At Milton, all Class IV students must play a sport in all three seasons. Whether on the interscholastic fields, in the intramural gyms, or in PE courses, Class IV students spend their inaugural year engaged in mandatory physical activity. A recent poll of the freshman class conducted by the Measure suggests that the policy has mixed effects: it is widely credited for building connections but also propagates massive scheduling stress.
The majority of the thirty-two Class IV who responded to the survey conducted on January 7th felt that the requirement successfully built community and connections. 71.9% of 32 respondents found participating in these sports activities very or extremely helpful in meeting new people. As Henry Stamler ‘29 noted, sports provide “a time away from school” and offer students a valuable break from academics. Jinghan Su ‘29 also agreed that students can “meet new people and try out new sports.” For many, the three-season requirement provides a structured, shared experience outside the classroom.
The poll also suggested that this social catalyst translates into deeper bonds: When asked if the activities helped form lasting friendships, 62.5% of respondents reported that the requirement was helpful, while an additional 6.2% found it very or extremely helpful.
While the positive effects are easy to see, the balance with academic commitments also appeared to be a pressing challenge for many. According to the poll, managing the requirement was very or somewhat stressful for 31.2% of freshmen, with an additional 37.5% feeling neutral. Only 3.1% found it “very manageable.” The winter term emerged as the most challenging season to balance, according to 46.9% of respondents, possibly because it includes the holiday season and assessment week.
“One of the biggest issues with having a three season sports requirement is the fact that it doesn’t account for other time commitments at all,” explained Iyore Ip ‘29. This sentiment is echoed by peers who pursue non-athletic passions. Malcolm Kirkman ‘29 argues, “I think theater or other non-interscholastic sport activities should hold more value as they often take equal time commitment to interscholastic sports.” Zoe Druker ‘29 proposed the same solution: “We should be allowed to participate in both performing arts and interscholastic sports—the current system creates a division.”
Oliver Wong ‘29 pointed out the disparity: while PE takes up one hour of the day, sports can span up to 10 hours a week—excluding games and weekend activities. “It’s not balanced,” Wong claimed. Others, like Lauren McElligott ‘29, wished for more flexible team schedules to allow for partial participation without a full interscholastic commitment.
Nevertheless, 50% of respondents rated their experience with Milton athletic activities as very or somewhat positive, and 12.5% found the requirement extremely valuable for their transition to the upper school. Dylan Chu ‘29 commented, “it makes sense from a perspective of the school as they want to keep kids healthy.” However, a decisive 78.1% of the polled Class IV students recommend adding more flexibility, such as a two-season model or expanded activity options. Only 9.4% supported keeping it as is.
Suggestions for reform are varied but center on choice and recognition of diverse commitments. Ali Hamoda ‘29 proposed, “We should be allowed to have one season where we can do no sports or a like reduced time commitment activity.” Michael Li ‘29, as a tennis player who trains outside of school during the off-season, valued the “flexibility” that PE courses offer but suggested a tiered system for different activities to help balance the workload.