Nick Sustersic ’18, Justin Hersey ’18: The number of Independent Sports Contracts given out at EA has been steadily increasing. A sports contract is when a student receives permission to not participate in a school sport and does outside of school activities to enhance their performance for a specific sport instead. These contracts used to be reserved for few people and were quite difficult to obtain. However, in recent years, it seems the requirements have been significantly more lenient. More students are receiving these contracts so they do not have to do the one or two inter-scholastic sport requirement, or because they do not want to do fitness. Some of these students believe that contracts are an advantage because it allows them to focus on one sport in which they can truly excel. However, other students think that contracts should not be given out as much as they have because it reduces the number of people on sports teams, and does not allow students to find hidden talents in sports that they have not previously tried before.
Gina Buggy, Director of Athletics, stated, “Episcopal does not have a physical education course so sports requirements help our students fill the ‘body’ portion of our mind-body-spirit philosophy. We in the athletic office believe that [physical fitness] is an important part of each students education. More and more kids have begun to request contracts and so we have given more out,” James Farrell, Assistant Athletic Director agreed with Buggy.
Photo courtesy of On Edge Movement Dance
Students who have contracted out continue to rave about the success that the contract has allowed them to achieve. Dancer Emma Kelly ‘17, outlined the process to obtain a contract. She explained, “First you have to have a reason to have a contract. Then you have to contact either Mrs. Buggy or Mrs. Gallagher and they’ll give you the info you need to get a contract. Usually that includes giving them your schedule and a signature from your outside of school coach.” This simple process allows for students to easily apply for a contract, while also enabling the decision makers to decide if one is worthy of a contract.
When it comes to the athletes, the people actually pursuing these contracts, most feel that contracts are beneficial to both them and their sports. Golfer Trevor Paolone ‘18 contracted out in the spring for golf last year, and this year he plans to contract out in the spring again. Paolone provided some insight into his contracting experience, explaining, “After coming off the winter and not playing any golf for three months it really helps to play in the spring and hit the ground running for the summer where you generally make your swing changes and really work on the mechanics of your swing in order to get ready for the season.” It is also known among students that instead of competing on a low level team during a season where they do not have a sport of interest, they could be making strides in a sport in which they believe they could have a future.