Athletics Courage to Try

The Courage to Try ATHLETICS PROVIDE A WAY TO CONNECT FOR OUR “NEW 9S”

Although part of a generation that has never known life without the internet, Aria Kapoor ’24, Tatum Schutz ’24, Riley Sterling ’24, and Analisa Delgado ’24 did not imagine that they would first meet their high school classmates in a Zoom room.

Starting a new school under normal circumstances can be difficult; starting a new school while everyone is remote presents another set of challenges. New freshmen at Castilleja—known as “new 9s”—acclimate through orientation activities, advisory, buddy programs, ACE Orgs, and more. For some, Athletics provides that sense of camaraderie students crave when joining a new environment, and this year, those connections were more important than ever.

This fall, Aria, Tatum, Riley, and Analisa each tried a sport they had never engaged in before. “Many of the older students who welcomed me said that they made many of their friends through participating in sports, so I decided to try playing volleyball,” shared Analisa. Taking a risk to begin learning a new skill, while navigating a novel environment, requires courage.

Forging and maintaining connections online through Zoom has proved challenging for everyone this year. When Riley started running cross country, the in-person training time helped her feel like she was a part of a community, even though school had not opened for in-person learning yet. Thinking it would be a fun way to meet classmates and students in other grades, Tatum started cross country as well. As a result, Tatum is now more confident speaking up with her classmates. First-time water polo player, Aria, agrees: “Seeing people in person makes it a lot easier to be able to connect.”

“After getting to know more classmates at practice, I had a few friends I could ask for help when I needed, or to partner with during a school project.” -ANALISA DELGADO ’24

League and county regulations constantly shifted throughout the fall and winter, making it unclear whether any team would be able to compete. Despite this uncertainty, student athletes exhibited unwavering dedication, courage, and perseverance. Inspired by their teammates’ encouragement, these four freshmen showed up to practice ready to put in the work.

Athletics fulfilled a desire for a dash of normalcy during a time that was, and at the time of printing still is, anything but normal. Seeing teammates and coaches in person was instrumental in sustaining the Castilleja community that is near and dear to our hearts; for some, taking the risk to try something new made all the difference.