Athletics

Education in Motion

The science is clear: to learn, feel, and be at your best, you need to move. Vigorous daily activity not only improves your physical health, it’s crucial for peak intellectual performance and emotional wellbeing. For NCS students, it’s also a source of great joy and pride. 

See for yourself!

At every grade level, athletics form an essential part of the NCS curriculum. Working with our teachers and coaches, you’ll build skills that help ensure your success in all areas of school and in life:

• navigating challenges with courage and confidence,
• acting effectively as a leader and a team player,
• building resilience to overcome setbacks,
• forming deep bonds of trust and friendship, and
• attending to your physical and emotional health.

At NCS, you can compete at elite levels, focus on your personal fitness, or both. Whichever option you choose, you’ll grow stronger in mind and body, make lasting friendships, and you’ll have lots of fun.

The Four Pillars of Our Athletic Program

Interscholastic Sports

Starting in Middle School, you can compete on a wide variety of teams, in one of the nation’s strongest and largest girls’ leagues. Our 12 Middle School and 15 Upper School team sports range from ice hockey to volleyball to crew and beyond.  Learn more

Fitness and Conditioning

If your goal is personal fitness, you’ll find plenty of non-competitive options that build your physical and emotional strength and leave you feeling great. Learn more

Voyageur Program

This renowned coed program with St. Albans School for boys gives you experience, expertise, and confidence in rock climbing and whitewater kayaking. In Upper School, you can earn your belay license. Learn more

Dance

Our Dance program is the largest such independent school offering in the Washington area. Choose from Broadway, Hip-Hop, Pilates, and Yoga—or join the Cathedral Dancers or Dance Team. Learn more

Independent Studies

NCS Middle and Upper School students can earn physical education credit by engaging in activities outside of school, such as figure skating, ballet, horseback riding, or fencing.

Athletic Programs by Division

Lower School

In Lower School, we introduce a variety of athletic skills, focusing on taking joy in movement, understanding your physical abilities, and engaging in healthy competition. As you play and practice with your classmates in regularly scheduled P.E. classes, you build physical fitness, strategic thinking, emotional regulation, and character—all of which help set you up for success throughout your NCS journey.

Middle School

In Middle School, athletics is part of your regular schedule—and now you can choose your own program. You can compete on one of 12 interscholastic sports teams or engage in dance, Voyageur, or fitness. Whether you’re bringing high-level skills to a team, competing for the first time, or pursuing personal strength and wellbeing, we’ll help you find a sport or activity that you really enjoy.

Upper School

In Upper School, you can raise your game through a remarkable number and variety of options. You can compete on one of 15 interscholastic sports teams or take part in dance, Voyageur, personal fitness, yoga, or Pilates classes. Our interscholastic Varsity and JV teams practice regularly after school and compete in one of the strongest and largest girls’ leagues in the country, the Independent School League. Teams including ice hockey, swimming and diving, and crew also compete in other leagues, such as Mid Atlantic Girls’ Hockey League (MAGHL), Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swim Dive League (WMPSSDL), and Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Rowing Association (WMIRA).

Facilities

Our 90,000-square-foot Agnes C. Underwood Athletic Center provides state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor facilities for our student athletes, including two turf fields, four courts, a fitness and weight-training room, an indoor jogging track, dance studios, locker rooms, and a 50-foot free-standing climbing wall. 

“Our athletic program enhances the student experience by offering spaces and opportunities for the students to test their skills, overcome challenges and build confidence, foster growth by using failure as feedback, and develop deeply meaningful relationships with their peers. Girls' participation in athletics is empowering and fun, and having the space to explore, develop, and build their inner strength and physical power is vital for their growth here and beyond.” –Heather Dent, Director of Athletics and Physical Education