Athletics

Frederick Gunn was a champion of the arts, athletics and the natural world. He established the school’s first athletic teams and encouraged his students to participate in sports based on his conviction that they “strengthened not merely muscle and nerve, but character as well.” 

Today, The Frederick Gunn School’s athletic and co-curricular programs continue to be guided by Mr. Gunn’s philosophy. With 35 teams competing in 15 sports, you also have the chance to take your skills to a new level or try something completely new.

• Every student is required to participate in a co-curricular activity every term.

• All new students are required to play at least two interscholastic sports.

• All returning students must participate in at least one interscholastic sport, whether it’s football, softball or Highlander ice hockey, which is co-ed and open to students even if they’ve never laced up a pair of skates before.  

Part of what makes The Frederick Gunn School's athletic program stand out is the approach of Director of Athletics Mike Marich, who believes:

• It’s about seeing beyond wins and losses and x’s and o’s.

• It’s about helping students to develop character and teaching life lessons through the games they love.

• It’s about the experience.

“My goal is for students to learn to be resilient, to be the kind of person who doesn’t get discouraged easily, bounces back and is willing to take the big shot – both on and off the field. “I was very lucky to fulfill a childhood dream by becoming a student-athlete in college and I like to use stories to teach the students some of the lessons I learned along the way,” Marich said. 

At FGS, our primary commitment is to provide an opportunity for student-athletes to fully develop their academic and athletic potential while simultaneously preparing them for success in college and life beyond FGS. These opportunities include:

• the drive to take one’s talents to the highest level of performance

• embracing the discipline needed to reach high standards

• learning to work with others as a team in pursuit of a common goal

• adherence to codes of fairness and respect

The Frederick Gunn School's commitment to excellence in athletics is part of a larger commitment to excellence in education. Athletes are expected to adhere to a level of conduct that brings credit to themselves and the school, and to uphold the values stated in our school’s mission: character, citizenship, and service. Through practice, training and competition, the department strives to instill these character traits in every student-athlete:

• Engagement: regular co-curricular interactions with FGS peers and faculty that build community and lifelong relationships

• Collaboration: the experience of working together with FGS peers and faculty towards a common goal and learning selflessness by being a part of something bigger than oneself

• Fitness: achieved by engaging in regular cardiovascular exercise, and learning how to be/stay fit; learning the value of physical fitness, and learning the lifelong ideals of healthy living

• Competition: striving, individually and collectively against others toward a goal, and risking the adversity and potential failure that accompanies that endeavor