Students dress up to show their support at the pink-out on Saturday, October 8.
Nothing is better than the feeling of people coming together to support our school. Cheers fill the fields’ sidelines, and blue and gold flash throughout the crowd as the first home games of the season begin. School spirit fills the air with people cramming into every inch of the stands. Finally, it’s here and just in time!
Throughout the past few years, many things have changed in the Choate community. Largely due to Covid-19, sporting events became rare, practices were canceled, and the athletic atmosphere became less intense. As Covid-19 restrictions have finally been lifted, the School is looking to reimplement old traditions and create new ones to uplift the strong school community traditionally centered around our sports teams. There is no doubt that students create the most vibrant community at Choate.
The student-athletes and supporters play a massive role in creating school spirit. Grace Furtado ’23, a four-year senior and Varsity Swim and Water Polo Captain, understood what it was like to form a community where students could collaborate and grow as athletes. “I feel like we really did grow pretty close, and some of my best friends now are underclassmen from swimming.”
Covid-19 affected both the practice and competitive sides of teams. However, Furtado found that Covid-19 forced the swim team to come together and bond outside of practices. “I think it was a good way to integrate grades because we were spending so much of our time with each other outside the pool.”
Varsity Soccer goalie Brandon Ma ’24 came to Choate in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, which negatively affected both his season and perception of the Choate community. “I was a bit discouraged in the beginning because we didn’t actually have a season, so I didn’t actually know how much school spirit we had.” Ma couldn’t understand the support of the Choate community until he saw the under-the-lights games during his sophomore season. These traditions are what the student body looks forward to and is hoping to continue in the upcoming years.
Not only has the student body been working hard to bring the Choate community together, the Athletics Department has also added new programming. Athletics Department Head, Mr. Roney Eford, has added more night home games to the overall sports schedule, such as the recent Girls’ Varsity Soccer Game against Westminster. “The ease of Covid-19 restrictions at many schools, including Choate, has helped school spirit overall,” said Mr. Eford. He added that, “the simple act of showing up to a game can make the biggest difference.”
Student-athletes or not, everyone can support one another at games, whether varsity, JV, or thirds. As a community, the student body can work to make our sports just as spirited and attended as before the pandemic. Choate is moving one step closer to returning to pre-pandemic life.
