Athletics

The mission of the Head-Royce School Athletics Department is to enrich the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of all student-athletes by providing equal opportunities for competition in which the lifelong values of sportsmanship, individual effort, teamwork, integrity, commitment, and self-discipline are emphasized throughout the sports season.

Our Philosophy

Through participation in interscholastic athletics, students will mature physically, emotionally, and socially.

Students will be inspired to become self-motivated, enthusiastic participants in their physical education and further develop such attributes as loyalty, integrity, responsibility, and commitment.

Consistent participation will provide students the opportunity to learn new skills and apply them to new situations in a variety of formats.

What can you expect as an Upper School Student-Athlete at Head-Royce?

Practices & games 5-6 days a week, including vacations
1.5 - 2 hours each day for practices
Each season lasts 3 or 4 months, depending on the season and level of the team
Students must commit fully to the team, and attend everyday
Freshmen may play on Varsity level teams
High level of competition
If you want to try a new sport, you usually can
Some coaches are on-campus, some are off-campus
Most practices and games are on campus

What can you expect as a Middle School Student-Athlete at Head-Royce?

Practices & games 2-4 days a week
1.5 hours each day for practices
Each season lasts 2-2.5 months
Students must commit fully to the team, and attend every team activity
Varsity, Junior Varsity and 6th grade level teams are offered, and vary according to sport
Opportunities for high levels of competition and developmental levels of competition
If you want to try a new sport, you usually can
Some coaches are faculty members, others are off-campus coaches
Most practices and home games are on campus or located up the road at the Mormon Temple Gymnasium

What is a Jayhawk?

Head-Royce has one of the more unique athletic mascots in California: the Jayhawk.

But what is a Jayhawk?

There actually is no real bird called a Jayhawk. Jayhawk is a term that came to be used just before the Civil War, in Kansas. “Jayhawkers” were groups affiliated with the movement to make Kansas a free-state. After the war, the term became synonymous with the people of Kansas. Eventually, the Jayhawk was adopted as the school mascot for the University of Kansas.

The name is a combination of two actual bird names: the blue jay (known as a noisy and quarrelsome bird that robs from others' nests), and the sparrow hawk (a stealthy hunter).

Why the Jayhawks?

After the Anna Head School for Girls became co-educational through the creation of the Josiah Royce School for Boys, the new Head-Royce School needed a mascot. The students came up with three strong options: Roadrunners, Rockets, and Jayhawks. Eventually, the students selected Jayhawks, in large part due to the uniqueness of the nickname. The University of Kansas is the only NCAA school that uses Jayhawk as a mascot. Head-Royce is believed to be one of only 8 high schools in the nation with Jayhawk as its mascot.

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