The 2025 fall athletics season marked another incredible showing of determination, grit, heart and talent from our student-athletes.
Our fall teams — Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer, Tennis, Varsity Volleyball and JV Volleyball — kicked off the year with a historic Homecoming, winning all six competitions against Brearley. Throughout the season, the students continued to give it their all, with some teams advancing to the postseason.
Varsity Volleyball made it to the semi-finals in both the Athletic Association of Independent Schools (AAIS) and New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) postseason contests. Soccer finished their run in the NYSAIS quarterfinals and as the AAIS season runner-up. Cross Country placed 3rd at the AAIS championships, with freshman Fairfax W., freshman Amalia J. and junior Ale G. all medaling.
Our Varsity Tennis team was crowned AAIS champions — with an undefeated record — and Class 11 student Mana B. claimed second place in the NYSAIS singles finals, an incredible feat. To cap off the season, 13 players from Classes 10-12 were named AAIS All-Stars at the annual fall awards dinner.
Competition wins and tournament titles aside, our athletes gained confidence, learned to find the positive in a loss and built long-lasting bonds with their teammates.
Student-athletes exemplify Chapin’s values — Curiosity, Excellence, Humanity and Integrity — on and off the field. Captains, in their senior roles, live Bravely and Rightly by leading and mentoring their younger peers.
Yasmeen B., a senior and member of Varsity Volleyball, said, “Serving as a team captain has been such an honor. It means being someone my teammates can rely on for encouragement, leadership and support. I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about giving direction — it’s about listening, uplifting others and setting an example through effort and attitude.”
Senior Hayden D.V. and junior Ale G., our Cross Country captains, added, “Being a team captain means facilitating the passion and skill of every athlete. It's not just about leading the team through warmups and workouts, but, more importantly, it's about being there for each teammate and serving as a support system.”
Tennis captains Mana B., Jeena C. and Ella S., all seniors, echoed these sentiments. “We really focused on fostering a fun and united team culture,” they stated, “As captains, we emphasized cheering during matches and made sure to always be a shoulder that our teammates could lean on, both on and off the court.”
Our athletes also had lots of fun! “Right in the middle of the season we lucked out with the most perfect day for one of our meets,” said Hayden and Ale. “The weather was nice and chilly, and everyone was finally in the groove with how races work and what they needed to do to succeed. Despite nerves across the board, the race ended up going well for the whole team, and XC collectively had 12 people PR [personal record]!”
When asked to share advice for their younger peers, the tennis trio said, “Put 100% into every practice and try out for the team — you won't regret it!” Others emphasized teamwork, playing with confidence and not being afraid to make mistakes.
For those just starting out in Cross Country, “give yourself time to grow and the patience to improve as an athlete,” was the guidance from Hayden and Ale. “Don't be afraid of the challenge, because the results are so worth it when you learn to love running. And, hard as it may be, don't forget to enjoy yourself along the way.”
