After spending months away from school, many students were excited at the prospect of journeying back to campus. However, with COVID-19 protocols requiring all students to remain on campus upon their return to Lakeville, some athletes had to make the tough decision to sacrifice their on-campus experience to continue their commitment to sports. 

As the start of school grew closer, class deans received requests from athletes and their parents to participate in various showcases and tournaments. The school informed all students that if they chose to participate in tournaments during the required two-week quarantine period, they would have to learn remotely for the entire fall semester. This prompted student-athletes to face a new reality: to return or not to return. 

Many students arrived at different decisions. Carlos Martinez ’22, who ultimately decided to stay home to play baseball, said, “I absolutely love being at Hotchkiss, in that environment, and I was originally planning on going back until three days before. Whether it’s the people that I play sports with, or people that I have class with, the teachers, the faculty – I love the people. It was a choice I had to seriously contemplate for a while.”

For some athletes, one of the most important factors in their decision to stay home was the ability to play on a local team to gain exposure for college recruitment. Playing at recruiting showcases and tournaments is imperative for student-athletes looking forward to playing at the collegiate level. After already having a setback while recovering from a broken foot, COVID-19 amplified the challenge of Martinez’ recruitment. Martinez said, “I definitely understand the safety policies and why Hotchkiss is doing what it is doing. I felt like it was in my best interest to stay home for the first semester, especially given…the 2020 WWBA Underclass World Championship in October.”

Even though some athletes aren’t on campus, they are still an active part of the community. Dean of Community of Life, Mr. McKibben said, “For most families this was a hard decision made more difficult by having to sift through a variety of conflicting advice from travel teams and collegiate coaches; however, all of our remote learners are fully enrolled members of our Hotchkiss community and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back to campus next semester.”