Our Program
Welcome to FWCD Athletics!
Each year, FWCD evaluates the student-athlete athletic requirement. Click here for the 2025-26 version, and please see the drop-down menu below for information about options to satisfy the requirement.
In the Middle School athletic program, our aim is for student-athletes to play meaningful minutes over the course of the season. Playing time may not be equal among all players, but every effort is made to have each student on the roster appear in each game. Middle School teams work with the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator one session each week. Practices and games typically are not played by Middle School teams on non-school days.
Playing time is not guaranteed on Upper School teams, though for JV teams, we generally try to find playing time for all team members each game. Teams typically have two workout sessions each week with the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator; teams often practice or play on Saturdays and on school holidays or breaks.
Summer participation is not required, but many of our sports have summer skills sessions or league play. All student-athletes have opportunities to work out in the FWCD Fitness Center during the summer.
Our goal is to offer quality programming for every student-athlete. In some programs, we will limit the number of teams we field based on facility constraints, available competitionand other factors.
2025-26 Registration forms: Middle School Registration | Upper School Registration | Sport Change Request
Athletic Training
Upper School
Students interested in the field of sports medicine can assist FWCD Athletic Trainers at practices and games by joining the team of Athletic Training Aides. This is a two or three-season commitment. Athletic Training Aides assist with daily practices after school and facilitate game setup and coverage. Athletic Training Aides rotate coverage for evening, Saturday, and out-of-town contests and tournaments.
Baseball
Middle School
The Middle School baseball team roster typically consists of 16-18 players. The players are divided into three groups, and the groups combine for different rosters throughout the season – each player will play in 10-12 games. The team practices on the varsity baseball field and batting cages on campus during the Middle School athletic period.
Upper School
Upper School baseball typically fields one JV and one varsity team. Practices are on campus, after school. The JV team plays 16-18 games, with occasional Saturday games. Varsity will play approximately two dozen games, including some Saturday match-ups. Varsity typically plays several games over the spring break holiday and will travel to an out-of-town tournament or two early in the season. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Basketball (Boys)
Middle School
The Middle School program has an A and a B team, with a mix of seventh and eighth graders on each team. (Placement is based on skill level.) Practices are in the Square Gym during the Middle School athletic period. The A and B teams play 10-14 games during the season, with a possible Saturday tournament.
Upper School
Boys basketball typically has one varsity and two JV teams. Upper School boys basketball practices are on campus after school. The varsity team typically has a few Saturday games during the season and most likely has tournament games during Thanksgiving and/or winter breaks. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Basketball (Girls)
Middle School
The Middle School program has an A and a B team, with a mix of seventh and eighth graders on each team. (Placement is based on skill level. Practices are in the Round Gym during the Middle School athletic period. The A and B teams play between 10-14 games during the season, with a possible Saturday tournament.
Upper School
If numbers allow, girls basketball fields one JV team and one varsity team. If numbers are low, every effort is made to offer a modified JV schedule so that all players on the roster get opportunities to play throughout the season. Upper School girls basketball practices after school on campus. The varsity team typically has a few Saturday games during the season and most likely has tournament games during Thanksgiving and/or winter breaks. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Cheerleading
Middle School
Only eighth grade students participate in Middle School cheer, which is considered a club sport, not a School-sponsored sport. Students involved in cheer earn their athletic credit by playing another sport and practice on Mondays after the athletic period. Typically, in the fall, the team will perform at 3-4 home Middle School football games, and in winter, they perform at 4-5 home basketball games.
Upper School
Upper School cheer has tryouts in spring for the fall and winter squads. Student-athletes who cheer attend a camp at the beginning of August to kick off the season. The cheer team practices Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and has weight room workouts on Tuesday mornings. In the fall, based on the size of the squad, it’s possible that not every cheerleader will travel to away games, and some cheerleaders may be asked to perform at home JV football games. In the winter, the cheerleaders only perform at home games. We often have a split squad in winter, with each team performing at 4-5 varsity basketball games and the whole squad performing at 3-4 additional games. Student-athletes indicate when they try out if they would like to be on the fall team, the winter team, or both.
Cross Country
Middle School
Middle School cross country practices during the Middle School athletic period each day. The team has 4-6 meets during the season, with one or two during the week but most on Saturday mornings. If seventh and eighth grade participation is low, we may reach out to fifth and sixth graders to offer participation in meets. Middle School cross country practices begin the first full day of classes in the fall.
Upper School
Upper School cross country practices begin several weeks before the first day of school (usually the first Monday of August). Practice sessions (including weight training days) occur before school each day. The boys and girls teams compete in 8-10 meets throughout the season. Meets are on Saturday mornings (occasionally, there are Friday morning meets), and the cross country teams usually travel to 1-2 out-of-town meets each season. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Field Hockey
Middle School
There are typically two Middle School field hockey teams, if numbers allow, divided by skill level or grade. The teams typically have 10-12 games played during the week. Middle School field hockey practices during the Middle School athletic period, usually on the FWCD turf field hockey field. Practices begin the first full day of classes in the fall.
Upper School
Upper School field hockey begins several weeks before the first day of school (usually the first Monday of August). JV typically has around a dozen games, and varsity will play around 18, including the end-of-season SPC Tournament. Varsity roster size is limited since playing time is not guaranteed. Upper School field hockey practices after school on campus. Most games are played during the week, but there are occasional Saturday contests or out-of-town trips. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Football
Middle School
Middle School football is typically divided into a seventh grade team and an eighth grade team. Practices are on campus on Howard Family Field in Rosacker Stadium or surrounding grass fields. Each team usually plays 6-8 games each season. Middle School football practices, including the heat acclimation process, begin one week before the first day of school.
Upper School
Upper School football begins several weeks before the first day of school (usually the first Monday of August). We typically schedule 3-5 JV games spread throughout the season for younger or inexperienced players. We may also schedule jamboree scrimmages or joint practices with other schools. The Upper School team has one scrimmage followed by 9 varsity games. The SPC Championship game features the top two 3A teams and is in Houston or the DFW area on an alternating basis.
Golf
Upper School
The Upper School boys and girls varsity golf rosters are capped at eight players, and the JV rosters are capped at five. Players’ average scores determine roster placement. The teams practice off-campus at area courses and local driving ranges 3-4 days a week. The varsity team competes in 6-7 tournaments throughout the spring. The varsity girls and varsity boys teams each compete in a two-day SPC Championship Tournament, which has been in Houston for the past few years.
Lacrosse (Boys)
Middle School
The boys lacrosse program usually fields one Middle School team but may field two if there is enough interest and players. The team practices on campus during the Middle School athletic period and plays around 9-12 games throughout the spring. The Middle School team competes in the Dallas-Fort Worth Youth Lacrosse, DFWL, against other teams in the DFW metroplex.
Upper School
The Upper School program fields a JV and a varsity team if there is enough interest and players, with around 10 games for the JV team and 14 for the varsity. Both teams practice on campus after school on Howard Family Field in Rosacker Stadium or grass practice fields. The varsity team may travel to 1-2 out-of-town trips during the season. Varsity competes in the SPC and the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL). The lacrosse SPC Tournament is typically held in late spring, a few weeks before the rest of spring sports have their tournament. If the varsity team qualifies for the THSLL State Tournament, the team continues to play through Mother's Day weekend.
Soccer (Boys)
Middle School
Numbers permitting, the Middle School program typically has an A and a B team, with a mix of seventh and eighth graders on each team. (Placement is based on skill level along with some other factors.) Practices are on campus during the Middle School athletic period on Howard Family Field or surrounding grass fields. Both the A and B teams play between 10-14 games during the season. The B team may play fewer games.
Upper School
Upper school boys soccer typically fields one JV and one varsity team. Practices are after school on campus. The varsity team may have a small number of Saturday games during the season and plays around 22 games total. JV plays around 12 games. The varsity season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Soccer (Girls)
Middle School
The Middle School program has an A and a B team, with a mix of seventh and eighth graders on each team. (Placement is based on skill level.) Practices are on campus on Howard Family Field in Rosacker Stadium or surrounding grass fields during the Middle School athletic period. The A and B teams play 10-14 games during the season.
Upper School
If numbers allow, Upper school girls soccer fields one JV team and one varsity team. If numbers are low, every effort is made to offer a modified JV schedule so that all players on the roster may get opportunities to play throughout the season. Upper School girls soccer practices after school on campus. The varsity team typically has a few Saturday games during the season and may travel to an out-of-town tournament. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Softball
Middle School
Middle School softball practices on the FWCD varsity field during the Middle School athletic period. FWCD fields 1 or 2 teams based on student-athlete interest. Typically, the softball team plays between 10-12 games throughout the spring.
Upper School
Upper School softball fields a JV and a varsity team if numbers allow. If the program consists of just one team, we often find JV games for the younger and more inexperienced players. Varsity usually plays 18-20 games during the season and may travel to an out-of-town tournament or two. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Swimming
Upper School
FWCD partners with Sigma Swim for our swim program. Upper School students are placed in practice groups based on skill level. Practices typically range from 5-7:30 p.m. at Wilkerson-Greines Aquatic Center, but practice frequency and duration vary from swimmer to swimmer. Upper School swimmers have 6-7 meets. Some meets are during the week, but most are on Saturdays. The season culminates in the SPC Meet, Thursday/Friday or Friday/Saturday of SPC Tournament week in either Houston or the DFW area.
Tennis
Middle School
Middle School tennis practices daily on the FWCD tennis courts during the Middle School athletic period during the spring season. Because court space and opportunities to compete are limited, the tennis rosters are typically capped at around 16 boys and 16 girls. Throughout the spring, the tennis teams will play a mix of home/away matches (usually around 8-10 matches total).
Upper School
Upper School tennis practices daily after school on the FWCD tennis courts during the spring season. Due to limited court space and opportunities for sub-varsity and exhibition matches throughout the season, the roster spots are typically held to 12-16 players. The varsity team plays around 10 matches during the spring. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Track & Field
Middle School
The Middle School boys and girls track teams practice during the Middle School Athletic period on Barrett Havran Track in Rosacker Stadium. During the season, the teams participate in 4-6 practice meets on Thursdays. The season culminates in a boys/girls seventh grade Championship Meet, followed by an eighth grade Championship Meet. (These final meets are on Saturdays).
Upper School
The Upper School track teams practice on Barrett Havran Track in Rosacker Stadium after school. The team participates in 6-8 meets during the season, usually on Fridays or Saturdays. Upper School track may travel to an out-of-town meet once or twice during the season. The season culminates in the SPC Meet, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Volleyball (Boys)
Middle School
If the Middle School boys program has an A and a B team, team placement is based on skill level, not grade. Practices are during the Middle School Athletic period in the Round Gym. The A and B teams play 10-14 games during the season, with a possible Saturday tournament. Volleyball practices begin the first full day of classes in the fall.
Upper School
Upper School volleyball begins several weeks before the first day of school (usually the first Monday of August). Boys volleyball has one JV and one varsity team and practices after school on campus. Most matches are JV/varsity doubleheaders, but there will be some JV-only or varsity-only matches during the season. The varsity team typically has a few Saturday games or weekend tournaments. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Volleyball (Girls)
Middle School (MS)
The MS program will have an A and a B team, with a mix of 7th and 8th graders on each team (placement is based on skill level). Practices are held during the MS Athletic period in the Square Gym, and both the A and B teams will play between 10-14 games during the season, possibly with a Saturday tournament. MS volleyball practices begin the first full day of classes in the fall.
Upper School (US)
US volleyball will begin several weeks before the first day of school (usually the first Monday of August). Girls volleyball will have one JV and one varsity team. US girls volleyball practices after school on campus. Most of the matches are jv/varsity doubleheaders, but there will be some jv only or varsity only contests during the season. The varsity team will typically have a few Saturday games or weekend tournaments during the season. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Wrestling
Middle School
Middle School boys and girls who participate in wrestling practice on campus during the Middle School athletic period in the wrestling room. The team typically attends 5-6 meets throughout the season and may travel out of town for the Middle School Prep State Meet.
Upper School
Upper School wrestling practices on campus in the wrestling room after school each day. Wrestlers attend 10-12 tournaments during the season, typically on Fridays and Saturdays. FWCD hosts 1-2 head-to-head or tri-matches during the year as well. The season culminates in the SPC Tournament, hosted at sites either in Houston or the DFW area.
Other Options
Off-Campus Credit
Students in grades 7-11 may apply for off-campus credit one time each year. Once students select off-campus credit as their option, we will share all relevant guidelines and deadlines.
Sports Management
Upper School students may select Sports Management for credit. Once registered for this option, they are asked to rank their preferences among Yearbook Sport Photography, Team Manager, and Athletic Department Assistant (keeping clock or book, working concessions, etc.). Every effort is made to be sure students get one of their top two options.
Fitness Class
Middle fitness takes place daily during the Middle School athletic period. Students work in the weight room most days, but there is a mix of outdoor and gym activities throughout the season.
Upper School fitness is offered three times a week (typically one day before school and two days after). Students are asked to attend two of the three sessions. The Strength and Conditioning Coordinator designs the weight training program for Upper School fitness students. All fitness classes have roster caps to provide students with a positive and safe experience.
