Athletics

Field Hockey / Rowing / Rugby / Basketball / Cross-Country / Fitness & Conditioning / Golf / Ice Hockey / Outdoor Pursuits / Search and Rescue / Soccer / Swimming / Squash / Tennis / Volleyball

The philosophy of the athletics program at Shawnigan Lake School flows out of the School’s mission statement where we “lead young people in the pursuit of personal excellence.” Our goal in the various sports is to develop the athletic potential of each student and to create genuine opportunities to excel with others. We offer an impressive range of sports. For the boys, rugby and rowing are our flagship sports, while for the girls it is field hockey and rowing and, needless to say, we have very proud traditions of success in each of these sports, both at local and international level. A finer collection of coaches would be hard to find in any school in the world, with Olympians, internationals and representative teams’ experience all through our programs. The over-arching values of respect and sportsmanship colour our whole approach to our athletics.

Field Hockey (click here for our Field Hockey page)
Field hockey, one of our flagship sports is offered in the Fall Term for girls. There is a place for all skill and fitness levels and each girl is placed on a team where they will be able to experience game situations in a local league of their calibre. The top Junior and Senior teams compete in tournaments, local Association Leagues, the Island Championships and, if successful, move on to the Provincial Championships.

During the Winter Term the girls have an opportunity to play team Indoor Hockey at the Community Center in Duncan and also practice more locally in Shawnigan. Our top players are involved in the High Performance Camp that takes place every Friday from November through to May at the University of Victoria.

Rowing (click here for our Rowing page)
Rowing, another of our flagship sports at Shawnigan, features a competitive racing season in the Spring term. The Fall term is non-competitive and primarily focuses on beginners and stroke development. The Winter term is the beginning of the training season and an introduction to competition with a number of long distance races. The Spring term is the sprint racing season and the team travels to regattas throughout the Pacific North-West. Following regatta season Shawnigan sends an elite group to the Canadian Championships in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Rugby (click here for our Rugby page)
Shawnigan has a long-standing tradition in rugby making it our longest standing flagship sport. During the Fall Term, our grade 8 and 9 boys are given the opportunity to play rugby and compete for the School while our grade 10 boys play in the Spring Term. All teams grade 8-10 compete with other Independent Schools and the local Public Schools. The grade 10 season culminates in the spring term with the Vancouver Island Championship. The Senior boys have an option of rugby skills in the fall and the Senior girls in the winter. Those involved work on skill development, fitness, and strength as they prepare for the competitive season in the spring. Tours for all groups happen over the Spring break.

The Senior boys compete in the High School Premier League and the Provincial Championships 'AAA' ,while the girls compete for the Vancouver Island Championship and then move on to the Provincial 'AA' Championships.

Basketball
Basketball is offered to both boys and girls from grade 8 to 12 during the Winter term. Shawnigan seniors compete in the local Athletic Association for the opportunity to advance to the Island and Provincial Championships while our grades 8-10 compete in the Mid-Island Athletic Association and aim toward the Vancouver Island Championships. It is not unusual for our Senior Basketball team to tour during the first week of the Christmas holiday.

Cross-Country
Cross-country features both recreational and competitive components. The program offers something tailored to the needs and interests of novice, intermediate, and experienced runners. For those who enjoy competing there are a variety of opportunities to measure their skill. The program is offered throughout the school year.

Fitness and Conditioning
This sport option incorporates a variety of workouts designed to increase your strength, balance, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness and core strength. A variety of different fitness accessories are used including music, balance boards, skipping ropes, Bosu trainers, and Swiss balls in a circuit style program. Additionally, weight room circuit training, running, and Boot Camp sessions complement the training. Fitness and conditioning is offered throughout the school year.

Golf
The Golf program at Shawnigan provides the opportunity to pursue the game at the competitive or recreational level. First class instruction with highly qualified CPGA professionals is a mainstay of the program. The competitive program participates in the BC Independent Schools tournament and the BC High School Championship Tournament held each year in late spring.

Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is available to both boys and girls during the Winter Term at the Kerry Park Arena in Mill Bay. Our league play consists of Cowichan Valley high school teams, and our local ISA rival. The games, although highly competitive, are played in a non-hitting league. Shawnigan has both a junior and senior team.

Outdoor Pursuits
Outdoor Pursuits provides training and experience in wilderness travel, risk management, and environmental stewardship. Activities include sea kayaking and canoeing, trail running and orienteering, no-trace camping and backcountry cooking. There are opportunities for mountain biking and on the climbing wall, and to contribute volunteer hours building and maintaining trails. Students deepen their awareness and understanding of First-Aid principles, ropes and knots, wilderness survival, plants and wildlife, and other aspects of self-sufficiency. Outdoors is offered throughout the school year. 

Search and Rescue
Shawnigan’s SAR program is open to grade 11 and 12 students. It offers a high level of personal challenge; intelligent, informed decision-making is the foundation of the SAR program, with safety and risk management as its cornerstones. Part of the program’s appeal is its experiential nature: students undertake training in backcountry environments, swim in icy cold rivers and, at times, trust their lives to teammates and to various pieces of technical equipment. Students who successfully complete the highest levels of training and examinations earn internationally recognized certifications in wilderness first aid (WFA Essentials for Leaders) and rescue (Swiftwater Flood Rescue Technician Level 3). 

Soccer
Soccer is offered in the Fall term to both junior and senior boys while the girls have soccer skills in the winter with their competitive season in the spring. Our competition includes games against the ISA Schools as well as schools in the Mid and North Island Associations.

The senior girls compete for the Island 'AA' Championships to gain a berth in the Provincial Championships while the seniors qualify for the Provincials through the North Island Association.

Swimming
Swimming takes place at the Cowichan Pool in Duncan, a 20-minute drive by School bus from the School. All swimming activities are coordinated and instructed by staff at the Cowichan Pool. Students who join the swim club in the second term can choose to do either the swimming for fitness program or the certification program. The fitness program consists of an hour swim workout during which time students swim lengths, work on stroke improvement, and work toward achieving their swim fitness goals set at the beginning of the term. Students taking the certification program work with a separate instructor on their various swim certification levels, usually Bronze Medallion or Bronze Cross.

Squash (click here for our Squash page)
Squash is played in all three terms and caters to squash players of all levels throughout the year. Our newly built Sport Complex houses 4 squash courts. Our squash players compete in Independent School's Association competitions, and tournaments. Our ranked players play provincially and nationally at various times throughout the year.

Tennis
During the Fall Term tennis is offered to all level of players in Grade 11 and 12. For some it is an introduction to the game, while others it is improving the skills they already have. The drills are structured to meet the varying levels of abilities and include sprinting and fitness training. Single and double match play is introduced. Both recreational and competitive tennis is offered to all students from Grade 8 to 12 in the Spring Term. The senior and junior tennis players are involved in the ISA League and the seniors compete for the Island Championships before moving on to the Provincial Championships.

Volleyball
Volleyball is offered in the Fall Term as a competitive option for girls. The Junior Girls compete in the local Association volleyball league and associated tournaments in order to move on to the Vancouver Island Championships. The senior girls compete in the AA North Island region, and compete in a number of tournaments throughout the season in preparation for the Vancouver Island Championships and the Provincial Championships. Our junior girls compete in the Mid-Island Association with an opportunity to move on to the Island Championships.