It’s that time of the year again. The fall sports are going out with a bang and the winter sports are getting ready to crush their upcoming seasons. This switch from fall to winter sports every year is a very exciting but also very rigorous time for athletes, coaches and the athletic department.
Students find themselves being thrust into a new sport or pushing through the final stretch of an old one or sometimes both. One student said that he finds it harder to finish work during a sports season, but other students find that they actually finish more work when they participate in a sport. In fact many studies show that participating in a sports team may lead to better academic performance for many students.
This transition is also very tough on the entire athletic department because winter sports need to lurch into action while fall sports are still finishing the most important part of their respective seasons. On top of all of that, the dome goes up during this jarring transition- making the switch even more difficult because it adds responsibility for the athletic department both during the process of putting the dome up and after the dome is up.
Mr. Johns, the athletic director, said it is “the most complicated switch” and that’s putting it lightly. The athletics department has always worked very hard to ensure that PA athletes have a good experience.
The fall sports all had exceptional seasons even if they didn’t perform as well as they may have hoped. As Mr. Johns said in an interview “it’s more about the experience”. All the athletes had a great experience this past season. Boy’s and girl’s soccer had a great season and a wonderful experience, football and volleyball won sectional games, girl’s tennis had a great season, and cross country and the girl’s swim and dive team sent athletes to state.
If the winter sports follow this trend, then Providence has a lot to be excited about. Athletes will be nearly guaranteed an excellent time this winter regardless of their sport.
So, the fall sports had great seasons and the winter sports promises seasons just as spectacular. Even if the transition is rigorous for staff and students, it is worth the great athletic experience PA strives to offer.
