*Information gathered and up to date as of 8/10

            Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is much speculation regarding interscholastic sports at schools across the nation. As of now, Hill hopes to offer athletic opportunities to their students in the safest way possible, while still maintaining some sort of normality. While we cannot participate in any full-team activities yet, teams will engage in coach-directed individual skill training and small group work in flocks (groups of four or less students). Interscholastic games will also be delayed in an effort to preserve the safety of our campus and community amidst the global health crisis. 

            Athletic director Seth Eilberg has said that there have been endless amounts of meetings and phone calls to create the best plan of action, as well as how to adjust should conditions change, for better or for worse. “Hill is eager to find any way to safely compete, as we believe in the unique value of interscholastic competition for our students’ socioemotional wellness. Of course, any decision to compete will prioritize the health and safety of our students and overall community,” Eilberg said. 

Even if the possibility of interscholastic sports must be eliminated for the fall season, Hill hopes that students can at least continue to train. Based on the campus wellness level, students may be engaged in anything from general fitness programs, to non-athletic co-curricular activities, to intramural competitions; the school hopes to keep students as well-connected as possible. Even those students who have chosen to continue their education remotely should be able to be part of the non-athletic co-curriculars, and those students will have other options and fitness resources available to them as needed. 

            One thing that returning students at Hill might find to be disappointing is the fact that the Lawrenceville School has elected to cancel their fall sports. This unfortunately means that Hill and Lawrenceville will not be participating in our beloved rivalry weekend at the beginning of November during the 2020 fall season. This would have been the 133rd year of said rivalry, dating back to a football game in the fall of 1887. Aside from Lawrenceville, the headmasters of the other MAPL schools have decided to begin league play in October, granted the conditions are safe. 

            While this year might look very different in comparison to others, Hill hopes to create an atmosphere with “schedules, routines, and supervision to offer as normal an experience as possible to students amidst a global pandemic,” Eilberg said. Many aspects of Hill Athletics are subject to change, as Mr. Eilberg and other members of the faculty will be engaged in many more meetings in coming weeks.