Without a doubt, 2020 is one of the most unprecedented years in sports history. This week, Choate held its first round of in-person practices with new health guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on campus. These measures will include the mandatory wearing of masks at all times, proper sanitization, and adequate social distancing. Teams have put in a tremendous amount of work to acclimate to the circumstances. Eager to finally resume fall athletics, captains are rethinking team goals and planning out new practice schedules for the upcoming months.
Girls’ Cross Country
In order to maintain its tight-knit character, Girls’ Cross Country have already been conducting online workouts via Zoom and Google Drive. Co-captain Taylor Mitchell ’21 said, “The coaches and I are trying to create different workouts and interactive virtual events so that Girls’ Cross Country can still feel like a team.” The use of online tools has allowed students to stay connected with teammates and stay in shape. More importantly, the runners have been able to hold each other accountable for the effort they put in.
Boys’ Cross Country
Boys’ Cross Country is planning “somewhat regular practices but with more distance between runners during drills,” according to co-captain Rory Latham ’21. As cross country requires less close contact and physical interactions between athletes compared to other sports, the team is looking to hold practices resembling a normal season. The team “will have opportunities to improve official times on our own course, which is great because that’s a huge part of cross country,” Latham said. A virtual meet in November against Loomis remains a possibility.
Varsity Field Hockey
Establishing themselves as trailblazers of remote practicing, Varsity Field Hockey has initiated a new program which they believe will ensure that new students feel welcomed even without physical interactions. “One thing that I am super excited about this season is our ‘Bigs and Littles’ program where the upperclassmen and underclassmen [are] paired up and it’s just like having a buddy on the team,” said co-captain Claire Gavin ’21. “Speaking from experience, it can be very helpful having someone to ask questions and talk to before we get on the field and even during the season.”
Boys’ Varsity Soccer
Boys’ Varsity Soccer is looking to make the most of its season’s cancellation. According to co-captain Allen Zheng ’21, the team is taking advantage of their extra time together to focus on training new players. “We have a bunch of new younger guys that we will help develop since the season is canceled.” The team has been hosting virtual practices and Zoom meetings, but most of the boys haven’t played together before. Zheng emphasized that the team is excited about finally playing together this week.
Girls’ Varsity Soccer
Girls’ Varsity Soccer is coming off a strong season from last year. The team is determined to maintain a competitive practice environment and hopefully hold intrasquad scrimmages. Co-captain Bella Capuano ’21 said, “Even though we are not having a traditional season, we are excited to come together as a team and find alternative activities we can do, like nature hikes.” In regards to the Covid-19 restrictions and the added element of some players remaining remote, Capuano added, “Finding other ways to build team chemistry and making remote teammates feel included will be key for us this season. We truly want to make the most of the situation and are just happy to be back on campus and have the ability to play the sport we love.”
Varsity Football
Varsity Football players had been awaiting their first week of practices with anticipation but were also prepared to follow strict Covid-19 guidelines. Head Coach Mr. LJ Spinnato said, “All players are required to wear gloves. All players will be required to wear a mask underneath their helmet, equipped with a full splash guard that covers the entire face and all drills will be spread apart by three yards in the first two weeks. ‘Give me three’ is the saying.” Mr. Spinnato also highlighted post-practice precautions, such as wiping down balls and equipment after use. He reiterated that the team hopes that “by the end of our fall trimester, we’ll be able to do some sort of inter-squad scrimmaging, which will allow the players the opportunity to exercise their techniques and test their physical development.” He added that the team is “excited to get back to work.”
Girls’ Varsity Volleyball
Like other teams, Girls’ Varsity Volleyball began training on Tuesday with both indoor and outdoor practices. Co-captain Ella Sklar ’22 explained that the team will split into groups of experienced and less experienced girls, instead of the traditional varsity, JV, and thirds. Practices on the woodcourt will be held 12 feet apart, while outdoors will be six feet apart, both with masks on. New volleyball nets have also been set up on the soccer field to allow for proper social distancing protocol. The captains are also trying to organize outdoor team bonding exercises and activities, including group runs, workouts, and outdoor games.
Boys’ Varsity Water Polo
Boys’ Varsity Water Polo is taking a tenuous approach to the readjustment procedure. According to co-captain Jack Sun ’21, “The team will be doing mostly swimming and conditioning for the first week or two, and if the campus risk level goes down, might progress to eggbeater [water-treading] or solo ball drills.” Sun highlights the need for the team to stay in shape even with limited time in the water: “There will be a lot of dryland to make up for lack of aquatic exercise. There’s also a lot of strict rules on how, when, and where you can enter and leave the pool, and you’ve got to wear masks the whole time up until the moment you get into the water.” Sun, as well as other members of Choate Water Polo, understand that “these guidelines will present difficulties for the team.” Nonetheless, Sun emphasized that the captains are “striving to keep the team environment the same.”
Ranging from increased team-bonding activities to new, socially-distanced drills, Choate sport teams have employed innovative techniques to combat the many obstacles of the pandemic and a cancelled fall season. With many students now back on campus, Choate athletes are excited to finally be on the field together, introducing some sort of normalcy into their lives.
