The Athletics Department started off the Spring season by putting on a Students vs. Staff event in the Big Gym, featuring basketball and volleyball games, on March 30. Students were coached by Leigh Logan and me, while the Staff coached themselves. Athletic Director Bobby Starks joined in on the fun. Upper school English teacher Matt Laufer brought out a green Celtics headband for the games. Overall, the addition of this event meant a marquee game for the Spring season, seeing as Fall and Winter already had theirs: Homecoming and the two DePaul basketball games, respectively.

The Student Athletic Council (SAC), together with Starks and Assistant AD Laura Gill, worked to help put on this event. It was the first time in a few years that the students and the staff have squared off.

“I loved it, and I think a lot of other people loved it as well,” Starks said. “Laura Gill and I are working to make this a tradition for years to come. When the students come up with ideas, events are usually better than if we do, and that’s what happened here.”

In terms of competitive sports, Spring teams have so far fared well.  Teams are in the midst of finishing scoping out their rosters and preparing for what they hope will be a deep run in the State tournaments.

It is the last hurrah for the seniors, who want to see their Parker athletics careers out with wins. Baseball is losing several key players, particularly Bates College commit Casey Barr and captain Max Chapman, while softball loses captains Morgan Harler, Nina Blake, and Jordan Sachs, as well as fellow seniors Claire Rosenberg, Emily Sanchez, and Franny Weed. Girls’ soccer is losing captains Hayley Milgrom and Zoe Patinkin.

With its many teams, Parker has limited space. In order to combat this, Starks has been renting out gyms at Windy City Fieldhouse and fields at the Park District for teams to use. Other times, teams split Parker’s one field. High school sports also have to compete with middle school sports for use of the field. Girls’ soccer or softball often uses the gym or works out with trainer Derek Nielsen when middle school sports are using the field.

“The goal is obviously to have everybody practice and get better,” Starks said. “While we don’t have unlimited fields on Parker land, we think we have the next best thing.  By renting some space at Windy City Fieldhouse, our teams have the opportunity to use great facilities, which they wouldn’t be able to use otherwise.”