Meet James Torres, our Director of Athletics and Dean of Student Life!

New to Roycemore this year, James joins us from neighboring Beacon Academy where he served as the Director of Athletics for five years. James is also President of the Lake Shore Athletic League, coached wrestling at the collegiate level for years, and has a teaching background in yoga and meditation.

In James’ role as Director of Athletics and Dean of Students, he facilitates our school’s athletic programs and oversees daily student life at Roycemore. “Every day is a new adventure. From the moment I step on campus, I’m talking to teachers about what’s needed from my office as Dean and how I can support them regarding accountability with our students. And then the moment the final bell rings, it’s off to practice, setting up games, and getting our coaches ready for our next event.”

In his dual role at Roycemore, James has the opportunity to work with our students daily as learners and as athletes. He currently coaches our Middle and Upper School cross-country teams, and he hopes to continue expanding the role of athletics within Roycemore’s culture. James sees great potential for our athletic programs to grow and flourish and aims to bring fitness to our wider school community — students, families, and faculty included.

“Fitness is a great foundation for athletics, and athletics are such a big part of independent schools here in Chicago,” says James. “I think it’s also important that we talk about character development and what athletics does to change a student’s life — how it helps to mitigate mental health issues that we deal with daily, how it allows kids to expend energy healthily, and making sure that it's inclusive. I think one of the false perceptions of athletics is that it's so exclusive…I want to simplify it and make it a place where people feel like they want to be a part of a team.”

To learn more about student life at Roycemore, we encourage you to schedule a visit with our Admissions Team at (847) 866-6055 or admissions@roycemoreschool.org.