Athletics Then and Now: From “Too Vigorous for Girls” to Setting a New Record and Introducing a New Sport

Castilleja's basketball team, 2023-2024 season

“Too Vigorous for Girls?” — Not These Girls 

With four alum Olympians—Nancy Ditz '72 and Katy McCandless '88 in track and field, Laurel Korholz '88 in rowing, and Amy Chow '96 in gymnastics—Castilleja athletics has a proud history. Some of these key moments were driven by outside forces, like the passage of Title IX in 1972. At first glance, it may seem that legislation like Title IX wouldn't be relevant at a school for girls, where there were no gender-based limitations on the athletics program. However, the limits girls encountered outside of the school community meant they often arrived at Castilleja with less experience as athletes, so Title IX was incredibly important for all girls and women who wanted to play sports, regardless of where they went to school.

Then there were moments that were internally driven, like when Spieker Field opened in 1992, when the Okawa Pool opened in 2001, and when the Joan Z. Lonergan Fitness and Athletics Center opened in 2008. All of these facilities shape our athletic teams of today, but in truth, the school's commitment to athletics dates back much further. When Mary Lockey founded Castilleja in 1907, she was invested in creating a strong athletic program, so she sought the expert advice of Frances Boulton, the then Director of the Women’s Gymnasium at Stanford, to help her develop a plan.

In the early years, Castilleja students played tennis, Bostonball, volleyball, and badminton. However, they did not play basketball because it was considered “too vigorous for girls,” according to an early yearbook. Over a century later, that statement is an especially delightful measure of how far we've come because basketball has recently become a powerhouse at Castilleja. Interim Head of Athletics Rich Mazzola and Mary Jo Pruitt, who will resume her role as Director of Athletics this summer, both credit Coach Jaclyn Brode, who has just completed her third season at Castilleja. 

Ms. Brode previously coached at Los Altos and Saratoga high schools and came to Castilleja knowing the program had to be rejuvenated post-pandemic. She was up for the challenge. In her first season, the team won four games, including one in the league. The second year they won nine games total, with one in the league. And this past season, they won five games in the league, bringing their total score for the season to 13-8. “That’s a monster jump. We’ve made it to the semi finals of the playoffs for two consecutive years now,” Ms. Brode says. “It’s a great group of girls. I’m proud of the growth that we were able to build.” 

The early days of sports at Castilleja

The Castilleja basketball team is taking charge on the court at a recent game

Some of this success is due to the joy of returning to competition after COVID restrictions, Ms. Brode says. “The kids were energized just by being able to get back to normal and play the sport they loved.” She also adds that she has high expectations of her players, including the fact that they practice during the Thanksgiving and winter breaks. The record shows the work has paid off on the court, but Ms. Brode knows it counts off the court as well. “By the time they get to senior year, they own this gym. They’re like, ‘Yeah, I’ve done this, this is my game, this is my team.’ They carry themselves differently. I always tell them, you spend four years with me—I’ll never worry about you, even if you never touch a basketball again.”

Ms. Brode has grown the Castilleja team to 13 students, and she is especially proud of their camaraderie. “You really feel like they are pulling for each other. They truly do want each other to do well, which isn’t always the case at every school.” She’s grateful for the athletic program staff and trainers, and she loves the support she’s seeing from peers, families, and faculty and staff—especially the signs classmates make to cheer the team on. “This year, the fan support was phenomenal!" she says.

Looking toward next year, she knows that the team's recent success means that other teams will be watching them more closely. “Because you play every team twice, they know what kind of style you run. Next year, the other teams kind of know what we’re all about." Even so, she says this squad is ready for yet another breakthrough season. "We have yet to make it from semi finals to finals, but I feel good about next year.” 

A New Record and a New Sport

Of course, basketball is only a part of the school’s athletic momentum. On a recent morning, the Castilleja gym floor shook from the stomping of feet and the music blaring from the speakers. This was Castileja’s Signing Day, coinciding with National Girls & Women in Sports Day, and one after another, 10 seniors sprinted to sit beneath balloon garlands in colors representing the colleges where they will continue their academic and athletic careers next year. 

With 16.4% of the graduating class committed to water polo, swimming, volleyball, softball, cross country/track & field, lacrosse, and rowing, the Class of 2024 has set a new record for the school. They will be attending smaller liberal arts colleges and larger universities everywhere from California to Washington, DC. As the students signed their letters of intent, the energy in the gym was palpable. A consultant visiting campus that day noted, “I don’t even know these kids, and I’m crying.” 

Castilleja seniors on Signing Day on February 7, 2024. The celebration coincided with the National Girls & Women in Sports Day

In addition to the 11 sports currently offered throughout the academic year, next year Castilleja will add flag football to the fall options. “This past fall was the first time it was offered in California as an interscholastic competitive sport,” says Mr. Mazzola. Many Castilleja students were excited about the prospect of playing, he says. “We just listened to what they wanted, and we will start up a program next fall.”

The Long Game

The seniors who commit to play in college are not the only ones whose lives have been shaped by the athletics program. Like other experiences at Castilleja, athletics relies on mentorship: Upper School students coach Middle School sports teams, providing valuable role models for the younger students and real-world leadership experience for the older students. This becomes as formative for the coaches as it does for the players.

Castilleja juniors and seniors playing flag football at Rivalry in 2023. Flag football will be offered as an official school sport in 2024-25

There are so many reasons to participate in athletics, Mr. Mazzola says. “Students learn about the value of dedication and commitment, they learn how important it is to work together to achieve a goal,” he says, adding that many students try a sport for the first time here at Castilleja. “They learn that taking that risk is okay. They also learn that failure—whether it’s striking out in softball or losing a game in any of the sports—is also okay, but how you react to that failure is as important as anything.” 

Sports are particularly important for women, Ms. Pruitt adds. “It’s a chance to show that we can do it, too, and that sports wasn’t just made for one type of person. It's about the little moments, the bus rides, the high five you give your teammate when they did something great, it’s about winning with grace and losing with your head held high. It teaches you how to take feedback, expect it but also how to give it in return. It teaches you how to be resilient and to never give up."