Sports and after school activities at The Storm King School have a different face this fall. With the cancellation of interscholastic athletics and students spending more time online this semester, staying active is more important than ever. The challenge for the SKS Department of Athletics has been finding sports and activities that students want to participate in while keeping them safe.
In spite of some initial concerns, the School’s natural surroundings, spacious campus, and well-maintained athletic field and tennis courts have proven to be the ideal setting for running a number of group activities simultaneously while keeping coaches and students properly distanced.
After school, the main athletic field is filled with various groups of students practicing several varsity sports including soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse while other groups dot the campus doing outdoor fitness, Yoga, playing tennis and basketball, and more. In addition, the art club has been busy painting a new mural on the observatory wall, and our runners, hikers, and mountain bikers are taking advantage of the trails in neighboring Black Rock Forest.
“There is most definitely a different vibe on campus during afternoon activities, but all is going well,” explained Director of Athletics Joseph Graziosi. “Due to NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Conference) lifting the restrictions for out-of-season training, we gave students the opportunity to play fall sports every day or supplement fall sports with out-of-season offerings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These trainings will also be supplemented with intramural competitions. For example, the soccer players have been split into teams of 5 players. In October, they will compete in a 12-match short-sided league schedule with a tournament at the end of the season. Such intramural play will give our aspiring student-athletes as high a level of competition as if we were competing with other schools,” continued Mr. Graziosi.
While planning this fall’s athletics and activities, keeping the community safe was paramount. “All coaches are following the CDC and Orange County Health Department guidelines for social distancing and masking,” explained Mr. Graziosi. “In addition, the main field has been lined with a training grid with 10-yard by 10-yard training boxes so our student-athletes can practice social distancing easily. Our student-athletes have done a fantastic job with wearing masks during their training.”
In addition to in-person sports and activities, the School’s remote learners have been given a home workout program that they report every Friday. They have also purchased step counters so they can compete with one another in a weekly step challenge. “We feel that it is important for our online students to stay connected to the community by reporting activities and getting athletic credit for the school year. Some online students have even expressed an interest in remaining with their on-campus teams and we are making this accommodation for them,” continued Mr. Graziosi.
While Storm King’s athletic program looks different on the surface this fall, the underlying theme remains constant–to develop integrity and character Storm King’s students and student-athletes. “I believe that this concept is an integral part of our school’s athletic program and we will see positive results as we continue to build champions this year, however they participate,” said Mr. Graziosi.
