“Rindge has a great sailing program and we were all encouraged to learn a lot,” Lafler said. “We weren’t pushed in a negative overly competitive direction, and they really encouraged participation from all levels and abilities. In a sport like sailing, it’s great to see a diverse group of kids getting access to an often inaccessible sport.”

Cappello, who has been in her position as athletic director for the past four years, attributed the lack of CRLS student-athletes competing in college to a culture that promotes other endeavors above athletic success.

“I’ve been in the school system for 35 years, and when I came into this position [as athletic director] and tried to identify how to cultivate student-athletes, I realized that the biggest problem is that they don’t work out in the offseason,” Cappello said. “They’re just not interested until the first day of practices. It’s the culture that we’re dealing with in a city like Cambridge, and we’re trying to change the culture. You go out to the ’burbs, and those kids—whether they’re a three season athlete or a one season athlete—they’re still playing in the offseason. They’re playing club; they’re playing all the time.”

The school began an ambitious renovation campaign in 2009 that aimed to fix up facilities that had not been changed since the 1970s, athletic and otherwise.

“When I was [a student] there, Rindge was in a real period of transition,” Bonsey said. “From outdated and run down facilities, to really new, better, cleaner facilities. Our pool went from being one of the grossest places, and now we have just the most beautiful pool. I think the athletic facilities are improving every year, as opposed to falling apart as they had been for a number of years. The locker rooms were kind of lovable in a way, but kind of grimy. Now it’s sparkling, and maybe that will translate into better athletic performance.”

Cappello won’t be holding her breath. An offseason workout program that was open to the entire student body yielded only 10 participants between the winter and spring seasons. But Cappello noted that the stated goal of the CRLS athletic department is not to produce high-performing athletes, but rather high-performing student-athletes.

“I definitely think that the philosophy of the school is to have well-rounded individuals,” Cappello said. “Students that go here go to all the Ivy League colleges across the board. Kids from Rindge can go anywhere in the country. I think being involved in athletics certainly helps you to develop your time management skills, and as an athletic director, I’d love to see more athletes going D-1.”

Cappello was recently taked with reviewing students’ report cards to determine their spring season eligibility.

“It’s just amazing looking at what some of these students are up to, and you think, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s only 24 hours in a day, how do they manage all that?’” Cappello said. “Then you review their report cards, and you look at these kids, and they have all A’s, and they’re three season athletes. If we can have talented, well-rounded, healthy students, then I think we’re doing a good job.”

THE HARVARD CONNECTION

Despite the proximity and the proclivity for sending students to Harvard, Crimson athletics do not hold a place of esteem in the collective consciousness of the students at CRLS.

“No one really follows Harvard sports in Cambridge,” Bonsey said. “The only college sport that people really follow up here is the Beanpot and BU-BC hockey. But even that is not that big compared to the pro Boston sports.”

One need only look at the near-empty stands at a Harvard football game to realize that local enthusiasm for the Crimson is middling at best.

“When I was working in the elementary school, a person from the Harvard athletic department would send me tickets for the kids to go to Harvard basketball games,” Cappello said. “That generated a little interest, but there’s really not much of a following.”

Though Harvard does not rely on local support for its athletic department like many other schools around the country, the Crimson’s run to the NCAA tournament did energize an otherwise disinterested community.