As the CA Director of Athletics, I oversee the CHSAA interscholastic sport offerings along with all other non-CHSAA sports, Middle School athletics, and Lower School physical education. Thankfully, I have tremendous help from Jenn Adams, MS AD and Bob Ulrich, Director of LS PE and a host of great teachers, coaches (both on and off campus), and program leaders. Providing appropriate school-based educational opportunities through competitive and non-competitive options is critical at Colorado Academy.

 

Over the last three years, CA has ramped up the course rigor, expectation, leadership, and requirements in courses like rock climbing, ultimate Frisbee, conditioning, yoga, and racquetball.

 

Grades for these courses are based on attendance, effort, and a positive attitude. On campus instructors like Eric Augustin (Ultimate), Forbes Cone (Rock Climbing), Suzie Jekel and Joel Allen (Yoga) and Marcia Richards (Racquetball) have reenergized these activities to make them meaningful, fun, and impactful. In conditioning, assistant athletic director, Meghan Peregord, and head boys basketball coach, Steve Hyatt, assist professional strength and conditioning trainers Joel Raether and Brian Jordan (formerly with the Colorado Rockies for the past 15 years) to give CA students a great experience that will hopefully last them a lifetime.

 

While not the “traditional” school sports, these activities can be extremely competitive and life changing. CA seniors Chandler Harvey and Nick Bigger latched on to coach Richards’ racquetball team in the winter and competed mightily against Regis HS in a mid-season match.

 

In the fall, the Ultimate team annually goes to the USA ultimate tournament and plays against large schools like Denver East, Boulder, and Monarch. Forbes Cone and climber Matt Lloyd stretch students with opportunities for growth in self confidence, courage, and resilience. Lloyd recently wrote an article for Climbing Magazine (Nov. 2014) in which he describes a “near-death experience—the fear that can either stifle performance or catalyze it.”

 

In every athletic option offered at CA, there are opportunities to collaborate, be creative, be courageous, show grit, and pursue excellence. I am proud of the non traditional offerings that we offer, because they help reach and connect with almost every student on campus.