Program Objectives
The athletic program at Penn Charter promotes participation and emphasizes hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship and excellence in competition. All athletic teams at Penn Charter strive to provide quality instruction to student-athletes and to develop the core values that stem from our beliefs and practices as a Quaker institution. These beliefs and practices are inherent in our mission statement and team rules, and they guide our training and competitions.
Penn Charter’s athletic program is organized by school division and skill level. Students can generally expect teams to consist mostly of students from their grade level; for example, eighth grade is varsity and seventh grade is junior varsity. Middle School athletics provides for varsity and junior varsity teams for all sports except cross country, squash, swimming and wrestling. However, students may play up or down as warranted. Students should take this into consideration when choosing sports. Participation in some sports may also be limited due to lack of previous experience at the chosen sport, facility limitations and number of student participants.
At the Middle School level, the primary objectives are to encourage participation and teach basic skills and rules of the game. It is our hope that, through participation in interscholastic play, Middle School students will develop an appreciation for athletic competition that will support them as they move on to the Upper School. League championships are not recognized at the Middle School level.
Skill development is an objective at the Upper School varsity level, but greater emphasis is placed on competition for league championships. The objective for junior varsity and ninth grade players is similar, however, more emphasis is placed on participation and skill development. League championships are not recognized at this level. Athletes can expect junior varsity play to be an acceptable level of high school competition and, in many cases, a preview of future varsity competition.
Penn Charter is a member of the Interacademic Athletic Association (Inter-Ac) and the Girls Interacademic Athletic Association. Although these are two separate organizations, they cooperate in providing structure and support for all member schools. Slight differences may be found in seasonal start and finish dates, eligibility rules and sports offered. |
