Athletics at Nelson Mandela High School has a unique and important role to play in developing students on a personal and communal level. Whether considering sportsmanship, considering the needs of others, working with others towards a common goal, or competing in sport at the highest level, students are challenged to develop character and work ethic that position them as leaders within the school culture. Some of the most authentic and applicable learning experiences our students can have involve extra-curricular participation.

Being a student-athlete at Nelson Mandela is hard work, it takes dedication and commitment to balance studies and athletics, but the rewards of sport participation will provide your child the life skills they need to be successful in their post high school lives. Sport is a pathway to higher education, and can even be a source of funding for post-secondary in certain cases, which provides many students another doorway into a higher quality of life as young adults.

Through the hard work and dedication of our awesome teacher & community coaches, we are committed to providing a high quality athletics experience for every athlete. We look forward to welcoming all new athletes & parents each year at our Nelson Mandela Open House.

Go United!

Teams

All of our teams participate in the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association which believes that interscholastic athletics, as a recognized part of the school program, is educationally sound and will enhance the physical, mental, emotional and social development of young people. The Association promotes safe and fair competition for all students of member schools by offering a balanced program of quality learning experiences in a competitive sporting environment.

For the full calendar of athletics events & specific team game schedules visit the CSHSAA website: http://calgaryhighschoolsports.ca/index.php

Junior & Senior Teams

Varsity athletics are comprised of Junior and Senior teams. Junior teams are made up of grade 10 and some grade 11 students that might not be ready to compete at the senior level. The focus at the junior level is on skill acquisition and an exploratory experience, through competition. The emphasis at the junior level is on the development of the athlete. As the student athlete matures and reaches the senior level expectations increase as does the level of play. Senior level teams place a higher premium on team success versus development. Often parents and student will inquire about grade 10 student playing on senior teams. This is a very rare case as most grade 10’s lack the maturity physically, emotionally and mentally to handle Division 1 level competition. Student and parents do not determine the level at which their student will participate. This decision is made in consultation between the Athletic Director and the respective sport teams coaches.

Fees

Each team will have fees associated with them. These fees will vary from team to team. Most team fees will cover the expenses of league play (referees, facility bookings), uniform rentals, photos, equipment, training supplies and substitute coverage costs for teachers. Higher fees are typically indicative of more out-of-town tournaments, team clothing and other team specific opportunities. 

Student Code of Conduct

At Nelson Mandela High School student athletes represent our school both in and out of competition. As members of the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHAA) we follow the guidelines laid out by its constitution. Students are prohibited from:

• Engaging in the use of alcohol, illicit drugs or performance enhancing drugs 
• Demonstrating disrespectful behavior as a participant, spectator, visitor or representative of NMHS
• Abusing officials when participating or spectating any sport 
• Demonstrating obscene gestures to players, coaches, officials or spectators

Students who violate this code of conduct will be suspended from their team by the school’s Athletic Director until disciplinary consequences are determined by the Principal in conjunction with the Executive Director of the CSHAA and or the CSHAA executive.

Contact

For athletic inquiries, please contact Athletic Director Karly Baxter – @krbaxter@cbe.ab.ca