Athletics

Grades Pre-K–2: Learning Fundamentals

In these early years, boys begin to build the physical skills and habits that set the stage for all that follows. Through daily sports, they develop coordination, body control, and spatial awareness. They learn how to move with purpose—and how to move together.

Soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, foam paddles, and parachutes form regular games. Kindergarteners lace up for hockey. In first grade, boys are introduced to four major sports: soccer, basketball, baseball, and indoor lacrosse. They learn the rules, practice ball skills, and begin to understand what it means to play as a team.

Second grade brings sharper focus and greater physical command. Boys build stamina and skill through soccer and football in the fall, basketball and lacrosse in winter, and baseball in the spring. They train for the 600-meter Turkey Run and continue to grow in strength and self-discipline. Along the way, students begin to learn how food fuels the body, with nutrition lessons woven into athletics in the form of games and discussion.

By the end of Grade Two, boys are confident, capable, and ready for more.

Grades 3-4: Intramurals

In Grades Three and Four, boys join Saint David’s intramural program—a structured introduction to team competition and physical conditioning. Divided into eight rotating teams, they follow a weekly rhythm of practices, games, and fitness sessions. The focus is on building skills, sharpening awareness, and learning how to work together toward a common goal.

Boys play soccer, flag football, basketball, indoor lacrosse, and baseball. They train in fitness sessions that emphasize core strength, endurance, and form—using bodyweight movements like push-ups and sit-ups, as well as age-appropriate equipment including stationary bikes, rowing machines, and ellipticals. Boys also have the opportunity to continue participating in Saint David’s hockey program.

Each week, one boy from each grade is honored as Player of the Week—for athletic performance as well as sportsmanship. It’s a moment of recognition that reinforces the values we bring to every game and every practice.

Grades 5-8: Intramurals and Interscholastic Competition

Beginning in fifth grade, boys have the opportunity to choose their sport each season. Sixth grade marks a turning point: intramural play continues, but interscholastic competition begins. Older boys are called to lead their younger peers, and the weekly Player of the Week tradition continues, honoring both sportsmanship and achievement.

In the fall and winter, sixth graders take on soccer, cross country, squash, basketball, indoor floor hockey, flag football, ice hockey, golf, and fitness. Spring options include baseball, lacrosse, track, and fitness. Nutrition seminars led by dieticians and coaches show how healthy habits fuel both athletic and academic performance.

From seventh grade on, the experience grows more competitive as boys try out for interscholastic teams in the Manhattan Private Middle School League—facing rivals like Buckley, Collegiate, Dalton, St. Bernard’s, and Trinity in soccer, cross country, basketball, lacrosse, baseball, and track. New offerings in squash and golf have expanded the roster, while intramurals in flag football, fitness, and indoor track keep every boy moving.

After graduation, nearly half of Saint David’s boys will go on to play a high school varsity sport—and a quarter will be named a captain.