When you think of what identifies a high school or university, many times its athletic program is one of the first things that comes to mind. Sports draw communities together and instill a sense of school pride in students, families, and at the collegiate level, fans across the country.
Some students enjoy watching sports as a form of entertainment, while others live and breathe the sport they play, holistically completing their education as a student-athlete. At Stone Ridge, students play sports for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to staying in shape, making friends, relieving stress, engaging in competition, and preparing to play collegiate athletics.
In recent years, Stone Ridge has worked to push its boundaries of the athletic program and to bring its sports to the next level. These efforts are evidenced by the state-of-the-art turf field, transformed weight room, additions of to amazing coaching staffs, and the increasing success of many teams. At the end of last year, the Stone Ridge was named the third most successful athletic program in the Independent School League, outscoring many athletically competitive schools, including St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes and Holton Arms. This overall rating, which ranks teams based on their season record, serves as testament to the hard work of coaches and players alike.
So what motivates Stone Ridge students to dedicate their time and to represent Stone Ridge on a sports team? Mollie Carr, ’18, is one of a relatively small group of students at Stone Ridge who plays three seasons of sports each year–field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. As a Second Academic, Carr has already played a crucial role on the Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Basketball, and Varsity Lacrosse teams, starting in many games and proving a consistent threat on both the field and the court. Outside of school, Mollie continues to challenge herself, working out multiple days a week at strength and conditioning sessions and playing club lacrosse. She is currently looking to continue playing lacrosse, potentially at the collegiate level. When asked why she loves to play sports at Stone Ridge, Carr confidently responds, “I love to compete and be able to represent my school at the same time. It has given me the opportunity to become friends with many lower and upperclassmen and to learn to become a better teammate and person.” The camaraderie that Carr has built with her different teammates seems to be an experience that all Stone Ridge athletes are lucky enough to witness and take pride in.
Dive Team standout Lexi Catalano, ’16, shares similar feelings, describing her teammates as “a tight knit community that does a lot of things together, even outside of school. We really teach each other and help each other out, ultimately calming each other down, especially before a big dive,” she continues. Catalano has been on the Dive Team since her First Academic year, and she has certainly left a legacy in aquatics at Stone Ridge, both as a competitor and as a leader. She has placed in many events, often falling within the top three divers at meets. Although diving may seem like an unconventional choice of sport to some, it always seemed fairly obvious to Catalano. She began doing gymnastics at a very young age, and then decided to take that skill set and apply it to diving. From fifth grade on, Catalano’s love for diving developed, ultimately leading her to become a member of the Stone Ridge Varsity Swim and Dive team. When asked about what made diving different at Stone Ridge, Catalano responds with no hesitation, “Before, I thought of it more as an individual sport, but then when I came to Stone Ridge, I felt that I was a part of a team working for a goal together. It’s not just about how well I place now; it is more about how we support each other and work as a team.”
For Tatiana Ortega, ’18, soccer is a passion that has consumed her life from a young age. As a First Academic, adjusting to high school had its challenges; however it was clear from early on in the season that Ortega would need no time adjusting on the soccer field. In the past two years, Ortega has been a dominant threat, leading the Stone Ridge Varsity Soccer Team in goals. In addition, she has received many honors, including All-County Honorable Mention, All-League Honors, and Varsity Soccer Most Valuable Player as a First Academic, and All-Met Honorable Mention and All-League Honors as a Second Academic. As a Third Academic, Ortega will be unable to play for the Stone Ridge Varsity Soccer Team due to the restrictions of a new league she is playing in that partners with the U.S. National Team. Although the soccer team will feel Ortega’s absence in the fall, the U.S. National Team partnership will open up many opportunities for her to improve her game and to receive recruiting exposure. Although Ortega spends hours a week playing soccer, she describes something that set apart her club experience from that at Stone Ridge. “Playing Stone Ridge soccer gives me an outlet where I can forget about the stresses of recruitment and really just enjoy playing the sport I love with some of my best friends and classmates,” says Ortega. “After being in school all day, it’s a great way to blow off steam and relieve stress for a couple hours. We laugh laugh a ton, and it’s definitely one of the closest teams I have ever been a part of.”
The Stone Ridge experience of playing sports is unparalleled by most schools. Players here learn more than just how to improve their skills and game; they learn the importance of working towards a goal with others and of dedicating themselves to something that does not necessarily come easy. The values that student athletes at Stone Ridge acquire are ones that will not only be beneficial to their success at Stone Ridge, but will also be in years beyond high school.