JUNIOR HIGH EXTRA-CURRICULAR SPORTS

Waldorf Olympian Spirit

Our League Our School is a member of the C.I.S.A.A. (Calgary Independent Schools’ Athletic Association), a league of independent schools in Calgary that coordinates a sporting season for its students. All participating schools meet twice yearly to discuss the league’s affairs, updating and changing a substantial list of by-laws that spell out the running of each sport and of the league itself. Each school also agrees to carry one sport in the year. For any information, including scheduling, visit the CISAA.

Events

Our sports season is generally as follows:

• Cross-Country Running – September
• Volleyball – mid-September to late November
• Basketball – late November to mid-February
• Floor Hockey – late February/early March
• Badminton – March to April
• Track and Field – late April to May
• Soccer – May to early June

Cross-Country Running, Volleyball, Basketball, and Soccer have a regular season of play, with an average of one after-school game per week along with one after-school practice per week. This regular season is then followed by a period of play-offs. Floor Hockey, Badminton, and Track and Field have just one day of play for the whole sport, with one or two after-school practices per week leading up to that tournament.

Most of these sports have teams divided into both age and gender (e.g., Grade 7/8 Boys team and Girls team, Grade 8/9 Boys team and Girls team). Practices can run any day of the week. Most of our games fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with some play-offs and tournaments falling on weekends. Games are played either “at home” or at “away” schools or other sites.

Ethos

All Junior High students are invited to participate in each and every sport that is of interest to them. There are no try-outs or cuts to make; our program is based primarily on participation. Winning is nice, of course, but secondary. This is not just our approach, but that of the other schools against which we compete. The league is established upon the fact that all of this is meant for fun and participation for the students.

Administration

All of the sports require a nominal fee to be paid to the school by each participating student to cover our league fees, which in turn cover rental costs, referee costs, coaches’ honoraria, medals and banners, whatever is needed to make the particular sport run. Some of the sports also require a team uniform, which the students purchase from the school and can then use for all their years of CWS team play.

Coaches

Our coaches are drawn from a variety of sources: school staff, parents, alumni, and sometimes members from outside of our community (e.g., University Phys. Ed. students). They are much appreciated for their time and efforts in carrying a team along a season; they are also rare and hard to come by. If you or you know of anyone who could help out with coaching, please contact the school or our Athletic Directors, Jack Searchfield.

Order of Olympians

We have a tradition of acknowledging with the Order of Olympians those students who make the year-long effort of participating in each and every one of the seven sports – taking part in all the practices, games, and tournaments for all the sports in one full school year. Students who win this award receive a personal plaque and their names are engraved on a plaque that is on display at the school.