Kew-Forest School revamps athletic programs
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After years of failing to reach its maximum potential on a competitive level, The Kew-Forest School has revamped its middle and high school athletic programs.
Scott Gordon-Somers, the school’s director of Sports, Health and Wellness, decided to change the program in order to teach students about responsibility and teamwork.
New sports that have been introduced include archery, cross country, soccer, squash, and tennis, but the main push is to revive the school’s basketball programs.
“We’ve been in a stagnant state for a while,” Gordon-Somers said. “What was happening was that we were unable to develop kids early enough so that we could be competitive at the junior varsity and varsity stages of the game.”
The K-12 school currently has middle school and varsity basketball teams. Last year, many varsity players graduated, forcing junior varsity players to move up a level. Due to a lack of players this season, the junior varsity program was sidelined.
Gordon-Somers is working alongside Coach John Della Marco and Assistant Coach Estanislao Ramos in order to put together three caliber basketball teams.
Both Della Marco and Gordon-Somers feel as if they will be able to successfully bring back their junior varsity team by next year.
They want to give their players more preparation as the teams consistently face other schools who have taken part in competitive basketball for years. Some schools are involved in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), and The Kew-Forest School is trying to keep up.
Della Marco also believes this opportunity can help students develop more than just basketball skills. “We are teaching more than how to dribble and box out,” he said. “It’s about character, studies and being a good citizen.”
