Bags line the wall adjacent to the field. It is overcast, with temperatures reaching the mid-60s. Perfect conditions for the first day of preseason; not too cold, not too hot. People’s voices intertwine as they converse about summer plans or share inside jokes from the year prior. For new students, this is more than sports practice; it is a two-week orientation before school. It is an opportunity to adjust and make friends before the chaos of school ensues.
Chris Arnold, the ninth-grade dean and one of the coaches of girls’ field hockey and boys’ lacrosse, said that throughout preseason, new students evolve from staying on the periphery to being more comfortable being in the middle of activities. He also observed that as comfort levels increase, so does excitement on the field; participating more in group activities and challenging themselves during practice.
The driving force behind increasing reassurance during preseason is the seniors; they go out of their way to ask new students their names and to cheer on and help them throughout the two weeks.
Two notable seniors who embody this connection between grades are Elle Karger and Calliope Yannuzi, varsity players on the field hockey team. They say that it is their job to turn their safe space into everybody else’s as well. This makes the field hockey team more like a family, upperclassmen paired with underclassmen to take them under their wing, calling their partners “sisters”.
Not only do seniors help and support underclassmen on the field, but they also make an effort to say hi in the hallways and support them off the field.
“If they go up in Diller Hall, [we are] screaming their name and making sure that they know that [we’re] there for them,” said Calliope.
That support stood out to Chloe Traverzo, a new ninth grader who is on the Junior Varsity (JV) soccer team. She said that the seniors helped ease the anxiety of starting fresh in an unfamiliar place.
“It was a welcoming group of people,” Chloe said when recalling her first day of preseason.
Mr. Arnold said that he sees older players greeting younger players during school and other settings outside the field.
Many friendships on the field extended to the hallways and classrooms. Elle and Calliope became friends during sophomore preseason, and Chloe said that her best friend is one she met during those two weeks. While Mr. Arnold observes that players carry the same ease when talking to each other on the field and in school.
Despite all the positives, preseason does have its limitations. Mr. Arnold said that some incoming students have previous summer commitments that might prohibit them from participating in preseason, leading to feelings of isolation. Saying that, Mr. Arnold emphasizes that there are other, equally beneficial ways to make friends, such as clubs, musicals, or “any community engagement group”. He believes that all students should feel comfortable.
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to play a sport, so students who don’t go to orientation, don’t go to preseason, should still feel supported and feel like that is ok,” said Mr. Arnold.
