Athletics

Welcome

Athletics are strong at St. Bernard’s.  All boys take part in the athletic program, whose goals are to develop skill, to cultivate a sense of teamwork and sportsmanship, to channel and release energy and exuberance, and to have fun.
The Junior School boys learn the basics of many sports, among them soccer, basketball, baseball, and fencing.  They play floor hockey and McWhippit, a precursor to lacrosse.  The coaches, many of them accomplished athletes and all of them well trained in teaching and coaching young boys, work with each boy to ensure his development.  Intramural games begin in Grade III.  They give boys an opportunity to compete among themselves in a friendly manner.

Middle and Upper School boys play on teams against other schools and compete in a program of intramural games of all kinds.  St. Bernard’s has varsity and junior varsity teams in all sports.  We even form a third team for boys in Grades V and VI when there is a demand for one.  Participating on a team encourages leadership and sportsmanship and generates pride in one’s school and oneself.  Most of the boys in fifth through ninth grade play on one team or more each year.

St. Bernard’s is a member of the Manhattan Private Middle School League and competes in soccer, cross country, basketball, baseball, and track.  Boys may join an ice hockey team, with games on weekends, for an additional fee.  The school has three gymnasiums, used by all boys throughout the school, a weight training room, a fencing room, a recess deck, and a kindergarten play yard.  Central Park provides us with numerous playing fields just across Fifth Avenue.

— Jameson C., former student and team captain

“Playing St. B’s baseball is something you definitely want to try.  You will make friends, and you will have to work together, which will only make your friendships stronger.  Let baseball make you a better person.”

Facts and Figures

List of 6 items.

  • League Championships

    St. B’s basketball team has won four championships in the past ten years. St.B’s varsity soccer team has won the championship the past three years.
  • Facilities

    Three gymnasiums, a weight training room, a fencing room, a recess deck, and a kindergarten play yard.
  • Home Field

    Our home field is Central Park. Physical Education classes and games are a brief walk away in the fields of North Meadow in Central Park.
  • Participation

    95% of boys play on a team two out of the three semesters.
  • Team Sports

    St. B’s offers seven team sports: soccer, cross country, basketball, fencing, baseball, track, and lacrosse.
  • Colors & Mascot

    Red & White / St. Bernard dog

FEATURED STORY

How We Teach Boys Soccer

by Coach Miceli

Our coaching sessions have been designed with different techniques to build up a range of movements during intense practices.  I believe that you play the way you practice.  In practices our boys are challenged and motivated in specific ways, which enhance the players’ understanding when the techniques are used in real matches.  We try to help players develop courage and confidence, to express their abilities in games, and understand how to learn from their mistakes.  Hard training is important.

We show players how to train their bodies for the demands of the game and for all of the different positions.  Speed, strength, suppleness, stamina, and skill can be developed to help players achieve their highest level of performance.  Another aspect of playing soccer is to develop a winning mentality, which requires a strong character and positive support from all players.  All of our players are taught to work hard and never give in.  Working together and always believing in oneself are core traits of a successful soccer player.