On Saturday morning, a line of kids reaching across the entire Hunte Field skipped, stretched, and sprinted as Strength and Conditioning Coach Charlie Johnson warmed them up for the day ahead. Parents of prospective students watched from the bleachers after being greeted by Athletic Director Ms. Paula Conway, Associate Athletic Director Mr. Al Gomez, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Ms. Vivien Mallick, and Head of School Mr. Ron Kim. This marked the beginning of the Bishop’s School’s 2021 athletic open house, referred to as “Athletes in Action”. 

Most Bishop’s students will remember attending a Bishop’s Open House and getting a closer look into the academics that the school offers. This year, prospective students got the chance to not only see but experience another integral part of the Bishop’s experience: the athletic program. Each student had the opportunity to try a sport from each trimester, meeting the coaches and a few current athletes on the team.

The day was split into three blocks in which students attended one sport. For the first block, football was one of the most popular with 22 people registered. The kids were split up into three groups, with some doing route running and catching drills while others were using linebacker equipment to learn how to tackle. Current members of the football team showed up to help coach and answer questions.

Down at the other end of the field, the familiar sounds of Coach Carr and the field hockey team blasting energetic songs such as “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor and “ABC” by the Jackson 5 accompanied the sight of prospective students learning to hit a field hockey ball into the cage. 

Other sports later in the day included basketball, where kids participated in passing, layup, and rebounding drills. Volleyball coaches and athletes taught prospective students how to serve and hit, and kids participating in lacrosse practiced shooting, throwing, and catching. Water polo and swimming, two of the School’s very successful sports programs, were not included in the event. However, many families found themselves drawn to the pool bleachers to observe the girls’ water polo game against Orange Lutheran High School with 73 families registered to watch. The two most attended sports ended up being soccer and volleyball.

Athletes in Action fully demonstrated the tight community of the Bishop’s sports teams and all that the athletics program offers. 104 young athletes were able to experience Bishop’s while trying new sports and letting their energy out. Matsa Shi (‘24), who helped with volleyball shared “it’s really key to not just the kids but also our sports teams; and it’s fun!” The bright smiles on every face leaving the field as well as the connections formed between coaches and athletes represented the success of the event.