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King School

An independent day school educating students PreK-Grade 12

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Athletics

The Power of Perseverance

A Competitive Edge With an Emphasis on Excellence

King Athletics is known for its excellence. The title banners lining the walls of the newly renovated gym demonstrate its prowess. Our coaches are unrivaled in their experience, expertise, commitment, passion, and care, which allows them to support our athletes in every way as educators, leaders, mentors, motivators, and tacticians. Vikings Athletics is very much a part of the fabric of the King community, in both spirit and pride, and the comprehensive and co-curricular nature of the program serves as a foundation for the consistent competitive success of our teams and the experience of our athletes at each level.

There is a spot on a team for every middle and upper school student, and every athletic experience lends itself to learning. We believe in a holistic approach to athletics and offer students a wide range of interscholastic and developmental opportunities in Grades 6-12 by fostering authentic learning, leadership, and relationship-building opportunities. Our varsity teams consistently compete for and win league and New England championships and many of our top athletes are recognized with postseason awards and go on to successful college careers.

Athletics by the Numbers

70

Competitive and Non-Competitive Athletic offerings Grades 6-12

52

FAA League and Tournament Championships

5

Athletic Health Services and Strength and Conditioning Staff

25

New England Championships

15

All-American Award Winners

1:1

Dedicated College Counselor for College Athletics

100%

Students Participate in Athletics and Physical Education

11

Sportsmanship and Citizenship Awards

Performance, Strength, and Conditioning

Athletic Trainer and athlete

King has a team in place to support the individual needs of the athletes. We provide a wide range of health services, including a sports medicine team of athletic trainers, strength coaches, and counselors, as well as a coordinator for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. 

Our team of experts helps students train appropriately for the energy systems they need to excel in a given sport. We have a year-round model in place, and our training and coaching experts develop tailored plans to meet the needs of each athlete and to prepare them and their teams to thrive. This approach is essential to improving performance, alleviating injury and fatigue, and excelling in competition.

 

Learning to Train, Collaborate, and Lead

King Athletics considers character development, leadership, citizenship, and the well-being of our athletes on par with physical aptitude. Therefore, an integral part of our approach to athletics is working with students on how to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. 

Every touchpoint between our athletes and our team of coaches and trainers is part of a carefully crafted scaffolding that supports strength, speed, mobility, growth, and learning. Our athletes’ tailored training plans allow them to achieve their objectives as they develop fluency in how and why the plans are devised. They also learn the importance of their teammates feeling connected and supported as they strive to achieve individual and team goals. 

Positive and inclusive cultures are the cornerstone of successful teams. Our Upper School Captain’s Council supports the growth and development of the culture of our teams and provides our varsity and junior varsity team leaders with a voice and platform to directly impact and influence their own experience and the experiences of their peers and fellow athletes. By engaging in interactive and engaging sessions throughout the school year, our captains grow together, build on a wide variety of leadership skills, and develop tools and techniques to help better support their teammates on and off the field.

Captains Workshop Collage

King Athletics has also earned widespread recognition as an Under Armour “Women of Will” partner school, a national platform promoting high school female athletes. King annually hosts a Women of Will Leadership and Empowerment Day to cultivate and celebrate the school’s female athletes. King also hosts additional workshops, including a Male Athlete Leadership Day, with keynote speakers, team- and culture-building activities, and networking opportunities.

Global Athletics: Training Meets Service

The King Athletics team partners with our Global Studies program and with King Cares, our service learning program, to immerse students in the cultural diversity of local and global environments. This interdisciplinary collaboration has created opportunities for our teams to travel domestically and internationally to train and experience different cultures. 

The success of the initiative is clear, with existing programs in China, Colombia, and Japan, and planning in place for additional team travel opportunities in the future.

Learn more about Global Athletics

A Winning Formula

Our winning record reflects our commitment to a holistic approach to athletics. King athletes regularly earn All-New England, All-American, and All-Academic recognitions, and our teams compete each season for league and New England championships.

Our Girls Volleyball team is a force, with 28 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) titles since 2004, including several undefeated seasons. Ice Hockey took home back-to-back FAA championships, Softball was crowned Western New England champions, and King Track & Field athletes have dominated the competition with numerous gold medals. Our Football, Lacrosse, Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, and Crew teams have also won recent championships. We live-stream games from our fields and our gyms, and our athletes are regularly celebrated by local media outlets in both print and television, with our students often being selected as News 12 Connecticut Scholar-Athletes.

Ask the winning teams how they maintain their record, and the responses are peppered with language stemming from the Athletics Department’s core values of leadership, commitment, teamwork, and perseverance. Our culture and our team provide the support and infrastructure needed for learning, growing, and excelling, ensuring that our students thrive on the fields, courts, courses, and water, as well as in the classroom and throughout life. King has state-of-the-art facilities on campus and works with tremendous off-campus partners to bolster the offerings available to our athletes and enhance our overall program. 

Want to learn more about King Athletics?  Follow us on social media! Instagram: @kingschoolct_athletics or X (Twitter): @Kingschoolct

Athletics in Action

Captain’s Council Engages Varsity Leaders and King of Spring Details

Part of the annual character development opportunities offered for King School athletes, last week’s Captain’s Council Workshop welcomed more than 40 varsity captains from all three athletic seasons. The event featured interactive programming focused on developing communication and leadership skills.

King of Spring athletic matches are fast approaching on Saturday, April 27! Read on for details on this exciting day of competition, and come cheer on the Vikings!

Read More about Captain’s Council Engages Varsity Leaders and King of Spring Details
Vikings Shine to Start Spring Season and College Athletics Night a Success

King spring athletic programs have started the season strong, with three varsity teams yet to drop a contest. Girls Tennis, Girls Lacrosse, and Boys Lacrosse stand a combined 8-0 as of today.

On Wednesday, April 3, King College Counseling and the Athletics Department hosted the annual College Athletics Night. More than 50 families joined the call to learn more about the college recruiting process.

Read More about Vikings Shine to Start Spring Season and College Athletics Night a Success
1,000 Points of Perseverance

When King basketball player Nasir “Nas” Pettigrew `24 recalls scoring his 1,000th point last season, that single moment calls up years of perseverance and resilience. Nasir's path to success was marked by challenges. His journey began when he tried out for King's Varsity Basketball team as an eighth-grade student. He stepped onto the court to see the team display well-honed skills and realized he had a lot to learn. That tryout served as a starting point that culminated in that pivotal point, a career highlight, on February 15.

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Vikings Athletes Flock to Florida!

An annual tradition, the Vikings' spring teams embarked on an intensive week of training in Florida, preparing fervently for the upcoming 2024 season. King Baseball and Softball squads, alongside Boys Lacrosse, capitalized on the conducive environment of Universal Orlando. Meanwhile, Boys and Girls Tennis, as well as Boys and Girls Golf teams, undertook rigorous training at the Saddlebrook Golf and Tennis Resort in Tampa. King Crew, Track & Field, and Girls Lacrosse squads also dedicated themselves to rigorous training, both on and off-campus, ensuring they are primed for success in the upcoming competitions.

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Postseason Recognition and Honors for King Athletes

Ten Vikings were recently recognized with League and New England honors for their winter season contributions. Additionally, track standout Anya Anderson ’25 has qualified for the Nike Indoor Track Nationals and Football senior captain Owen Tucker ’24 has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award.

Read More about Postseason Recognition and Honors for King Athletes
Athlete Milestones Highlight Exciting Close to the Winter Season!

During a stretch that saw the Varsity Girls Basketball team win their first playoff game in more than ten years, senior Nasir Pettigrew also reached the 1,000-point mark for his basketball career, and junior Anya Anderson set a blistering pace on the track to earn All-Eastern Honors! Hockey brought home another regular season title, and our winter team seniors and their parents were recognized and celebrated.

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King Co-op Girls Ice Hockey Earns Win In Inaugural Match, and Winter Athletic Teams Look to the Post Season

In a partnership between King Athletics and St. Luke’s School, King Co-op Girls Ice Hockey played its first-ever match against Greenwich Academy. The team, named The Sting (a combination of St. Luke’s and King), beat out the Gators with an impressive 6-2 win. Varsity Squash ended their season competing in the New England Championships at Pomfret School, winning several matches. Varsity Basketball and Ice Hockey continue to be strong forces as the teams look toward upcoming postseason matchups.

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Winter Vikings Eye the Postseason and Recognize Seniors

With regular seasons winding down for our winter teams, the Vikings are looking ahead to postseason tournaments. Varsity Squash travels to the New England Class E Tournament this weekend at Pomfret School in Pomfret, Connecticut, and Varsity Ice Hockey clinches a playoff spot in the Fairchester Athletic Association (FAA) tournament. On the courts Varsity Boys Basketball wraps up league play tomorrow while Varsity Girls Basketball looks forward to semi-finals will be on Thursday, February 22.

Read More about Winter Vikings Eye the Postseason and Recognize Seniors