by Hannah Jacobson
Blue skies, sun shining, the slam of a mitt closing, the wind from a bat swinging, the dust cloud from a player sliding. This can only mean one thing: spring has officially sprung, and along with it, sports. After a long winter without school sports, The Leffell School 2021 season began on April 19.
This spring, tennis, baseball, softball, golf and track were offered and 75 students signed up to participate.
In the spring of 2020, the week before spring sports were set to begin, TLS canceled sports due to COVID-19 which meant that current sophomores missed out on their first season of high school play.
“I chose softball because I’ve been playing softball for a really long time, since fifth or sixth grade, and I’ve always known that I loved the sport, so I chose to play it in high school,” freshman Gabrielle Weingard said.
For some students, playing on sports teams in school or out of school is not new to them, but for others, this season is their first time playing in high school or at any level at all.
Unlike in the fall, when spectators were not allowed on campus, TLS now allows two spectators per athlete to attend meets and games.
“People will have to wear masks; spectators won’t be able to sit everywhere,” athletics director Scott D’Ottavio said. “There will be health screenings and athletes and spectators will be socially distant from other groups at the games.”
Having these precautions in place will not only keep people safe, but it will also ensure that parents can see their children play a sport that they love.
“Playing softball is what I look forward to at the end of my day,” Weingard said.