Over spring break, Sidwell teams traveled south to compete against teams from around the country. These trips developed team culture and offered Sidwell teams an opportunity to face high level opponents.
Girls Varsity Lacrosse and both the varsity tennis teams went to Florida. Additionally, the baseball program, both varsity and junior varsity, traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Girls Varsity Lacrosse traveled to Cocoa Beach, Fla., where they got to know each other better, practice o nce or twice a day and compete against other schools. The spring break trip is a tradition that players look forward to, and the experience also contributes to the team’s ongoing success.
Freshman Pilar Lynch commented that the trip helped the team connect at a deeper level “than just the occasional ‘hello’ in the hallway.”
The team played two games throughout the break. In the first, they suffered their first defeat of the season in a close contest, where they lost 7-8 against Plymouth Whitemarsh High School from Pennsylvania. This loss was an opportunity for the team to learn from any mistakes and become more successful in the rest of their season.
The team bounced back for the second game where they won 18-2 against Trinity School.
Highlights from their trip include a visit to Universal Studios and many team meals. Sophomore Sisi Kostorowski explained how the “random free time spent with the team like beach time or car rides” was a great way to bring the team closer.
The Boys and Girls Varsity Tennis Teams traveled to the U.S. Tennis Association National Tennis Campus in Orlando, Fla. By having both the girls and boys tennis teams travel together, the program was able to work towards creating a sense of unity between the two teams.
The team cheered one another on as they competed in both singles and doubles matches. Freshman Boning Wang mentioned that the team “supported each other within our matches” and explained that older and newer members of the program “got to know each other better away from just tennis.”
The team especially bonded through dinners and nights in the pool during their time at the National Campus. Teammates also spent time together in shared hotel rooms.
Freshman Neel Prakash mentioned that his favorite part of the trip was the team bonding. For him, “it was a great way to bring people closer together who may not have interacted as much in school.”
The baseball program traveled to The Ripken Experience Myrtle Beach for spring training. Freshman Tommy Levy emphasized that the “facilities at The Ripken Experience were very nice.”
For the program, the spring break trip was a great way to create relationships between one another, especially between Varsity and JV players.
Underclassman and upperclassman shared bunk-beds and were able to further their relationships by learning more about each other off the field. The trip also further developed connections between coaches and players.
In particular, the team enjoyed various activities around Myrtle Beach, such as go-karting and mini golfing with teammates. Additionally, many players bleached their hair to match with each other.
Over break the team had a 2-2 record. On Mar. 23, they played Avonworth High School from Pittsburg, PA and lost 5-6. The following day, Sidwell Baseball beat Fairbanks High School from Ohio 4-3. On March 25, the team lost 2-3 against Moniteau High School in Pennsylvania but finished out the trip with a 9-0 win against Butler High School from Ohio.
Although the games that the teams competed in at Myrtle Beach were not for league play and did not count toward their official records, the baseball team was able to bond over playing together.
“Everybody was just having a good time playing and not worrying too much about the outcome,” said freshman Owen Liu-Bailey.
He added that that team dynamic “was fun to be a part of,” despite the poor weather in the first few days.
In general, athletes were enthusiastic about their trips and hope to continue the tradition going forward. These trips demonstrate that Sidwell Athletics are more than just the on-field experience, but communities where students can find a sense of belonging.
Spring break trips are also an opportunity for older members of teams to teach underclassmen about the culture of the program and set the tone for the upcoming season. As the spring season begins, athletes will continue to build upon the relationships formed over spring break.
