilled to offer this to families; however, in return, we ask for a commitment to our program. 

Please do not put your child in a direct weekly conflict by signing up for multiple activities on the same day. Athletics is a two-day commitment (Mondays and Wednesdays) and we encourage (and really need) full engagement.  

Please feel free to contact Robin Cardin Lowe ’84, rlowe@parkschool.net, or Dia Clark ’06, dclark@parkschool.net, should you have any questions.

We hope that your child will join one of our fall teams and be a part of “Bruin Pride.”

Practices

Practices run from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. and will be used to instruct basic building blocks of the sport, as well as the strategies needed to be successful in scrimmage play. Students will be taught quality sportsmanship to highlight the importance of building a positive team culture, creating a fun experience for their Lower School years, and also generating excitement about continued participation in Park Athletics when they reach Middle School. Our Lower School staff will help the students transition into practice at 3:15 p.m. whether practices are outdoors or inside (Athletic Center or Blaustein Gym), depending on the weather. At 4:30 p.m., coaches will walk the students to Carpool (main entrance of the school) for pick up and those who are not picked up by 4:40 p.m., will be accompanied to Lower School Extended Day. 

Lower School Fall Athletic Offerings for the 2024-25 School Year

Lower School Soccer: Grades 4-5
3:15-4:30 p.m.

Practice/Game Pickup and Drop-off: Practice will run from 3:15-4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning Monday, September 9. Students will meet coaches at the entrance to the Athletic Center and travel to one of the three West Fields on our Main Campus (Boys’ Varsity Field, Girls’ Varsity Field, or Rosenberg Field). All three of the fields are in the rear of the Athletic Center and are easily accessible from one another. If for some reason the practice location should change, we will communicate the change via email. At 4:30 p.m., coaches will walk the students to Carpool (main entrance of the school) for pick up and those who are not picked up by 4:40 p.m., will be accompanied to Lower School Extended Day. 

Games: There will be no interscholastic competition this fall; however, we will plan to run 1-2 Brown & White (intrasquad) games this season. The games will fall within the normal practice days of Mondays and Wednesdays, but will require a larger time commitment than a normal practice. Most likely, a game-day will occupy the hours of 3:15-5 p.m. on your child’s schedule. If we are able to travel to play another school, that will also add to the time commitment for that day. We will communicate additional game day information once the game dates are finalized.

Absences: If your child misses school or will miss practice or a game for any reason, please communicate that with the afterschoolprograms@parkschool.net so we are able to account for all students. We will get that information to the coaches.

Equipment Required for Soccer: Soccer cleats, shin guards, and water bottle. Gym shorts and T-shirt will be acceptable for practice. Pinnies for scrimmages/games will be provided by the School.   

Questions? Contact Robin Cardin Lowe ’84, rlowe@parkschool.net, 410-339-4150 or Dia Clark ’06, dclark@parkschool.net, 410-339-4140.

Coach: TBD

Lower School Field Hockey: Grades 4-5
3:15-4:30 p.m.

Practice/Game Pickup and Drop-off: Practice will run from 3:15-4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning Monday, September 9. Students will meet coaches in Blaustein Gym II (pick up equipment) and travel to practice as a group (indoors in Blaustein Gyms, Kelly Turf Tield, or Tompkins Field). If for some reason the practice location should change, we will communicate the change via email. At 4:30 p.m., coaches will walk the students to Carpool (main entrance of the school) for pick up and those who are not picked up by 4:40 p.m., will be accompanied to Lower School Extended Day. 

Games: There will be no interscholastic competition this fall, but we hope if our numbers allow we will play 1-2 Brown & White (intrasquad) games this season. The games will fall within the normal practice days of Mondays and Wednesdays, but will require a larger time commitment than a normal practice. Most likely a game-day will occupy the hours of 3:15-5 p.m. on your child’s schedule. More to come on that as the season continues…

Absences: If your child misses school or will miss practice or a game for any reason, please communicate that with the afterschoolprograms@parkschool.net so we are able to account for all students. We will get that information to the coaches.

Equipment Required: Stick, goggles, mouthguard, and water bottle. Shorts and T-shirt will be acceptable for practice. Pinnies for scrimmages/games will be provided by the school. If you don’t own a stick, you may borrow a stick on a daily basis and return at the end of every practice.

Questions? Contact Stradine Harris at 410-339-7070 ext. 4519 or sharris@parkschool.net or Robin Cardin Lowe ’84, rlowe@parkschool.net, 410-339-4150.

Coaches: Stradine Harris and Michele Shirah ’05

Questions?

Please contact afterschoolprograms@parkschool.net. We look forward to hearing from you!