Commitment was the official theme for the LFNY Athletics program in 2013-14. A spirit of pride was certainly palpable in the auditorium during Athletics Awards Night on Thursday night, as the community came together to celebrate the great season with the 231 athletes (a record for the Lycée) and 60 coaches who take part in the school’s now 36 competitive athletics teams.
Robert De La Chapelle, Sixth Grade Girls Soccer team coach.
Many of the schools athletic teams moved from the ISAL to the more competitive NYCAL league this year, where they competed for the first time against schools Calhoun, Trevor Day, and Browning.
“I could sense that the players were more dedicated to athletics this year. They spoke a lot about commitment, and why it is so important when you are part of a team,” said Robert De La Chapelle, a Primary assistant who coaches Middle School (MS) Tennis and the Sixth Grade Girls Soccer team.
Outstanding Senior Athlete Gaétan.
“The level of playing in NYCAL is tougher, and the students can sense it,” said athletics director John Burpoe. “They have to put more into each game, which I think is a great lesson for life.”
Teams like MS Girls Seventh and Eighth Grade Soccer, Varsity Boys Basketball, and Varsity Boys Soccer felt the new competition, but rose to the occasion making great progress throughout their seasons. LFNY Boys Varsity Track is now third in the league, and Varsity Boys Soccer went on to win the NYCAL regular season and tournament championship. “Une excellente surprise with a lot of hard work,” said coach and economics teacher Zohair Ghenania.
Said MS girls soccer coach Lauren Neidhardt, Eighth-grade coordinator and advisor, “We had a tough season at the start, but finally won in our last game of the season. All of a sudden the girls played as a team, and we scored three goals. It was magic.”
During the awards evening, coaches gave an award for Most Improved Player and Most Valuable Player (MVP) in each sport. As the awards were presented, it was hard not to miss the real purpose of team play. “She won MVP for her humanity,” said Annabelle Altefrohne, Primary EPS teacher and coach of MS Girls volleyball, of MVP student Eléonore. “She always supported her team — in defeat as well as in victory.”
The Middle School Girls Volleyball team.
Qualities like dedication, determination and leadership were celebrated throughout the night and particularly so for Fiona P. and Gaétan M., seniors who emceed the event, and also were named Outstanding Senior Athletes. Congratulations!
Award ceremony during athletics night.
Félicitations and great thanks to all our athletes and coaches for a fabulous year in sports! Here are the fall, winter and spring season highlights:
Junior Varsity Boys Soccer – NYCAL Regular Season Co–Champions
Varsity Boys Soccer – NYCAL Regular Season and Tournament Champions
Varsity Girls Soccer – Team Sportsmanship Award Winner (voted on by NYCAL)
Junior Varsity Boys Basketball – NYCAL Regular Season Co – Champions
Varsity Girls Basketball – Team Sportsmanship Award Winner (voted on by NYCAL)
Varsity Girls Swimming – ACIS Champions
Varsity Boys Tennis – NYCAL Regular Season Champions
Varsity Girls Tennis – ISAL Regular Season Champions
But, spring athletics has not quite ended. There’s still time to watch tennis and track before the school year ends. Good luck to our teams! Check out the schedule here.
About the Author :
Elisabeth King joined the Lycée team in November 2011 as the school’s first director of communications. A francophile at heart, Elisabeth spent her junior year of college in Paris, and held her first job at the French Trade Office here in New York. She brings to the Lycée over 15 years of experience in media and communications in non-profits, government, news and business. She was previously executive vice president and director of strategy at ABI, Inc., a boutique public relations agency, and she worked as associate editor on two books co-authored by Todd Brewster and the late ABC News anchor Peter Jennings.