Athletics

at rectory

By Courtney Callanan, Assistant Athletic Director

Rectory Athletics, where students connect outside the classroom, creating memories they will carry with them, was officially back for the 2021-2022 school year. After over a year of unpredictable change and minimal activities, sports seemed as close to normal as ever. From the sounds of chatter in the locker room to the rhythm of feet running across our fields and gyms, student athletes flooded the playing fields for a new year.

fall sports

The symbolic colors of Rectory fit right into the Autumn colors around campus. Students covered in orange and black took the field for their first competitions since the winter of 2019. The sports lineup included boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, cross country, fall adventures, equestrian, and fitness. Our competing teams, cross country, soccer, and volleyball, had a full slate of games. Each team worked hard to build on their skills and team chemistry to outplay their opponents for when it was game time. After over a year of no games, teams looked at it as a rebuilding year. Coach Bradley of the girls soccer team said, “Having something to work towards again made practices fun.” The fitness program tested athletes on the 800-meter run, maximum 2-minute row, and their burpee endurance with other functional fitness movements. The girls volleyball team had the most successful season of the fall. They went undefeated against their opponents, thanks to 9th-grade returners Olivia C., Jaceil B., Moran L., Lucy Z., Chana K., Elaine D., and Diana H.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Girls Soccer, Fitness, Equestrian, Boys Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Fall Adventures

WINTER sports

The crisp air soon turned to bitter cold, and winter sports had arrived. Boys and girls basketball, fencing, fitness, hockey, squash, swimming, and winter warriors made up the winter sports offerings at Rectory. Daily activity was vibrant on- and off-campus, with students traveling to and from facilities like the Hale YMCA and Jahn Rink. Boys and girls basketball had six teams, including a co-ed recreational team. With the JV teams focusing on fundamentals, the varsity teams fine-tuned team strategy. In the same spot as fall sports, not competing in over a year, the state of competition was unknown. The swim and squash teams had returning swimmers, but most of the roster was new. That did not hold them back from having successful seasons. Swimming and squash went undefeated. Jaceil B., Martin L., and Joba S. contributed to the swim team’s overall success. Jacky W., Clement W., Diana H., and Taylor W. were some of the squash team’s top players this year, leading them to their second undefeated season in the last three years. The boys varsity A basketball team also had a successful season. Although they did not go undefeated, the team won the title at the Future Stars Tournament at the season’s end. They met Fessenden in the final game, which has happened often, and they were able to secure the championship. Rectory’s hockey team joined the Rumsey Hall Tournament this year, and although they did not return with any hardware, the memories they created as a team were just as valuable.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Winter Warriors, Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, Fencing, Swimming

spring sports

As the sun’s warmth grew more potent, it was a sign that Spring sports were beginning. Our softball, baseball, golf, track and field, tennis, and lacrosse teams were eager to get back outside and start preparing for their season. This year, a prominent attraction was the Cenntenial Weekend, which brought friends, family, and alumni onto campus to celebrate 100 years of Rectory. It included a cookout for everyone to enjoy before athletes showcased their athletic talent on the fields. The pride of Rectory filled the campus as cheers broke out in support of the Wolves. Later in the season, girls lacrosse played in the Rumsey Hall Jamboree, where Zoe O. and Rebecca D. took home the Player of the Day awards for their offensive and defensive performances. For the first time in a long time, the tennis team had an undefeated regular season, going 9-0 and winning the Wheelers Double Tournament. They played a mixture of day schools, boarding schools, junior varsity, and varsity teams. When reflecting on the season, Coach Campbell said, “We had a large number of talented players on the team this year, and I am really proud of all of them.” Boys lacrosse, baseball, and tennis all attended the end-of-season Fessenden Tournament for their respective sport. Although none were crowned champions, it was a day where teams came together to give their best effort one last time before the season ended.

CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT: Softball, Tennis, Boys Lacrosse, Baseball, Girls Lacrosse

The hustle and bustle of getting to and from practices and games returned. It allowed students to form relationships outside the classroom, to hold each other accountable, motivate one another, and support each other in failures and successes. Students wore their Rectory jerseys proudly and were resilient in times of challenge. The silence of uncertainty in sports was gone and replaced with team huddles proudly yelling “Wolves!” once again.