Poly Student Ambassador Blog: Sports Come To a Close With David L. ’23

A tumultuous year for Poly sports is coming to an end. The combined winter and spring sports seasons, mandated by CIF, have led to a great deal of Poly sporting events culminating in an exciting season with several Poly sports teams making playoff bids. After overcoming the initial challenges brought on by the tiered approach to COVID-19 safety, Poly Athletics has returned in full swing.

Boys baseball, as well as boys and girls basketball and soccer, among other sports, began their seasons earlier this year, with most games being limited to two household spectators per athlete. Regardless, the sports seasons have proved to be great successes. The Girls Varsity Soccer team entered the playoffs ultimately losing by one point to St. Margaret’s Episcopal School on Wednesday, May 12th.

Other notable accomplishments from Poly sports teams include the Boys Varsity Soccer team’s undefeated season, having let no goals in for the entirety of the season and finishing with a record of 6-0-2 as they head into the first round of the CIF-SS Division VI Boys Soccer Playoffs. For the second year in a row, they also took home the title of Prep League Champions after beating Flintridge Prep with a score of 2-0.

Pablo B. ’23 commented on the current sports season and his own experience playing basketball, saying, “It’s really exciting to play Poly sports again and to be a part of a team again. Thus far, it’s been really enjoyable. Plus, being able to see friends and teammates in and after school has been great. Playing sports, as well as competing alongside my teammates has been extremely fun.”

My personal experiences playing JV basketball have been quite similar. While I was initially hesitant to play a “high-contact sport,” the COVID-19 safety protocols in place made me comfortable from the beginning. With weekly testing and mask-wearing on and off the court, playing basketball seemed as safe as possible. Going to after-school practices has been a great way to socialize, build new relationships, get daily exercise, and simply have fun alongside other students. The lack of opportunities like these in the last year have made practices and competitions all the more enjoyable and represents Poly’s gradual return to normal.

With the season coming to an end, it has allowed me and other student-athletes to reflect on sports and the way it factors into our daily lives, and the community and school spirit fostered by Poly Sports, among many other positive aspects. This year, sports has been a great opportunity for athletes, spectators, parents, coaches, and others. I personally look forward to summer athletics practices and the Poly sports seasons ahead coming into the 2021-2022 school year.

As teams head into the playoffs and play their final games of the school year, you can keep up with the latest Poly Sports updates on Twitter at @PolyAthletics.
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