When Carden Conejo School launched its first competitive athletics program last year, there were plenty of unknowns. Many students were stepping onto a competitive field or court for the first time. The teams were new. The uniforms were new. Even the Cavaliers name was new to competition.
What happened next exceeded expectations.
Carden’s inaugural teams competed in boys soccer, girls volleyball and boys baseball, facing established programs including Viewpoint, Sierra Canyon, Buckley, Mirman and other independent schools throughout the region.
The Cavaliers did more than compete.
Boys Soccer and Girls Volleyball both completed undefeated inaugural seasons, while Boys Baseball opened the season with commanding 15–0 and 13–3 victories and continued its impressive run with a nearly undefeated season, ultimately falling to Buckley School by just one run in a thrilling final game.
“For a first-year program, the results were incredible, but the records are only part of what made the season so meaningful,” said Head of School Colleen Mendez. “Many of our students were trying these sports for the very first time. To watch them discover that they could compete, and succeed, was extraordinary.”
Perhaps just as exciting was seeing athletics become part of everyday life at Carden. The school’s on-campus baseball field came alive for home games as students, parents, faculty and friends filled the sidelines to cheer on the Cavaliers.
“There was something incredibly special about looking out at our own baseball field and seeing our students competing in a Carden uniform with their classmates and families cheering for them,” Mendez said. “The school spirit was incredible. Athletics gave our community another reason to come together, and you could feel that energy across campus.”
Behind Carden’s growing program is Athletic Director Coach Ramia Griffin, whose experience includes serving as Director of Operations and Assistant Coach for NCAA Division I women’s basketball programs at UC Irvine and CSU Northridge. A former collegiate basketball and track athlete, Griffin holds a Master of Arts in Coaching & Athletic Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology.
Griffin was brought to Carden not simply to oversee teams, but to build an athletic program from the ground up, one centered on excellent coaching, sportsmanship, teamwork, accountability and character.
“We want our athletes to compete and pursue excellence,” Griffin said. “But we are also teaching them how to be great teammates, respond to challenges and represent something bigger than themselves. Those lessons stay with students long after a season ends.”
Athletic opportunities also extended to Carden’s youngest students. Carden Conejo School introduced afterschool intramurals for Kindergarten through second grade, giving children an opportunity to try sports in a fun, familiar environment without ever leaving campus.
“The response from our younger families was wonderful,” Mendez said. “Parents loved having a meaningful afterschool activity right here at school, and we loved watching our littlest Cavaliers try something new, build confidence and simply have fun playing together.”
Now, Carden is building on that momentum.
As the school opened its brand-new middle school this fall, athletics will expand across all three seasons with girls and boys flag football, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys soccer, boys and girls tennis, girls volleyball, boys baseball and cheerleading.
“Strong academics and strong athletics aren't competing priorities,” Mendez said. “They reinforce one another. Both ask students to be disciplined, resilient, prepared, collaborative and willing to work hard for something that matters.”
For a school long known for academic excellence and character education, athletics represents a natural extension of that mission, and another place for students to discover what they are capable of.
The Cavaliers have arrived. And they are only getting started.
Families interested in experiencing Carden Conejo School and learning more about the growing Cavaliers Athletics program are invited to attend Admissions Open House on Sunday, Nov. 15, from 2 -4 p.m. Visit CardenConejo.com for more details.
“Many of our students were trying these sports for the very first time. To watch them discover that they could compete, and succeed, was extraordinary.”