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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

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.

Read More about Athlete Milestones Highlight Exciting Close to the Winter Season!
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.

Read More about King Co-op Girls Ice Hockey Earns Win In Inaugural Match, and Winter Athletic Teams Look to the Post Season
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
Vikings Sweep the King Winter Showcase!

Fans turned out in tremendous force for King Athletics’ annual Winter Showcase. The day-long event was full of Viking Pride as the crowds cheered on Varsity Boys Basketball, Varsity Girls Basketball, and Varsity Hockey. All teams earned impressive wins on the day and look to keep the forward momentum in upcoming games.

Read More about Vikings Sweep the King Winter Showcase!
Male Athlete Leadership Day and Winter Showcase

Over 100 students and coaches participated in last weekend’s Male Athlete Leadership Day at Pickleball America. Attendees discussed resilience, honed pickleball skills, and participated in a tournament, making the event a huge success. This weekend is positioned to be just as successful as momentum builds for the Winter Showcase. Teachers and students will face off on the court for a basketball game that is sure to be a blast. Varsity Basketball and Hockey games will continue the action, food trucks and raffles will add to the fun, and the Project Music Band will make the event even more festive. Don’t miss it!

Read More about Male Athlete Leadership Day and Winter Showcase
Hockey and Boys Basketball Get Back to Winning Ways

The Varsity Ice Hockey team secured a commanding victory against Portledge School, showcasing a strong winter season performance. With goals from four different players, including unassisted scores by Alex Strug ’27 and a first-ever varsity goal from Lawson Kearns ’27, the Vikings displayed a relentless forecheck and solid defensive play. In Varsity Boys Basketball, a comeback in the second half led to an FAA league win of 64-56 against St. Luke’s School, with contributions from players across grades. Both teams and Varsity Girls Basketball are gearing up for upcoming contests leading up to the Winter Showcase on January 27.

Read More about Hockey and Boys Basketball Get Back to Winning Ways
Varsity Squash Defeats Hamden Hall and Upcoming Leadership Day Information

Varsity Squash played hard against Hamden Hall on Thursday, January 11, bringing home a big win for the Vikings. Read on for player highlights from the game and important information about King's upcoming annual Upper School Male Athlete Leadership Day at Pickleball America.

Read More about Varsity Squash Defeats Hamden Hall and Upcoming Leadership Day Information