Interscholastic Sports Competition to Begin
The Academy will welcome interscholastic sporting events in the spring term, with potential COVID-19 risks taken into account. Social distancing and masking measures will be required; athletes will be provided with special masks for added breathability and security. Coaches and players are excited for the return of interscholastic competition. Many are confident that outdoor sports have not shown any evidence of increasing the spread of COVID-19.
Upper Owen Loustau, who is planning to participate in cycling, is eager to reclaim the spring season. “The cycling team wasn’t able to do much last year because we were all remote,” he said. “I was really disappointed, but many of us kept training from home. It is looking like this season will be a big improvement over last season.”
Spring sports will include the same teams as pre-COVID: boys and girls crew, boys & girls lacrosse, boys & girls tennis, baseball, cycling, golf, softball, track, volleyball and water polo. Due to increases in testing, stricter safety protocols and new athletic equipment, Muldoon predicts competitions will return.
According to Assistant Athletic Director Brian Muldoon, players will be receiving special masks with added breathability to cater towards the needs of athletes. Students are required to socially distance during all practices and games. Locker rooms will not be used and any travelling will be done with limited capacity and open windows.
Upper and crew team member Shrayes Upadhyayula said, “COVID has reduced the available roster spots and decreased the size of the teams. The number of races has also gone down and has been pushed back to later in the season.”
Many students are excited to return to the normalcy of interscholastic sports. “Once we get to start competing with other schools, things will feel a bit more normal which I am looking forward to,” upper and tennis player Teja Vankireddy said.
However, some coaches are more cautious about returning to a pre-COVID standard of sports. “We have learned not to look too far ahead until this chapter is truly under control. We are truly living a world-wide master course in letting go of things you can’t control, living moment to moment, and appreciating what we DO have,” Track Coach Hillary Hall said.
Upper and crew team member Charlotte Pulkkinen said, “The risk of Covid-19 is very slim for me, because I won’t have any close contact with other teams, and I know my team is testing two times a week.”
Senior and track team member Helen Lieberman was optimistic about resuming spring sports. “I ran cross-country this fall, and especially as a day student, it gave me motivation to come to campus and connect with other students,” Lieberman said. “No COVID transmissions occurred within the team, so I’m hopeful we can continue sports safely in the upcoming term. Track and cross-country have really helped me maintain a sense of community this year, so I’m looking forward to continuing with sports.”
Throughout the past year, sports have been restricted due to COVID-19. As spring term approaches, the situation is slowly returning to the normalcy of pre-COVID times. In-person practices, as well as competitions, are returning and athletic faculty are optimistic. The athletes share a similar sentiment; many are showing excitement for the coming term. Hopefully, this year’s spring sports can live up to the expectations of excited coaches and athletes alike.
