The coronavirus pandemic has altered Concord Academy students’ lives in myriad ways. For many student-athletes, one of the most prominent changes has come from the absence of competitive sports. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, none of CA’s fall athletic teams were permitted to engage in interscholastic competitions, and practices were held only twice per week. However, as the seasons changed, so did CA’s safety precautions, and on January 29, 2021, the CA Ski Team became Concord Academy’s first sports team to return to interscholastic competitions since the beginning of the pandemic.
Overall, members of the Ski Team give a positive review of their 2021 season. Many students felt fortunate that they were able to race, even in a modified format, and they enjoyed training at Wachusett Mountain. Aaron Orgel ’21, one of the captains of the Boys Ski Team this winter, shared a reflection on his final ski season at CA. Aaron said, “I think that CA did a really good job of making the season feel as normal as possible. There were a lot of aspects that were different from past seasons, like team bonding events and transportation, but at the end of the day, we got to ski a few times a week and have competitions, so I can’t complain.”
The Girls Ski Team captains, Jessica Bradford ‘21 and Rose Sinkus ’21, also shared their thoughts on the season. Jessica expressed a similar sentiment to Aaron, remarking, “I think having the opportunity to just be on snow and have some sense of normalcy was amazing. This season definitely was a bit different than most, but I was just grateful to have something to look forward to each week.” Rose noted, “Even though most aspects of our season were different, it was fun to change the routine up from a typical year. Having our whole team race at the same time instead of being dispersed throughout the different schools meant that we were really able to cheer each other on and make up for some of the bonding we missed. The season was definitely a highlight of this year so far.”
The 2021 CA Ski season, like the year that preceded it, bore the marks of the coronavirus pandemic. Nevertheless, students’ determination and resilience shone through, resulting in a fun and successful – albeit unusual – winter season.