Each season, the swim and dive team fill their hair with sparkly tinsel, the cross country team uses special ponytail holders and the boys tennis team dresses up in suits and coats. Each sport creates a unique community which in turn creates its own unique traditions.Right before the CAAC blue meet, members of girls swim and dive always put tinsel their hair. For Mayra Cangelosi (9), a swim team member who placed 16th in the 100 backstroke in that very meet, it’s one of the traditions she’s come to love on the team. “We also pass around a little yellow car and kiss it [for good luck before meets].” The team also does themed spirit days, like wearing pajamas during school. For normal days, a simple athletic swimsuit, swim cap, sandals and goggles are the look. “I really like [these fashion traditions],” Cangelosi said. “They’re simple enough and they look pretty sick too.”
The cross country team shows off their spirit with special hair ribbons for each meet. Abby Minnick (12), along with the other seniors on the team, chose each ribbon carefully, such as a rubber-duck-and-bubble decorated one for a meet in Bath. “I liked all of our options this year,” Minnick said. “In the past, we just had white and blue ribbons, but [this season] we had a lot of fun ones. All of them correlated to the meets, like Halloween themed for regionals, since it was during Halloween week.” On easy runs, the team takes time to get to know each other, connecting with people who aren’t usually at their running pace. They also do team bonding activities, such as team dinners or ice cream runs. But as far as coming together goes, the hair ribbons are important. “The hair ribbons definitely unite us,” Minnick said.
The boys tennis team usually comes to practices sporting tennis polos and athletic shorts. They wear hats and of course hold tennis rackets. But, like the other sports, they too have a fashion tradition. “The day before the state tournament, we’ll all dress up kind of formal,” Miles Johnston (11), a member of the boys tennis team, said. Johnston and the other members of the team also like to see peers realize everyone wearing formal clothes to school are connected. “It’s always funny to see other people’s reactions and see them piece it together throughout the day,” Johnston said. The team appreciated these traditions and hopes to continue them. “It’s a good tradition to do and it’s always fun hanging out with our team,” Johnston said.
