The Tennessee High Schools With the Best Sports Programs

Many students want more out of their high school experience, so they look to sports. In addition to being fun, sports allow students a chance to work as a team, meet new people, and work out some of their frustrations. Plus, many sports help students to build skills, such as logic, problem-solving, and time management, which can be instrumental in a young person’s life as they move on to college and other areas of life. Almost every school has a sports program, but which are the best of the best in Tennessee? We’ll tell you with this list of the Tennessee high schools with the best sports programs.

Keep in mind these are the best schools for general sports programs, not just a particular sport, like football. To determine these rankings, we used several sources, such as Niche, which is a site that ranks schools. We also looked at school websites and athletic award websites. We hope you find this list to be useful for your students.

McCallie School

First on the list of the Tennessee high schools with the best sports programs is McCallie School. This is one of the best schools in the entire state for athletics. McCallie received an A+ score from Niche.com. Located in Chattanooga, this school has many great accolades. They have amassed 20 state championships over a five-year period. Since winning, over 100 of the athletes have gone on to earn scholarships from some of the largest colleges, including Duke, UGA, and UNC. There are many sports available here, including cross country, crew, golf, football, and mountain biking. Boys’ participation in sports at McCallie is very high, and both students and parents agree that the school has great programs.

Girls Preparatory School

This girl’s preparatory school is a private high school in Chattanooga. Sports participation is very high at this institution, and if you’ve heard of this school, you wouldn’t be surprised. In fact, 71% of the girls in the later grades compete in at least one sport. Exercise and athletics have been ingrained in this school since 1906. Since that time, the girls here have continued to win. The prep school has earned 27 state titles and 46 regional championships. Girls can choose between 16 varsity sports, including basketball, cross country, diving, golf, lacrosse, squash, volleyball, and more. This school has a great history. They were the first school in Chattanooga to launch a girls rowing team. The school is also responsible for launching the first high school squash team in the state, and they have the only girls’ golf team in the state.

Briarcrest Christian School

Located in Eads, TN, Briarcrest Christian School has many great things going for it. In addition to being one of the leaders in Tennessee sports, the school is also considered one of the best Christian high schools in the area. As far as sports are concerned, their goals are excellent and include tradition, perseverance, and teamwork. Over time, their boy’s basketball team has won three straight championship titles, their varsity cheer squad finished 13th nationally, and many of the student-athletes have gone on to get scholarships at honored universities. This school is home to some of the finest coaches in the country. They have a large variety of sports, including golf, mountain biking, volleyball, bowling, wrestling, and more.

Montgomery Bell Academy

Another one of the great Tennessee high schools for sports is Montgomery Bell Academy, which gets an A+ for sports on Niche.com. According to that site, 100% of students believe that the sports programs get the funding they need and that there are plenty of great sports for kids to get involved in. The school offers programs for football, golf, crew, track, bowling, and more. Many of their athletes go on to great colleges and often continue onto professional careers. Many of the students also love to go to games and spectate. This is a great school and the students and administration have the right mind frame to be positive and professional when it comes to school sports.

Christ Presbyterian Academy

Also earning an A+ score in the sports category from school-rating website Niche, is Christ Presbyterian Academy. Located in Nashville, this school gets high marks for having a high level of participation. It’s no surprise since the school offers so many sports, including football, cheerleading, golf, mountain biking, tennis, soccer, and more. The facts about this school speak for themselves: There are 146 coaches, 5 locker rooms, and over 70 available teams. Plus, the teams have accomplished great things over the years, including landing 330 team and individual championships. Plus, as of the time of this writing, over 260 athletes have graduated and moved onto acclaimed collegiate athletics programs. The school not only creates winners but also good people. The school is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, so there are many great lessons to learn along the way.

Christian Brothers High School

Another one of the great Christian Tennessee high schools that also has a great sports program is Christian Brothers High School (old building pictured above), which gets an A score from Niche. This institution is also rated as the best Catholic high school in the state. Overall, the students are happy with the sports offerings at the school, and there’s a high participation rate. In fact, the school regularly has over 500 boys competing within their 16 different sports programs every year. A handful of the many sports include football, baseball, tennis, wrestling, golf, and lacrosse. The teams regularly compete at a high level, and they often find great success in the TSSAA Division II-AA conference.

Hutchison School

This private all-girls high school in Memphis has great scores in many metrics, including academics, teachers, and, of course, sports. There’s a high participation rate, and the girls love the programs. The school offers five athletic divisions: Varsity, Junior Varsity, Freshman, Middle School, and Lower School Intramural. Each one offers many sports and great opportunities for the girls to grow and thrive. Sports at Hutchison include basketball, bowling, cross country, lacrosse, trap, dance, and more. The school also employs the best coaches and staff that help the teams reach their highest potential. It’s a great girls’ school with a lot going for it.

Memphis University School

Memphis University School is an all-boys school in Tennessee that has a lot to offer. In addition to great sports programs, it’s also rated as one of the best STEM schools, so the students learn a lot that can prepare them for the future. When it comes to sports, there’s a high level of participation, and the boys seem to love the programs. At Memphis University School, the philosophy is to use sports to practice the principles of life and to learn to work like a team. While they play sports, the boys are also expected to do well academically. There are many sports to choose from at this school, including bowling, football, cross country, and more. The school also has state-of-the-art facilities, so there’s a lot to love about this institution.

Alcoa High School

One of the best Tennessee high schools for sports is Alcoa High School, which is also considered to be the second-best public high school in Blount Country, according to Niche. The students and administrators give the sports program an “A.” The school offers many sports programs, including basketball, cheerleading, cross country, softball, swim & dive, tennis, wrestling, and more. Students who do exceptionally well can find themselves in the Athletics Hall of Fame, which is a cool honor that many students seek after graduation. All of the teams do quite well and win a lot of games. However, like many of the other schools, the students also learn life skills, like teamwork, problem-solving skills, and more, so they can excel once they graduate.

Baylor School

Baylor is considered to be one of the best boarding schools in the entire state of Tennessee. There are over a thousand students at the school. Most of them get good grades, and many of them are involved in sports. The teams here are very successful. Look at the numbers: they have 17 different sports and 74 teams. Sports Illustrated considers the athletics program to be among the top 25 of all programs across the United States. The school also has more state championships than any other school in Tennessee. Joining a sport here means that you’re ready to better yourself in many ways. The school emphasizes leadership, teamwork, and exemplary sportsmanship. Many students have had great success after graduating and have gone on to compete in college and at a professional level. This is a great school for young people interested in sports. 

Knoxville Catholic High School

Knoxville Catholic High School is another of the highly-rated Tennessee high schools, according to the data collected by Niche.com. The school is also considered to be one of the best private schools in the Knoxville area. When polled, 100% of students and parents believed that there were a lot of great sports and organizations in which to be involved. The school’s team is the Fighting Irish, and there are many sports to choose from, including basketball, bowling, wrestling, swimming, baseball, soccer, and more. The sports department has a great staff of coaches and personnel that ensure that every student can achieve their best. Many of the teams have won several championships, including the Lady Irish Hoops basketball team, which won back-to-back state championships.

Maryville High School

Maryville High School is considered to be one of the best public high schools in Blount County when it comes to academics and athletics. There are over 1,200 students in the school, and many of them participate in the sports programs. There are many sports available at Maryville, including cheerleading, cross country, softball, tennis, volleyball, golf, football, and more. There’s something for everyone, and the staff and coaches are incredibly supportive. The school is always competing in tournaments around the state, and they often come out victorious. Check out more about this school’s sports program if you’re interested. 

Harpeth Hall School

Always in the discussion of the best private schools in Tennessee, Harpeth Hall School is also among the best sports schools in the state. The students give the sports and clubs high ratings, and there’s plenty of student participation. There are various sports and teams to join that run the gamut from cross country and golf to rowing, basketball, and bowling. The institution has also racked up a bunch of achievements over the years. Several student-athletes, including Gretchen Walsh, Alex Walsh, and Margaret Groos Sloan, have completed and won at the Olympic Games. Overall, the school has won 64 state championships and accomplished many state records. There are almost too many achievements to list. The school is also famous for its experienced coaches who help the students reach their full potential.

Whitehaven High School

Finally, we have Whitehaven High School on our list of the best Tennessee high school sports programs. The school gets an A-grade on Niche.com, and there’s a lot of student participation in the programs. This high school is very active in the sports scene, with programs that are held all year round. Sports here include swimming, basketball, bowling, track, softball, tennis, and more. There’s always something to do at Whitehaven, and the students seem to have a ball trying each and everything. There are varsity, junior varsity, and freshman levels available to the students. The teams often do well in competition, but as we all know, it’s more about the learning experience.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©AndreyPopov/ via Getty Images.