Fall Athletics See Key Improvements
It’s a new school year and a fresh start for fall athletes, who have more sports choices than ever thanks to two changes to our Middle School athletics program. Best of luck to all our athletes playing in fall sports! Go Graland!
Golfers Tee Off
Golf joins cross-country and tennis to provide more individual sports options for students. “Adding golf to our program has been in the works for a few years,” Di shares. “Graland has a robust team sports program and now it’s time to bolster our individual sports offerings.”
The team of golfers has a challenging season ahead while learning a game Arnold Palmer described as “deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”
Di agrees. “I’ve played sports all my life and this is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to get good at, mostly because of the mental aspect,” she explains. To address those challenges, Coach Nestel will draw on her own experience as a student of the game.
“I’ll encourage them to be more patient than I started out,” she says. “The game is a constant challenge to be your better self. Some days you won’t be, but understand that it’s OK and tomorrow is another day.”
Without officials monitoring play, golfers are expected to embrace the spirit of the game by internalizing qualities such as fair play, sportsmanship, honesty and integrity, adds Di.
The team will compete in weekly tournaments with their independent school peers at St. Mary’s Academy, Cherry Hills Christian School and Colorado Academy. Mark your calendar for October 2, when Graland will host its first golf competition at CommonGround.
Graland’s co-ed cross-country team, formerly offered to Grades 7/8, will be joined by a new group of runners this year after the sport was expanded to include Grade 6.Our athletic department now offers a co-ed golf option to students in Grades 7/8. Led by Coach Di Nestel, the team tees off at their home course, CommonGround in Lowry.
Golf joins cross-country and tennis to provide more individual sports options for students. “Adding golf to our program has been in the works for a few years,” Di shares. “Graland has a robust team sports program and now it’s time to bolster our individual sports offerings.”
The team of golfers has a challenging season ahead while learning a game Arnold Palmer described as “deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”
Di agrees. “I’ve played sports all my life and this is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to get good at, mostly because of the mental aspect,” she explains. To address those challenges, Coach Nestel will draw on her own experience as a student of the game.
“I’ll encourage them to be more patient than I started out,” she says. “The game is a constant challenge to be your better self. Some days you won’t be, but understand that it’s OK and tomorrow is another day.”
Without officials monitoring play, golfers are expected to embrace the spirit of the game by internalizing qualities such as fair play, sportsmanship, honesty and integrity, adds Di.
The team will compete in weekly tournaments with their independent school peers at St. Mary’s Academy, Cherry Hills Christian School and Colorado Academy. Mark your calendar for October 2, when Graland will host its first golf competition at CommonGround.
Cross Country Expands
Coach James Foreman is excited to share his love for running with a younger class of students. “Offering cross country to sixth graders gives more depth to our athletic program and helps young athletes develop more skills,” he says. “I always hear from the winter and spring coaches that the runners from cross country make a true impact on the other sports.”
He says sixth graders were eager to join the team, which inspired him to make time in his schedule to coach the runners during their physical education period.
“I look at it like a junior varsity/varsity structure where the younger athletes are looking up to the older ones as role models,” he explains. “They will benefit from competing with older athletes and developing the resilience necessary for this sport.”
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
