After missing out on spring sports last year due to the global quarantine, coaches and players are more excited than ever to get back out and play with their teams.

On March 24, the Spring sports season began, with 13 varsity teams taking to Galbraith and Sawyer fields for the first day of practice.

In 2020, Williston made the announcement that they would not be returning to campus for the spring trimester due to the coronavirus pandemic. This announcement was made only a few days before students were set to return for their preseason activities, so athletes and coaches were not able to prepare themselves for this huge loss.

This school year Williston has been very adamant about following Covid-19 guidelines in hopes that competition could return for most athletic teams, and the hard work is paying off. Spring teams are finally getting the opportunity to compete against other schools and have a relatively normal season.

Mark Conroy, Williston’s Athletic Director, has been very impressed by the school’s efforts to stay safe from Covid and attributes the success to the entire school.

“In my experience, I do believe that Williston has been one of the leaders in terms of how well we have been able to manage ‘in person’ learning, both in the classroom, in our community and in the afternoon program this year,” he told The Willistonian. “It has been an incredible community effort that has included all members of our community. I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished to date and am optimistic that we will have a successful spring.”

With the way things have been going, Conroy anticipates every varsity and junior varsity team will be able to get some sort of competition in this season. His connections with other athletic directors and schools have been crucial to making sure this all works out.

“I think another important aspect of the scheduling has been the weekly contact that has been have maintained with peer schools throughout the last several months,” he said. “The varsity teams will obviously compete more since some schools are not quite ready to compete on the lower levels.  I do feel confident that all Williston spring athletes will put on a uniform this spring!”

Many students have been extremely thankful to get the opportunity to play with their team again, including Joe Easton, a sophomore from Southwick, Massachusetts. He believes that although this year is different than others, all his lacrosse teammates have brought a higher level of energy to every practice.

“I feel as though the boys have an extra amount of excitement every day that shows the appreciation to have [lacrosse] back,” he said. “Usually our schedule would be lined up with more games and practices, but unfortunately under these circumstances it’s shortened. It really makes you appreciate the time you have out there with your brothers and opportunity to get better that will pass by quicker than usual.”

After losing last year, Joe is very thankful for the chance to play again. He believes he is lucky to be playing a lot of lacrosse games this year and hopes that the school and community will be able to get involved.

“I’m definitely more thankful because of the schools that might not be playing sports right now,” he said. “To have a 10+ game schedule is very exciting and have some fans should be a good thing for the guys and the Williston community, so I’ll definitely be looking forward to it.”

Some coaches and players missed the opportunity to get their first season under their belt, including Ken Choo, who was appointed as the Varsity Tennis coach last year before the season was canceled. He is excited to compete against other schools and get his first chance to coach at the top level.

“I am excited to coach Varsity Tennis this spring,” he told The Willistonian. “I have never coached Varsity Tennis before (I have coached JV and 3rds, however). I am relying upon the returning, experienced players to quite a degree. Also, I’m listening to the other tennis coaches, and learning through research.”