New Upper School Swim Team Coach

Emma Lavelle ‘26, Staff Writer

On February 5th, 2022, the Quaker swim teams traveled to St. Andrew’s School to compete in the DISC Championships. After an undefeated season, the boy’s swim team won the DISC Championship for the first time in school history and ranked third in the state. The girl’s team also had an incredible season with a 6-4 record. Both teams then traveled to states and finished the season feeling victorious. Then suddenly, without warning, the swim coach, Robin Lebauer, retired after coaching the swim team for over a decade. Mr. Lebauer went through many ups and downs with the swim team. Many students were highly disappointed because they loved having him as their swim coach, and many of the 8th graders were disappointed they would never get to have him as their swim coach. The search was long and hard to replace the beloved coach, and WFS welcomes 3 new coaches. This year the Wilmington Friends swim team is coached by Jack Coons and Blair Atkins, and Tara Agne assists them.

The two swim coaches are WFS alumni, and Atkins swam on the swim team all four years of her High School experience. During her time on the swim team, she also coached for the Elks swim club, right around the corner from Friends. After high school, she swam at Franklin and Marshall College and continued coaching summer swimming.

Continuedonpage12 high place. There were about 147 teams there! Teams from New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Connecticut to name a few. In some races, over 200 kids were competing so it was extremely difficult to get a high score. That being said, Isaiah Turman 24’ scored 6th out of 54 people in the boy’s triple jump. Also, Cereniti Johnson 26’ scored 10th out of 159 runners in the 55-meter dash. This shows how talented they are in comparison to many schools around this area. Overall, this track meet shows how Friends can compete outside the small conference and how sports are supposed to be fun. Our runners did super well when faced with a place they had never been before. All the eyes on them could have been stressful but they didn’t let it get to them as seen with all the personal records. They also made many memories with their teammates. This was an experience many will remember. Having fun, taking the stress away, being active, and being with your friends is what sports are all about.

Hot Takes

Everyone has opinions. Some of them are popular, some of them are not. Here on the Whittier, we decided to ask some people around the WFS community what their “hot takes”—unpopular opinions—are:

“I love sleeping with socks on” (Angie Cochran ‘24)

“Keith bars are the best candy and sheets are not necessary” (Simran Dattani ‘24)

“Jet lag is not a real thing, it’s only a mentality” (Grace Terrell ‘24)

“American football shouldn’t be called football because, aside from the kicker, the ball never touches anyone’s feet” (Dr. Blake)

“Bread doesn’t belong in the freezer” (Zae Turman ‘24)

“Pickleball isn’t a real sport” (Max Rosenthal ‘23)

“Thanksgiving food is terrible” (Lily Rashkind ‘23)

“Sometimes pineapple does work on pizza” (Greta pinter ‘24)

“Ranch on pizza slaps” (Ellie Criscimanga ‘23)

Pelé - The Legend

Ethan Weiner ‘24, Staff Writer

As a little boy from Três Corações, Brazil, Pelé would play soccer in his impoverished neighborhood with a grapefruit and a sock stuffed with paper. At the age of 6, he was gifted a soccer ball and was given the nickname Péle; by the age 16 he was playing professionally for the club Santos. The following year, at only 17 years old, he played for Brazil in the 1958 World Cup. As the youngest player to ever play in the World Cup, he picked up a hat trick in the semi-final against France and two goals in the championship game against the tournament host, Sweden. Not only was Pelé extremely intelligent and skilled, but he was also faster and stronger than his opponents. In the entirety of his career, he scored a mind-boggling 1000 goals, setting a Guinness World Record. After retiring from his club, Santos, in 1974, Pelé scored 643 goals in 659 games, and in 2012 FIFA named Pelé the “greatest of all time”. Pelé was soccer’s first global icon. If you asked me, I would argue that Pelé is the greatest soccer of all time but I know that is a statement that could spark a lot of controversies. The soccer GOAT debate is one that has only gotten more intense over time so I wanted to ask students around Friends what their stance on the topic was.

Off the field, Pelé had just as big of an impact. He was extremely vocal about issues facing his home country, Brazil, specifically surrounding childhood education. When being interviewed, he would often take the time to raise awareness of the education disparity problem in Brazil. Péle stood as a symbol of overcoming the hardships of being Black, especially in Brazil. The social hierarchy in Brazil suppresses black people and makes poverty nearly inescapable, but Pelé’s ability to do so gave many in Brazil hope. His efforts in charity to help empower people and in particular, children in need made people around the world look up to him. The struggles he faced as a young man represented stories of all backgrounds, which is why so many felt a connection to Pelé. For people of all ages across the world, Pelé became a hero and an inspira- tion. Pelé was much more than a soccer player. His dedication to humanitari- an work had a significant impact on his home country and the world.

In late November, the soccer legend was admitted to the hospital to receive treatment for a respiratory infection. After numerous reports online of pelé being in critical condition and “fighting for his life,” he took to Instagram on December 3rd to clarify that he was feeling “strong” and the treatment hadn’t changed. While dealing with the respiratory infection Pelé had also been battling colon cancer since 2021. His death was announced to the media on December 29th, 2022, and was followed by countless tributes to him from current soccer players. “ Before Pelé, ‘10’ was just a number,” wrote Brazillian soccer star Neymar. “The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten. RIP KING.” wrote French player Kylian Mbappé.

The Evolution of Tennis - What’s to come?

Anya Agarwal ‘25, Staff Writer

No Roger Federer and no Serena Williams at this year’s 2023 Australian Open. The famous quartet, including Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, is very well known and also greatly treasured by tennis enthusiasts. It will be hard to let go of these legendary players, but the time is coming, if not already here.

For two decades, the golden era of tennis has prevailed, resulting in a feeling of comfort and security in the tennis community. Multiple players with distinctive styles and personalities helped define the game in the 21st century. Silas Montana, 25’ said, “I think that I speak for many people inside the tennis community when I say that we have been blessed with an era containing players like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams. All four of these players, each with more than twenty grand slam titles, have proven themselves to be the greatest of all time” But when the coronavirus hit, everything changed. The days of the game relying on the show-stopping power of its rockstar quartet to entice fans and add excitement are over.

Remember when Naomi Osaka won her first grand slam in the 2018 U.S. Open and everyone thought she was supposed to be the next big thing? Currently, her most recent major win was the Australian Open last winter, which was about a year ago but feels like over a century ago. She left last year’s French Open due to anxiety and depression. She then skipped Wimbledon and lost early in the U.S. Open and the Tokyo Olympics. Gabriella Feldman (WFS Girls Tennis Coach) said, “Osaka pulled out of a tournament and really has not done much over the past couple of years. Also, Ashleigh Barty retired at 25 because she wanted to live a ‘normal life’.” Remember the legendary match in last summer’s U.S. Open between the two teenage finalists, Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez? The match that got everyone thinking that they would be future champions? Neither of the two has accomplished much since then. In the 2023 Australian Open, Fernandez lost in the first round, and Raducanu in the second. Despite this instability, these new players are on a whole different level of fitness, agility, and power. For example, watching Carlos Alacraz sprint, strech, and slide to keep a point alive before hitting the game-winning shot, or watching Aryna Sabalenka crush her opponent with 17 aces in the recent Australian Open.

This uncertainty causes lots of controversy within the tennis community. Gabriella Feldman said, “When I think about the “new era” of tennis, I have mixed emotions. On one hand, it is exciting to see this new crop of young, talented power hitters getting so far in the major tournaments and making it harder for the older players to sail to the finals. On the other hand, the players are getting younger and younger when they turn professional, and I don’t think they have the maturity and mental mindset to handle the pressures that go along with a professional career. The next generation of players are big power hitters and big servers and seem to be a bit more inconsistent when compared to the older players like Nadal, Federer, and Serena…. The days of finesse and strategy are gone, and power is the name of the game.”

Many young stars are now interacting with the crowd more, but not in a good way. During the close match between Nick Krygios and Danill Medvedev, the typically rowdy Australian crowd used Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed “Siuuu!” celebration shout during matches. That has angered several players, Medvedev included, who thought the chants were boos during his victory over Nick Kyrgios. During the on-court interview after the match, Medvedev grew impatient with the crowd and scolded them for the chant. In a later interview with Eurosport, Medvedev said the Ronaldo impersonators “probably have a low IQ.” Serena or Federer have never had an experience like this with their fans.

It is difficult to say goodbye to a generation. A new era has begun. We can only accept it, wait patiently, and hope for the best.