Wills Singley ’14: While Episcopal takes pride in its three-season sports program, more leniencies should be given when considering varsity letters at the end of each season. Coaches should consider each athlete’s contribution to the team and the time it was realized. For instance, a lowerclassman that made improvements towards the second half of the season to earn either a starting position or ladder spot should be recognized for his or her achievement. However, for individual sports such as tennis or squash, athletes must meet a match requirement to qualify for a letter. Under this system, a player who steps up towards the end of the season and contributes to his program may be left out of a letter. Their actions go unrecognized by the school they compete for. With roughly 125 students per grade, and thirty varsity athletic teams, the underclassman’s role on each team should not go unnoticed. Having earned a varsity letter early in their high school career, students are encouraged to return and provide the core of teams as they progress in their careers.
All seniors who have shown dedication to a program over their high school careers should be considered for a varsity letter even if they did not meet the mandated requirements of that program.
Student athletes are placed under tremendous stress by the time commitment that comes with being a member of a varsity Interac program and should be rewarded for their efforts. Episcopal has a limited number of athletes to draw from as they compete against single sex schools who have more students competing for their institutions. When an Episcopal athlete chooses not to compete on an Inter Ac team, their decision’s impact is felt more at Episcopal as they have lessened the athlete pool even more. This pool could be considered already halved as Episcopal fields coed classes that are similar in numbers to their single sex competitors.
Photo courtesy of Rich Palazzese ’14
This commitment to be on a competitive team becomes increasingly noticeable to athletes when they have reached their senior year. Juggling an Episcopal academic schedule, applications to colleges, and any outside of school commitments is a handful by itself. Every hour away from these is truly a sacrifice. It’s a hard sell to get seniors to return to a sport where they may not get a letter for their involvement, especially with the option of a senior cut looming over their heads. Being able to go home at 2:45 in the afternoon is a privilege every athlete thinks about when returning from a road game to a dark campus.
With only one Inter Ac season required for seniors; coaches and teammates should respect each senior’s decision to compete for their school for one more year. This responsibility is further given to the EA Athletic Association who has the last say on who earned a varsity letter at the end of each season. With its student members consisting mostly of seniors, it is in this meeting that the leaders of the athletic teams should give deep consideration to any senior who has stayed with a program for all four years.
Currently, an AEA is given to those seniors who did not meet the requirements for a varsity letter. An AEA is recognition from the EAPA Athletic Association for one’s participation during the season. This often goes to members of individual competition teams such as Golf or Cross Country who did not place well enough in their meets or matches to earn a letter. However, an AEA should be given to those seniors who participated in a new sport for their final year, rather than make a senior feel his or her commitment over their high school career was less than that of their peers. We are constantly encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities we have at Episcopal and an AEA is perfect to acknowledge a senior leaving his or her comfort zone to try something new and different.
A senior whose involvement in a program did not meet varsity letter requirements should be considered equal to that of an athlete who previously earned a letter but was injured during the season. This happens throughout the year as athletes who were unable to participate in their sport are given letters for staying with the team and making the same time commitment.
Episcopal’s Athletic program is fueled by athletes who participate in multiple sports rather than simply meet their athletic requirements. To ensure maximum participation from every class, we must reward seniors who have shown enthusiasm for their programs and there is no better way than giving them a varsity letter for their final year.