Celebrating a successful winter sports season

As winter sports come to a close, we’re looking back at a season Director of Athletics Dan Stadtmiller says was planned on the fly. Stadtmiller usually has an entire calendar year to plan out a season. That includes scheduling games, officials, buses and everything in between.

“This winter sports season was a sprint from planning, to the start, and to the finish,” said Stadtmiller.

Each team got through their season with just one small hiccup, according to Stadtmiller. The District completed more than 150 COVID-19 tests each week on student-athletes, and screened all participants, employees and officials daily for symptoms. Ultimately, the precautions allowed for seniors to celebrate an in-person senior night so families could recognize their students’ commitments. Some changes will even follow student-athletes into the future.

“We had a short window to learn how to stream games and have since created two YouTube channels that will continue to livestream all JE events,” said Stadtmiller.

The success is a credit to teamwork. Stadtmiller commends athletics assistants Serina Simmons and Becca DiMario for being instrumental in keeping the season on track. Students, coaches, staff and the community were also extremely supportive and patient as bumps in the road were worked out.

Now, the District looks ahead to Fall 2 and spring sports. More spectators will be allowed to watch these upcoming season games, and students will continue to be tested weekly to ensure a safe environment.