ATHLETICS
Game Time One afternoon in September, six months after campus had closed suddenly in March, a few groups of excited students returned to campus for the first time. THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT, carefully following state and county guidelines, was able to welcome small cohorts of student-athletes from the cross-country, water polo, and volleyball teams back for in-person practices. Spieker Field, the Circle, and Okawa Pool have always been central to the learning and leading that happens at Castilleja, but now more than ever we appreciate their significance to our community. As outdoor spaces, they became the first places where we could come together again safely. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, Castilleja athletes from each team arrive through different entrances and are met by different members of the Athletics Department, who are truly thrilled to see them again. Yes, there are forms to hand in, temperatures to check, marks on the ground to remind people where to stand, and masks worn, but underneath those masks there are smiles so big that they eclipse the harder parts of any given day. “You just can’t imagine how happy everyone is to be there,” Mary Jo Pruitt, Castilleja’s Athletics Director explains. “Our student-athletes are craving this time together doing the sport that they love with their teammates. You can see how much this return to a sense of normalcy means to them. It’s a game changer.” GAME CHANGER. Ms. Pruitt has found the perfect phrase for athletics this fall, because the game has changed—races and games are not taking place yet. The competitive season for the fall has been pushed ahead until December. All three seasons will compete but in tighter windows of time through the winter into the spring and early summer. Until then, though, the Athletics Department is helping athletes develop physical and mental strength by returning to campus three days a week for inperson training, doing yoga and mindfulness training the other two days a week. They also offer a lecture series that covers topics from nutrition to leadership to what it means to be a good teammate when everyone comes to Castilleja with different backgrounds and life experiences.
“When I walked through the carved doors for the first time in months, I remember seeing my teammates’ faces and instantly lighting up with joy. The strong bond between teammates has always been my favorite part of sports, and I feel lucky to be able to continue to strengthen friendships during in-person practices.”
Watching student-athletes arrive and pass smoothly through the screening stations, everything looks seamless, but months of creative problem-solving and revisions went into this effort. “We submitted our first proposal back in June, which was followed by continued adjustments throughout the summer until we finally got approval at the end of August because giving up was not an option,” Ms. Pruitt says, “It was worth every minute. I can see that our student-athletes aren’t taking anything for granted. They are working hard every minute. I believe they truly appreciate how lucky we are to have the Circle, Spieker Field and Okawa Pool to return to, and I know they are going to be even stronger mentally and physically when the competitive season begins. The Castilleja Gators will be ready—ready for anything that comes their way!”
— JENNY K ’22
GO GATORS!
Annual Report 2019 - 2020 | 9
