Athletics
UNIS has an extensive Athletics program, running across three distinct seasons: Fall, Winter and Spring for students in 7th-12th grades (M3-Tut 4), and consist of 34 school teams. The Director of Athletics, who reports to the Executive Director, is responsible for the coordination and supervision of all UNIS teams.
UNIS is a member of New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). UNIS Athletic teams participate in independent leagues including: Private Schools Athletic Association (PSAA), the American International Private Schools League (AIPSL), and New York City Athletic League (NYCAL).
UNIS also plays non- league games against other private, public and Catholic high schools throughout all five boroughs of New York.
An important part of the UNIS Athletics program is the The UNIS Athletic Council (UAC) which is a group of Tutorial House students that work directly with the Athletic Department and The UNIS Athletics Association
‘Athletics can play an important role in the lives of children. The school's athletic program should be an essential part of the education of students, fostering the development of character, life skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork.’
NYSAIS ‘Principles of Best Practice’
Spring Preseason and Tryout Information
Click here to access spring team schedules (including tryout dates).
N.B. Please ensure that you have completed the electronic registration form on behalf of your son/daughter before the first day of tryouts.
Athletics Forms and Policies
Forms for 2017-18
Magnus Health (Available through the Parent Portal)
- Prior to each athletics season, parents will be e-mailed a link to an electronic registration form. Completion of this form serves several purposes; notably, it ensures that the Athletics department possesses up-to-date health information on each student-athlete, and that parents/guardians are fully aware of all relevant policies and protocols which impact participation in interscholastic sport.
Athlete Well Being
- Concussion Management
- CPR, First Aid and AEDs
- Athletic Trainers
- Water Bottle Policy
- Social and Emotional Well Being
Concussion Management
UNIS continues to work closely with the NYU Langone Medical Center Concussion Center to develop best practice policies and procedures in dealing with the management of student athlete concussions. All coaches must take part in professional development programs, which will teach them to understand:
- Definition, signs and symptoms of concussion.
- Concussion concerns, complications and at risk populations.
- Injury prevention.
- Details of the New York State Concussion Management and Awareness Act.
- On field concussion assessment and carry over to classroom and play
- Return to Play and Return to Learn Guidelines.
- Team composition and the role of the Team in safely assessing and managing the athlete/student who has sustained a concussion.
CPR, First Aid and AEDs
UNIS continues to work closely with the Rapid Response Training LLC to develop best practice policies and procedures in dealing with CPR, Basic First Aid and use of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED). All coaches must take part in professional development programs, which will prepare individuals to provide care for breathing emergencies and perform CPR for victims (age 8 and up) of sudden cardiac arrest. Coaches will also learn when and how to use the emergency medical service (EMS). The first aid course covers both adult and pediatric emergencies. Topics include broken bones, bleeding, burns, diabetes, seizures, asthma attacks, nose-bleeds and heart attacks. The course will also cover the skills needed to assist a patient with an EPI-Pen Auto Injector and asthma inhaler.
Athletic Trainers
Water Bottle Policy
It is expected that all UNIS athletes provide their own water bottles at all training and games. This policy is based on current research that strongly suggests that the sharing of water bottles between athletes significantly increase the risk of Influenza (flu), colds and other respiratory illness, mononucleosis (mono) and meningitis (infection involving the brain and spinal cord). Germs can be spread from saliva when a person with an infection shares a water bottle with another person.
It is extremely important that all athletes do bring their own water bottles and stay hydrated. Hydration is key to good health and physical activity. Not drinking enough fluids throughout the day can lead to dehydration and decreased performance in activity or sport. Some signs of dehydration include having a strong thirst, dry mouth, decreased amount of urine, and sleepiness (Thompson, Manore & Sheeshka, 2007).
Social and Emotional Well Being
Sport is an invaluable and authentic platform to help teenagers learn more about social and emotional learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the development of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making, and relationship management. In the context of competitive sports, feelings and emotions that result from achieving a personal best in an event or game, receiving a compliment from a coach or teammate after a meet or game, winning a race or a playoff can make sports extremely enjoyable and motivate teenage athletes to participate regularly. A key challenge in this setting is that young athletes may lack social and emotional competencies that can lead to them becoming less connected with their peers, coach or parents. Negative feelings and emotions that result from being made fun of or teased, failing to achieve a personal best time on the track, living up to the expectations of others, being disqualified in a race or fouled out in a game, or just being isolated from participating in a team activity, can ultimately reduce the desire to participate or continue training and compete, increase anxiety and affect relationships and general well-being. (Davison 2012)
It is imperative that coaches, parents, teachers and family and friends continue to support the social and emotional needs all UNIS athletes. It is a shared responsibility. UNIS continues to work closely with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) through running workshops and offering on-line training for coaches and athletes. PCA is a national non-profit developing ‘Better Athletes, Better People’ by working to provid eall youth and high school athletes a positive character building youth sports experience. For more information on PCA, visit their web site.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who can try out for an interscholastic sports team?
- How do I try out for a sports team?
- What is my commitment if I make a sports team?
- What do I bring to the first try out for a sports team?
- What is an academic review process?
- How much does it cost to participate in a sports team?
Who can try out for an interscholastic sports team?
All M3 – Tut 4 students are encouraged to try out for a sports team. There are normally between 2-3 tryouts before a team roster is selected. If a student does not make a team roster for the season, they are encouraged to enroll in an after school sports program and/or the weekend sport clinics held at UNIS.
How do I try out for a sports team?
What is my commitment if I make a sports team?
Students on teams are required to attend, on average, three events per week. An event is either a practice or game during that particular season. All events are held after school during the week. The first mandatory commitment is a team registration and uniform distribution event. Students will be notified as to when this has been scheduled. On some occasions a game may be scheduled on a Saturday; these are normally special tournaments that UNIS has been invited to attend. Varsity schedules will often be more demanding than Junior Varsity and Middle School teams. Many games and some practices are scheduled off site and students will be expected to take a bus with the team and coach to these venues. Punctuality and consistent attendance are expected at all practices and games. If an athlete is unable to make it to a practice or a game, they must inform their coach immediately. If absenteeism and lateness becomes a consistent problem, their position on the team may be reviewed with the coach, parents or Athletic Director.
What do I bring to the first try out for a sports team?
Every student trying out for a team must bring a separate signed Athlete Release Form to the first day of tryouts. These forms are available on the school web site and relevant links are emailed to the M3 -Tut 4 parents prior to the start of the school year. Students must also bring the appropriate training gear and equipment specific to the sport. If a student is unable to come to one of the tryouts, he/she must inform the coach in order to remain under consideration for the team. In addition, the student must have a health form on file in the nurse’s office. This form confirms that he/she is in good health and had a complete physical examination no more than twelve months prior to the end of the season.
What is an academic review process?
All team members are subject to the academic review process to ensure that participation on a sports team does not negatively affect academic performance. In order to be accepted and continue on a team, it is important that the student maintains UNIS academic standards (i.e. no more than one grade lower than 4- in core academic subjects) throughout the season. A student who falls below this standard, and is therefore placed on academic watch or probation, risks being removed from the team by the Tutorial House principal. Academic review for the fall season participation is based on performance on the June report cards. Participation in the winter season is based on teachers’ affirmation that the student continues to maintain UNIS academic standards. Participation in the spring season will be based on performance on the January report cards. We will also conduct mid-season academic reviews. The Tutorial House principal may also remove an athlete from a team if the school’s behavioral standards are not met and the student is put on behavior watch or behavior probation. Students are responsible for making up all schoolwork missed due to participation in the teams. Each athlete must communicate with each teacher prior to missing a class to ensure they are on top of their school work. Each athlete should fill out the early dismissal form for their records to keep on track of the classes they will be missing during the season.
