Coach's Corner

At Loudonville, athletics play a vital role in our school community. It gives our students the ability to participate in a sport at the interscholastic level and to be a witness as well as a testimony to those whom we compete against. As a member of Section 2, and as a member of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, we are required to abide by their participation guidelines. One such guideline states that no student may participate at the interscholastic level before entering 7^th grade. Participation before 7^th grade is gained at the local town recreation league or intramurals in town, Catholic Youth Organization, YMCA or LCS intramural programs. Because of our small numbers, we have two basic levels of competition here at school. They are the modified (Grades 7-9) and varsity (Grades 9-12). Only our boys’ basketball team has the numbers for the junior varsity level of play. Christian School

Participation at the modified level stresses further development of the basic skills needed to play the game successfully. While all students are encouraged to try out for a sport that they enjoy playing, it is expected that a student will have a previous knowledge of the sport and will enter participation with the basic skills already grasped. Students with no previous playing experience should first gain this through playing in the aforementioned recreational and intramural programs. Certain sports allow for more student athletes to be a part of the team because of the availability of larger practice facilities for more students to train on, the need for fewer coaches, as well as other enabling factors that allow for a bigger team. Some sports on the other hand, such as basketball, have fewer roster spots available and require a higher skill level upon entry. Other factors such as the availability of a smaller practice facility, less practice time available for learning and improving one’s skills and fewer players on the court lead to less players needed to make up a team. Sometimes it is necessary to reduce the number of players on the team in order to keep the team manageable.  However, players who make the team are given the opportunity to further develop their skills and play in most, if not all, of the games on the schedule providing the student athlete is following the coach’s directions, attending practices and games and abiding by team rules as stated in the Athletic Code of Conduct signed by each student/athlete.

Once the varsity level has been attained, the mastery of the skills as well as a more complete knowledge of the game is required. At this level we find that players with advanced skills are given a higher percentage of playing time. The player who works hard and develops his skills finds it rewarding and fun at the same time. All the athletes have a role to play on the team, and it’s the job of the coach to make sure that each player knows his role and is given the ability to advance as far as their hard work and teamwork will allow.