Hawken School is well known for providing the Cleveland region’s most well-rounded, academic, and athletic high school experience. We take great pride in the fact that our student participation rate in interscholastic athletics is 74%.
In many cases, high school athletic competition is the last opportunity for students to play an organized sport. Our goal is to produce a quality student athlete who has enjoyed the thrills of OHSAA competition and the benefits of playing in a team atmosphere. In our quest for excellence in both competitive success and character education, Hawken has partnered with Positive Coaching Alliance, among other organizations, to help coaches, student athletes, and parents navigate the youth sports landscape successfully. Positive Coaching Alliance employs a “double-goal” coaching philosophy, which aligns with Hawken’s mission and philosophy. The double-goal approach emphasizes competing to win, while always maintaining the focus on character first.
The one basic rule for our lacrosse players, “Team before Me,” encompasses all we teach at Hawken. It requires the student/athlete to take responsibility for his actions. Our players are taught to understand that being part of a team requires consideration of the impact of their conduct on their teammates and classmates. While we applaud individual effort, we stress the responsibility inherent in playing as part of a team: placing the good of the team before individual attention or accomplishment. We stress the importance of becoming part of something that is larger than the individual. Together, we are much stronger than we are by ourselves.
The concept is working. During the last 8 years, Hawken Boys Lacrosse has won 60% of their games, 2 state quarterfinal appearances, and 2 state semifinal appearances. Furthermore, in that time, over 40% of our graduating seniors have gone on to play lacrosse at the collegiate level. Our history of placing graduating seniors in quality programs is among the best in the state. During the last few years, Hawken lacrosse alumni have gone on to play for outstanding colleges and universities.