According to website Private School Review, the average private school in the State of Georgia offers eight sports, with private high schools across the state averaging 10 sports—rates that sit above the national average. And in metro Atlanta specifically, many private schools offer even more than that, with some boasting upwards of an astounding 20 sports options. That’s an important distinction, as many families consider sports as a key factor when it comes to choosing the private school that is best for them. They consider which sports their students will have access to, the resources that are part of those programs and how a school works to stay up to date with everything student-athletes need to succeed both athletically and academically. Fortunately, the metro area is home to an array of private and independent schools that feature outstanding athletic programs that not only let students of all ages to explore multiple sports throughout each school year, but also are constantly evolving to meet the needs of their young athletes. Here, we look at recent changes and updates that have allowed several local private schools to take their sports programs to the next level.

The More the Merrier: New Sports Options

For many years, sports like football and baseball were the main options for student-athletes at the middle and high school levels. In recent years, however, independent schools across the country—and throughout metro Atlanta—have expanded their sports offerings with an array of new options for both boys and girls. From tennis and swimming to lacrosse and esports, new sports teams are being added to school rosters near and far. And there have been some exciting developments recently at local schools.

“We are always open to evolving our athletic offerings to better meet the needs of our students,” says Noah Schroyer, sports information graduate assistant at The Lovett School in Atlanta. “We plan to introduce additional sports and activities, ensuring that our community continues to grow and that every student has a space where they can feel purpose and a sense of belonging.” With that in mind, the school recently introduced both flag football and esports at the varsity level, while also working to expand offerings for middle school students. The students themselves played a key role in having flag football and esports added to the school’s offerings, requesting the changes and encouraging the administration to make the additions for the 2024-2025 school year. Schroyer adds, “These additions are part of our commitment to enhancing the student-athlete experience. Our aim is to offer a broader range of sports and activities to support the development of all students, fostering a well-rounded athletic environment. We focus on developing both athletic skills and character while also fostering a strong sense of community and purpose within our teams.”

A similar sentiment can be found at North Cobb Christian School, located in Kennesaw. According to Jimmy Keane, middle school athletic director, “At North Cobb Christian School, we continue to add teams and upgrade facilities to give our students a broad scope of opportunities to play a variety of sports while also ensuring they can develop in their skills and technique through cutting-edge spaces to train and play.” In terms of NCCS’s sports options, much emphasis has been placed on lacrosse in recent years. As Todd Clingman, head of school, notes, “Lacrosse has expanded exponentially at NCCS. We launched junior varsity boys lacrosse in 2018, upgraded that program to varsity in 2021, added middle school boys lacrosse in 2022, launched varsity girls lacrosse in 2024 and added middle school girls lacrosse this year in 2025. Our teams have grown in scope and skill, resulting in an increasingly competitive lacrosse program at NCCS.” Beyond that, the school also added bass fishing as a sport in 2023, bringing the school’s total to 56 teams across 16 sports.

In the last several years, lacrosse and fishing have been added to other schools’ repertoires as well, including to that of Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw. While varsity lacrosse began as a sport for boys at the school nearly a decade ago, with varsity girls lacrosse being added seven years ago, Mount Paran has more recently been able to add partial junior varsity schedules for students in middle school, according to Caroline  Bradford, assistant director of athletics and head coach for varsity girls tennis. “As someone who graduated from high school in Cobb County 22 years ago, I can say that lacrosse was almost unheard of,” she says. “So now, to see the impact that the sport has had in this region, it’s pretty exciting.” Equally exciting is the school’s newest addition to its sports programming: a dance team. Currently in its second year at Mount Paran, the dance team grew out of the on-campus Murray Arts Academy and caters to 9th through 12th grade students who want to work beyond the dance classes offered in the academy. The team currently performs at all home basketball games; while not a competitive team yet, they are exploring what it takes to move into the dance competition arena. As Bradford observes, “We have 450 high school students, and we have a lot of teams. That’s because we have students who are willing to get after it and work hard. They’re willing to do something different and try new sports. That’s a big piece of who we are as a school and as an athletic department.”

Room to Grow: New Facilities

Of course, with so many sports options, schools also must have first-rate facilities available to their student-athletes so they can perform to the best of their abilities while continually working to improve their skills. Across the metro area, private schools have made an array of capital improvements to their sports facilities, ensuring that everyone has what they need to succeed from season to season.

For instance, at Wesleyan School in Peachtree Corners, a significant renovation in the fall of 2023 upgraded the weight room on campus to a new state-of-the-art standard. “We did a major renovation of our weight room to provide the best training equipment for our student-athletes,” reveals Lacy Gilbert, director of athletics. “We wanted to add more functional space to accommodate more athletes, as well as provide a space for speed and agility work.” The space now includes a 15-yard turf area for athletes to work on speed, eight racks with brand new weight equipment, a LEVER Movement system that attaches to a treadmill to aid in low-impact athlete recovery and Normatec and Game Ready recovery systems to provide further recovery assistance, among other features. The facility can be accessed by students in 7th through 12th grades, with some PE classes using the weight room at least once per week. Gilbert adds, “The student-athletes love the weight room renovation, the new equipment and the ability to perform more exercises. And our addition of multiple recovery management systems have been appreciated by our students, as it allows them to rehab injuries while on campus. Our goal is to provide the best equipment for our student-athletes to directly benefit their training and show our commitment to athletic excellence in all areas of our sports programs.”

Atlanta International School, which has a main campus in Buckhead, recently underwent a transformation as well with the opening of a new 25-acre campus in Sandy Springs that includes state-of-the-art sporting and recreational facilities. Jaclissa Haislip, director of athletics, notes that a new sports field, tennis courts and other sporting facilities were an integral part of the renovation of the campus, which is situated along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. She says, “As we expand on the Sandy Springs campus, we may have the chance to establish an intramural program that allows students to engage in a wide range of sports. This development also provides additional facilities to support our expanding programs across both campuses.” One element of those expanding programs is AIS’s collaboration with Patrick Mouratoglou, the legendary tennis coach of Serena Williams, to launch the Mouratoglou Academy Atlanta, which is designed to offer students an exceptional experience both in the classroom and on the tennis court, with elite tennis experiences including camps and a tennis-and-school program based on the Mouratoglou methodology. The academy complements the school’s AISx program, which offers in-person, virtual and asynchronous classes that are tailor-made for elite athletes who need a flexible academic schedule. Haislip continues, “What truly distinguishes us is our commitment to providing athletic opportunities for the entire community. From our youngest Eagles in 3K to our upper school students, everyone has the chance to engage in a variety of Eagles athletics, including soccer, basketball, volleyball and golf.”

Serving all students is what North Cobb Christian School had in mind when it upgraded its own facilities with a renovated weight room, an additional training field and the recent opening of a $3.2 million baseball and softball complex, Walker Phillips Field. The latter is the result of two years’ worth of effort and construction to build a complex that not only provides student-athletes with an outstanding facility, but also honors a beloved fourth grade student who tragically passed in 2022. According to Jimmy Keane, the Walker Phillips complex is a fully lighted multi-purpose turfed field that includes a hitting facility, locker room and concession area. Todd Clingman says, “Walker Phillips’ two siblings, Aiden (Class of 2025) and Cannon (Class of 2028) are still students at NCCS, and having a permanent place on campus to honor their younger brother has been a goal of the school for two years. Our community could not be more proud of how Walker Phillips Field embodies the love athletics, teamwork and sportsmanship that Walker displayed.” Keane adds, “With this cutting-edge facility to support training and games, we look forward to seeing our softball program take a stride forward from varsity to middle school. This investment shows a tremendous amount of support for girls sports—an investment that will have a ripple effect throughout the athletic program.” That includes future expansion projects, including an expanded training facility for student-athletes and the construction of a new football stadium with a regulation track.

Leader of the Pack: New Coaches

The relationship between a coach and his or her players is a key ingredient for a successful sports team. As Jimmy Keane of North Cobb Christian School states, “Our coaches coach players, not games.” And in private schools across metro Atlanta, selecting the right coaches for their ever-evolving sports programs is crucial. The process is often an ongoing proposition, as programs change, coaches leave for other opportunities, new sports are added and student-athletes require fresh leadership. For example, Wesleyan added an assistant strength and conditioning coach to its burgeoning athletic department staff in 2023. Additionally, Mount Paran Christian School is currently in the midst of a search for a new varsity football head coach to lead its highly competitive football team.

In the last couple of years, Woodward Academy, located in College Park, experienced a turnover of coaches. While a challenge, the athletic department also looked at the changes as an opportunity to bring in a slate of new coaches who could infuse their sports teams with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose. According to Dr. Jose Fernandez, director of athletics, the school was able to bring in Kaitlin Cochran as the new head girls lacrosse coach and Jonathan Vance as the head boys lacrosse coach—both of whom have collegiate coaching experience. Tucker Griffin came on board as the head varsity girls tennis coach after serving as the assistant coach for several years. Lucy Seidel also joined Woodward as the head varsity diving coach, while Thomas Quizau came on board as the head swim coach. Fernandez notes, “We have fantastic coaches, and they put in a lot of time, energy and effort into what they do. We have conversations with our coaches about the fact that while we compete to win championships, not everyone’s going to win a championship. So one of the things we try to instill without coaches is the understanding that the relationships they create with their student-athletes is the most important things that’s going to lead us to be successful. We strive to create lasting relationships as we also instill sportsmanship.”

Local private schools across the board adhere to this principle, and it helps them stand out to families looking for the right educational home for their children. As Noah Schroyer concludes, “Athletics is about more than just skill development and competition—it’s about creating an environment where every student feels a sense of belonging and connection. Our dedicated, experienced coaches work to ensure that every athlete is supported, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential, both in sports and as part of our inclusive school community. We believe that through athletics, we can cultivate a compassionate, resilient student body.”