Return of School Sports

from End of Year Report 2021-22

Collaboration & Creativity

When Antilles’ Athletic Director Mark Daniel heard that school sports would be returning in the fall for the first time since 2020, he worked quickly to organize teams and begin re-teaching our students the fundamentals of the games, using his physical education classes to focus on everything from fielding and hitting in softball and baseball to playing defense in basketball.

The hard work paid off – with our Hurricanes back in the zone, our teams went on to clench a Middle School boys basketball championship, and, for varsity, a second-place win. For Middle School, many of the players were part of the winning elementary boys’ team three years ago and, with practices after school and during the weekends, had been actively working on keeping their chemistry alive. This season was short - less than five games - but in the end, a consistent practice routine plus solid offensive and defensive work helped push them to a championship win over Addelita Cancryn Junior High School. Coach K'Shard Callender said it could have been easy for the team to get discouraged after the first three season games were either canceled or postponed. Instead, the players rallied in practice, sorting out two defensive plays and three offensive sets they could use when finally on the court. "We were all excited to see the return of basketball after two years, " Coach Callender said. "And, while the rocky start had us in stasis for a bit, we were able to get back into the swing of things after our first official game against Cancryn. Though that first game ended in a loss, Coach Callender said the silver lining was being able to see where the challenges were and regroup. Overall, the team was young, but their commitment to working hard and learning how to play the game showed on the court.

The next step, then, was to once again overhaul the offense and defense and to stick to practice, where the team continued to gel. While players Dillen Webbe '26 and Sekai Pinney '27 helped keep our Canes on the scoreboard during the games, Coach Callender said during practice, the natural leadership of Harry Holmes '27 helped define the strategy, which included tapping into the potential of both seasoned athletes like Bryce Richardson '27, and younger players such as Harrison Oriol '28 and DJ Parson '28.

Meanwhile coming into the season, our varsity boys, who played Charlotte Amalie High School in their season opener, never took a pause. A close-knit group of 10, they added weekends and vacations to their practice routine and had the confidence and the ball handling skills to get them to the championship series against Ivanna Eudora Kean. Both Middle School and varsity girls teams also placed second in volleyball.

With gaps in other sports, like soccer, the private schools collaborated on a series of home-and-away tournaments that gave players the chance to hone their skills and engage in friendly competition. The Gifft Hill School on St. John played host the first time around, with Antilles coming up on the winner on the elementary side, while Antilles hosted in May, fielding victorious elementary and Middle School teams.

"Before this, it had been three years since a scholastic soccer match was played - for young athletes, that can feel like a lifetime, " Coach Daniel said. "Giving them the opportunity to ease back into a regular exercise routine was important, but so too was having them re-learn those important social behaviors - like sportsmanship and work ethic - that get pushed to the side when they don't have the chance to practice.

ELC QUICK PICS

Row 1:

Facing off against other students from across the territory, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, our sixth graders took first place this week in an essay contest hosted by the Third Judicial Circuit that organizers said was meant to promote an awareness of the importance of an independent court system and in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "an awareness that our society should respect the dignity and rights of each and every citizen.

Row 2:

(Left) Karina Sakhrani '22 shined at the 2022 Poetry Out Loud competition, earning praise from competitors, teachers, and an Antilles cheering section made up of Head of School Shannon Harris, POL Coordinator Geoff Bergeron, and College Counseling Director John Riggle, who were also in awe of her performance. (Right) JJ Knowles '22 wrapped up his senior year with a dynamic recital at Prior Jollek Hall, featuring a mix of his favorite songs and original pieces, along with performances from fellow band members and friends.

Row 3:

(Left) After 11 rounds - four of them spent in gridlock with two other classmates - Geno Fero '31 and Caddie Wagner '31 were the last third graders left on stage at the 2022 Primary Spelling Bee. While Geno won, he also found a fierce competitor in Caddie, who had two near wins in rounds nine and 10 when the two battled it out with spellers Aalia Bhagchandani '31 and Layla Ledee '31. (Right) In April of 2022, Isabel Ethen '26 was nervous about competing in the St. Thomas-St. John District Spelling Bee. It was her first time, and being on stage in front of a large crowd was new - but a month later, when she headed off to St. Croix for the territorial bee, Isabel was surprised at how comfortable she felt and how excited she was to get back out there.