The Ellis School

Life at Ellis

Athletics

A Record of Health and Wellness

Girls who play sports are more physically and emotionally healthy and get better grades than girls who don't play. Our commitment to wellness, sportsmanship, and healthy competition is evident in our athletic program.
 
The goal of our athletic program is to teach, coach, and encourage each girl to compete to the best of her athletic ability. Our coaches are champions of integrity and resilience, and encourage girls to become scholars and athletes. We offer a variety of sports every season; by participating, girls discover hidden talents and physical activities they love. They experience the joy of teamwork, grace in defeat, and the thrill of winning. Our students also develop physical strength, mental toughness, time-management skills, and stress reduction techniques that last a lifetime.

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  • Lower School

    For Lower School students, playing is learning. Play is woven into the entire day to foster fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving, teamwork, and fun. In Physical Education the focus is on the joy of movement, spatial awareness, running, dancing, imaginative play, and physical activity. Lower School students play outside daily when weather permits and the fun continues with After-school Adventures and activities such as Girls on the Run, field hockey, basketball, lacrosse, and tennis.

    Learn more about After-school Athletics offerings for grades 3 and 4.

  • Middle School

    The Middle School program cultivates skill development, teamwork, fitness, and sportsmanship. Eight different team sports are offered to girls in grades 5 through 8 and various club sports such as frisbee, softball, and volleyball are also available. Student-athletes have the chance to compete several times throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons, in order to hone their skills and develop their game.

  • Upper School

    Ellis coaches and college counseling staff aim to provide students and families with a practical understanding of collegiate athletics and scholarships. We develop a pathway for students who are interested in competing on all divisional levels. We provide a framework for understanding the financial opportunity and academic and athletic commitment needed to qualify for Division I, II, and III participation. We also work closely with our College Counseling office to guide students toward the best fit as collegiate scholar athletes.

Athletics News

List of 2 news stories.

  • Athletics Program Promotes Collaboration and Confidence

    Whether they were cheering each other on in a swimming relay or playing doubles on the tennis court, Ellis student-athletes practiced lessons they learned in the classroom—like collaboration, confidence, and resilience—every time they pulled on the Ellis uniform this year. Teamwork was at the heart of it all as Upper School girls celebrated each other’s successes, lifted one another up after losses, and recognized their collective strength as one unit through the fall, winter, and spring sports seasons.

  • Seniors Earn WPIAL Lacrosse Honors

    Two Ellis lacrosse players earned postseason honors in recognition of their excellence on the field this season. Leah Ewers, Class of 2019, was named to the WPIAL All-Section Team and Kat Ference, Class of 2019, earned a spot on the All WPIAL team in addition to being named to the All-Section team. A dynamic duo, Kat and Leah ran the Tiger’s offensive unit with Kat scoring a total of 80 goals and Leah scoring 54 goals.

Our Teams

Middle School Athletics

Upper School Athletics

Facilities and Resources

A World-class Athletic Field

In 2014, Ellis celebrated the grand opening of our new state-of-the-art turf field. Our new 72,600 square foot regulation-sized field is lined for soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse, and looks and feels like natural grass. The mix of turf and sand at Ellis was specifically chosen to minimize injury risk to young athletes. The field is a source of tremendous school pride, not just for our athletes, but for every member of our community. Though sports are not required, 70% of Ellis Middle and Upper School students play a team sport. This is much higher than the national average of 40% for girls (Women’s Sports Foundation).

Training and Equipment

Ellis athletes train under the supervision of certified athletic trainers from UPMC Sports Medicine. Our trainers assist with conditioning and injury management and oversee every game. They are nationally certified both on the state level and by the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification. Our UPMC Sports Medicine team provides onsite medical care and rehabilitation programs for all Ellis athletic teams. They also offer on-campus concussion baseline testing by season and grade level. Uniform and safety equipment lists are detailed on the MyEllis intranet site. Every sports season begins with a “Meet the Coach session” where coaches provide detailed information about practice and games and set the tone for an exciting season.

Shayla Scott

Director of Athletics

Commit. Compete. Repeat. The foundation of Ellis Athletics is built around the idea that once you commit, the expectation is to compete, every day. All Ellis athletes and coaches are multidimensional and multitalented, which means we can do it all. Our student-athletes are also class presidents, workshop facilitators, leads in plays, peer-tutors, orchestra members, artists, and more! From single-sport athletes to tri-sport athletes, the Ellis Athletics program encourages leadership, sportsmanship, and good character amongst the near 75 percent of Middle and Upper School students who make up our teams. Our coaches range from our beloved faculty members to passionate and well-qualified individuals who join our community after their workday. It is the natural ability of all our coaches to consistently teach while coaching and to do so in a competitive environment. Our coaches focus not only on fun but on supporting each athlete's commitment to play and practice hard for herself, her team, and her school. Ellis athletes know what it feels like to work hard, play hard, and win championships. It all starts with commitment.

Meet Our Coaches

List of 10 members.

List of 10 members.