Walking down the hallways at New Trier, students are bound to hear people talking about sports — the latest swim meets, celebration of retiring coaches, rivalries with neighboring schools, and upcoming spring season tryouts. Whether through participating in sports sponsored by the Illinois High School Sports Association or playing in intramural leagues, athletics are a major part of student life at New Trier High School. So how many students are actually participating in these various athletic options?

In the 2023-2024 year alone, New Trier won a total of five state championships and ten state trophies. Overall, New Trier has a total of 124 state championships which gives it the top spot out of all high schools in Illinois. Athletic Director Augie Fontanetta has gathered data about athletic participation at the school. There are a total of 35 scholastic sports offered over the course of a year with some athletes participating in multiple seasons.

“Typically, we have about 1,300 to 1,400 athletes in the fall, 1,300 to 1,400 in the spring, and 400 to 500 in the winter,” Fontanetta noted. 

With anywhere from 10 to 35% of the student body competing in sports during any one season, there are many student-athletes walking around campus.

New Trier sports come at many different levels of competition, and vary in expectations for commitment and experience. Fontanetta acknowledged that some teams are extremely competitive and result in students being cut but also notes that there are no-cut alternatives during each season that students can join as well.

“Some sports like baseball where you start with teams at the freshman level, then JV, then up to varsity, [you lose players along the way]. However, in some of the sports like cross country and track and field, we do a good job maintaining those students for the four years,” Fontanetta said.

It is easier for some students to play at the varsity level if they have had previous exposure to their sport prior to high school.

“Sports like field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer, kids have played at some point,” Fontanetta said. 

However, he also emphasizes that the start of high school is an opportunity for many students to try new sports.

“It’s dependent on the sport. Sports like wrestling, track and field, and football, kids have very little experience in. We do have some kids who try new sports as freshmen that they had not done in the past,” Fontanetta said.

Because some teams are no-cut whereas others become more competitive year to year, there is a discrepancy in how many students stick with their sport through all four years at New Trier. For students who are committed to their sport and want to continue to play in the future, recruiting opportunities are available, but only a small number of senior athletes move on to play at the collegiate level.

“Essentially 10% of the senior class goes on to commit for their sport. Because there are 1,000 students in a class, around 100 of them play at the next level,” Fontanetta stated.

On Nov. 13 of this past year, the Athletic Department hosted its Fall College Athlete Recognition, where they recognized the 54 seniors who had officially committed to playing a college sport. This number does not include the additional students who verbally committed this year as juniors. These student-athletes are committing to different levels of collegiate competition. 

“There’s all kinds of different experiences; some are Division 1, some are [D2], and some are [D3]. We even had some kids go to junior college schools. It is a wide range,” Fontanetta said.

In total, 27 athletes committed D1, 3 committed D2, and 24 committed D3. 

Although the opportunity to compete after high school is important to some New Trier athletes, most have no intention to do so. Cross country and track and field runner Isaac Sheperd feels strongly about the impact sports have had on his high school experience. Although he is part of the 90% who doesn’t plan to commit to his sport beyond high school, he argues that there is more to a sport than the actual athletics.

“Running is overall a very inclusive environment. Coaches values the effort that athletes put in, regardless of skill level,” Sheperd stated. 

Sheperd is happy with the opportunities that cross country and track offer students who enjoy their sport but who are not looking for an ultra-competitive experience.

“Not only do they allow every athlete who is willing to participate to make a roster, but they place an emphasis on supporting every athlete in achieving what they are capable of,” Sheperd said.

Junior Jakob Richter, a varsity soccer player, is very competitive when it comes to playing soccer for the school. He too has no plans on playing at the collegiate level; however, he values the time and effort that it takes to be a soccer player at New Trier. 

“Making the team is never guaranteed, so I’ve had to dedicate a lot of time to practice throughout the year,” Richter said. 

Like Sheperd, Richter has his own motives for why he cares so deeply about participating in high school sports.

“For me, playing soccer with my teammates each year is a chance to keep pushing forward,” Richter said.

The opportunity to play in a competitive environment enriches the lives of many dedicated student athletes at New Trier for whom sports is a priority. But some students, who may not have the skill level or time commitment required to play on the official school team, still want to play on organized sports teams at school. For these students, the intramural leagues sponsored by the New Trier Booster Club are an option.

Junior Matthew Kay didn’t aspire to play on the official New Trier basketball team but instead chose to participate in the very popular Night League. This Booster Club-sponsored basketball program allows students from all four years to play in fun and competitive weekly games against their classmates.

“Committing to basketball requires a lot of time and dedication, and for me, I just want to have fun and play basketball with my friends,” Kay said.

Night League is New Trier’s most popular intramural league, consisting of 78 teams and approximately 500 players this past season. Additionally, there are many other intramural leagues such as Spike League, Golf, and Tennis that run throughout the school year. Overall, intramural leagues provide yet another level of sports participation for students at New Trier. While these leagues have an overlap of students who may play other sports on New Trier teams, they also include students who are not a part of the 1,400 interscholastic athletes referenced by Fontanetta.

As the numbers show, involvement in athletics is common at New Trier, but the degree of participation varies greatly, with ultimately only a small minority playing at an elite level. The advantage of being at such a large school, notes Fontanetta, is that the opportunities don’t end with sports. 

“If it’s not an athletic event, then it should be performing arts, clubs, activities, music, and dance to provide kids with leadership skills,” Fontanetta said.