7 minute read
Athletics
A REMARKABLE YEAR
by Jo Ito, Athletics Director
It has been a remarkable year in Blazer athletics as the pandemic sidelined our coaches and athletes starting in March 2020. This interruption to our routines, practices, and competitions changed us, and helped us to better understand the true purpose and meaning of sport.
At The Bush School, athletics is about community, team, and the daily connections of working toward a shared goal. It is about perseverance and experiencing victory and defeat alongside your teammates and coaches. It is about making mistakes, getting back up to try again, and working hard to achieve personal and collective goals. It is about the big moments, but even more so, it is about the small moments, connecting with teammates, coaches, and fans. It is about being a part of something bigger than yourself. In the early months of the pandemic, the athletics staff created online fitness classes and new ways for coaches and athletes to set up virtual team meetings and remote workouts. They focused on creating opportunities for human connection, and embraced the school’s holistic view of wellness, striving to keep the community connected, strong, and healthy. They worked hard to carry forward the rites and rituals so important to our athletes, celebrating our at the end of the 2019-2020 school year with a recognition event for the Middle School teams and the annual Upper School Athletics Awards program. The junior athletes honored the seniors; however, this time it was on Instagram rather than on the sidelines of the last home game of the season.
The summer was spent developing a virtual Middle School sports program, while also joining in on conversations with the Washington Interscholastic
“ I like being an athlete because of the constant push to be better and improving your game.
-Nancy F. ’24, Athletic Student Council (basketball, skiing, tennis)
Activities Association (WIAA) and other athletic directors in the newly formed Emerald Sound Conference. This was the inaugural season of the league, and the member schools were forced to confront challenges and uncertainty that had never been faced before to create a shared road map for a return to play. The league focused on a variety of questions, such as: When will it be safe to resume athletics? How do we prevent the spread of COVID19? Can athletes share equipment in practice? Will we require athletes to wear masks? What are the protocols for outdoor sports versus indoor sports? Can we provide transportation? We were in uncharted territory.
At Bush, we consulted with School Wellness Coordinator Happy Salinas-Santos and the school’s health panel, made up of medical experts from across the region, and adjusted to shifting COVID19 guidelines from the governor’s office and the Department of Health. After endless planning, the school created a calculated and clear plan that prioritized the health and safety of athletes and coaches.
The Middle School athletics program took place virtually during school year as part of the E-lectives program. The coaches were inventive, finding creative ways to develop meaningful online sessions, and students jumped into fitness sessions and practiced skill work at home. There were opportunities for athletes to learn about different aspects of their sports, including rules, strategies, and the history of the game. Middle School students had fun, and the virtual program kept athletes engaged, preparing them for future participation.
In late September, the Upper School athletics program got the green light to offer in-person practices as part of the newly established out-ofseason coaching period. This was the first big step toward returning to play. Athletes learned new COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and practices resumed with small pods. Wearing masks, coaches and teammates reconnected on the court, fields, and running trails. The momentum of coming together again—even without competitions against other schools—was monumental, and the positive impact was felt universally.
Unfortunately, the Upper School athletics program was forced to pause after fall break, as COVID-19 cases increased in King County and the school accounted for potential holiday travel. During this time, the athletics community came together to host one of the school’s favorite annual events: the
Blazer Bash. The Athletics Booster Club joined forces with the athletics staff to reimagine this signature event. It was focused on community impact, and included weeklong, school-wide fitness activities and competitions, as well as a food and clothing drive for Teen Feed. Each Bush student received in the mail fun Blazer Bash stickers and microwave popcorn to pop before the main event—Blazer eopardy! The game show was live streamed from Schuchart Gymnasium, and featured loyal Blazer fans and school leaders Head of School Percy L. Abram, Acting Director of Middle School and Academic Dean Sally Maxwell, and Lower School Director Aliya Virani. The Upper School athletics program relaunched in mid-February, running a nine-month, three season athletics program in a shortened five-month period. Practice schedules were mapped out, and coaches, athletes, and families were prepared as the school resumed competitions with the fourteen other schools in the Emerald Sound Conference. It was an epic undertaking, but was worth the effort to see the Blazer athletes return to play. No one will forget those first days out on the field, playing with teammates and friends again, taking the ball to goal, blocking a spike,catching a high flying Frisbee, and rounding
2021 Boys Varsity Soccer Emerald Sound Conference Champions
the corner on the last 1,000 yards of the first cross country meet. It was pure joy.
The Blazers coaching staff played a vital role in this complicated time, and it is because of the coaches that the school was able to provide meaningful and positive sports experiences for Bush’s many student athletes. They brought teams together, juggling new health and safety protocols with skill development and the well-being of our athletes in mind. The school is immensely grateful for the contributions and commitment that Blazer coaches made to the players and program at The Bush School. Coaching can be challenging under normal circumstances; running teams during a pandemic is extraordinary.
In reflecting back, by centering the same core values that guide our athletes, Bush was able to navigate the twists and turns of the last fifteen months. Teamwork. Perseverance. Sportsmanship. Ethical judgement. Time management. It has been a remarkable year. The Blazers look forward to returning to something a little more ordinary in the year ahead.
