Dear Wildwood Community, Summer greetings from the Wildwood Athletics Department! We hope you are enjoying a restful and relaxing break. With the 2015-2016 school year just around the corner we are already preparing for three seasons of healthy athletic competition. As we look ahead, we wanted to highlight some of the most recent advancements to our athletic program: Fifth grade girls and boys volleyball teams will be added for the 2015-2016 school year. The girls will compete in the winter and the boys in the spring. We added upper school tennis and upper school beach volleyball last spring. In collaboration with the City Park Foundation, we helped refurbish the local park and recreation field where several of our teams practice and play. We hosted our second annual Coaches Appreciation Dinner, honoring the hard work of our coaching staff. We purchased and installed a monitor in the garage at the middle and upper campus which shows game schedules and highlights athletes throughout the year. In this packet you will find: Our K-12 Athletics Mission FAQ sheet with basic information about K-12 Athletics at Wildwood Fall athletics information Athletics offerings list for the 2015-2016 school year If your child is considering participating in athletics this year, it is very important that you email your child’s sport/s selection by Aug. 24, 2015 to [email protected]. Please feel free to contact either of us if you have questions or need additional information. We are very excited about the upcoming school year! We look forward to seeing you soon, and in the meantime we hope you enjoy these summer days in good health. Sincerely, Billy DuMone Reo Sorrentino Director of Athletics Assistant Director of Athletics [email protected] [email protected] 11811 Olympic Blvd. • Los Angeles, CA • 90064 Phone: (310) 478-7189 • Fax: (310) 478-6875 • www.wildwood.org Wildwood Athletics Mission Wildwood’s athletics program embodies the mission of the K-12 school in developing individuals who are reflective, ethically grounded, and confident. The fields and courts are extensions of the Wildwood classroom where student-athletes learn the values of commitment, competition, and teamwork. Wildwood Wolves are taught to compete at the highest levels and play to win. Student-athletes hone their skills, and learn the values of sportsmanship in a competitive environment. Elementary School Athletics The Wildwood elementary school program is an introduction to competitive athletics, currently for 5th graders. It is a vehicle for developing Life Skills, sportsmanship, and athletic abilities in our students. Student-athletes learn the values of time management, commitment, and teamwork. At the elementary level, Wildwood offers a place on the team for anyone who signs up and can make the full commitment. Teams practice once a week and compete in the Coastal Canyon League, a league made up of Westside independent schools. The experience at the elementary level prepares students for involvement in athletics at Wildwood’s middle and upper school. Middle School Athletics At the middle school, Wildwood offers various levels of competitive teams. Some sports have limited roster sizes and thus tryouts and cuts. However, each season Wildwood ensures there is at least one sport offering where any middle school athlete can compete and participate. Athletes are assessed at the beginning of the season and then placed at the appropriate level based on skill and understanding of the sport. Our program offers the opportunity for student-athletes to develop skills as well as enjoy the excitement of competition; athletes compete in the Pacific Basin League, a league made up of Westside independent schools. When appropriate, Wildwood also offers foundational groups for those who want to participate in a specific sport but are not yet ready for competitive play. Our foundational groups focus on skill development and understanding of a sport but do not compete in a league. In all instances student-athletes are trained to achieve goals. Upper School Athletics At the upper school level Wildwood offers both Varsity and Junior Varsity teams that compete in the CIF sanctioned Coastal League, striving to advance in the CIF playoffs each year. Through their efforts, hustle, and school pride, student-athletes experience the satisfaction and thrill of competition, and of being an integral part of a team. Student-athletes try out for a team and earn a position based on their skill sets, understanding of a particular sport, and demonstrated commitment. Varsity and Junior Varsity student-athletes commit to learning essential skills through a rigorous practice schedule. Student-athletes demonstrate a strong work ethic through their commitment to both their personal development as an individual and their team’s evolution as a unified, cohesive front. FAQs and General Information about the Athletics Program Contact Information Athletics Director: Billy DuMone, (310) 478-7189, ext. 5034 or [email protected] Assistant Athletics Director: Reo Sorrentino, (310) 478-7189, ext. 5008 or [email protected] School Mascot School Colors The Wildwood Wolf Blue, white, and silver Where do I find information about the program? General athletic program information, results, news, and the athletic calendar can be found on the school website, www.wildwood.org. For locations of practices, games, news, and information, login to My Wildwood. Bi-weekly eNews, Facebook postings, and emails from the athletic department will keep you informed throughout the year. How does my child sign up for individual sports? Elementary School: Parents who want to sign up their children should email [email protected] before the deadline stated for each sport. Deadline for 5th Grade Coed Flag Football is Sept. 4, 2015. Deadlines for 5th Grade Girls Volleyball (winter season), 5th Grade Boys Volleyball, and 5th Grade Coed Soccer (spring season) will be sent to the community during the school year. Middle and Upper School: Students are given written information about each sport offered during advisory at the beginning of each season. Sign-ups for sports are posted for one week prior to the beginning of the season outside the Athletics Office on the Athletics Bulletin Board. It is the student’s responsibility to sign up for a sport. When are team try-outs? At the middle and upper school, the first week of each season is a try out/assessment period and assignments are announced at the end of that week. There are no tryouts at the elementary level. How are teams created and athletes assessed? Elementary School: All athletes who sign up for elementary athletics are on the team. There are no assessments or level of team placement. Middle School: Wildwood offers various levels of competitive teams. Some sports have limited roster sizes in order for the team to function at its highest level, thus there are tryouts and cuts. However, Wildwood ensures there is at least one sport offered per season where any athlete can participate and compete. The sports with roster limits are: Volleyball, Flag Football, Basketball, Tennis, and Baseball. Athletes are assessed at the beginning of the season by the coaching staff and then placed at the appropriate level based on skill and understanding of the sport. Cross Country, Soccer, Track and Field, Swimming, and Golf are no-cut sports. When appropriate, Wildwood also offers foundational groups for those who want to participate in a specific sport but are not yet ready for competitive play. These groups do not compete against other schools. Upper School: Wildwood fields both competitive Junior Varsity and Varsity teams where athletes are assessed and placed on the appropriate team. When are practices? Elementary teams practice one day a week on Wednesdays. Middle school teams practice two to three times per week. The specific days and number of days of practice for middle school teams varies by sport. Upper school teams practice four times a week. All practices are held after the regular school day. Where do teams practice? Elementary practices take place on Big Yard. Middle and upper school practices take place at Stoner Park field and gym, Cornerstone Baptist Church gym, West L.A. College, Oakwood Tennis Center, Brentwood Country Club, Rancho Park, The Plunge pool, Santa Monica High School, and Mar Vista Park. How do athletes travel to contests? Athletes are bused to all contests except those played at Stoner Park, to which they walk with the coaches. Athletes are bused back to Wildwood after games. Are there additional fees? There are no additional fees for elementary and middle school athletics. There are occasional fees related to overnight trips that upper school teams take during the season. There is a fee for uniforms lost or returned unusable. Are uniforms provided? Team uniforms are provided for athletes and must be returned at the end of the season. Certain specialized equipment may be required and is purchased separately by the athlete (sport-specific shoes, shin guards, etc.) What schools are in our League? Elementary School: Wildwood is a member of the Coastal Canyon League (CCL). Schools of the CCL include: Brawerman, Brentwood, Carlthorp, Park Century, Santa Monica Montessori, Turning Point, Village School, and Willows Community School. Middle School: Wildwood is a member of the Pacific Basin League (PBL). Schools of the PBL include: Archer, Brentwood School, Calvary Christian, Crossroads, Lighthouse Christian, Marlborough, New Roads, Pacific Hills, Page, St. Matthews, Turning Point, Westchester Lutheran, Westside Neighborhood School, Windward, and Willows Community School. Upper School: Wildwood is a member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) sanctioned Coastal League. Schools of CIF Coastal League include: California Academy of Math and Science, Hawthorne Math and Science, Lennox Academy, New Roads, Pacific Hills, Rolling Hills Prep, and Vistamar. How do parents get involved? Wildwood has an Athletics Planning Committee (APC) that supports our athletic teams.