After the Garland residents finish spending the two-week quarantine playing golf on the seventh fairway, they could find themselves on the athletic field, exploring the school’s trails, or participating in the Math Team as their fall season co-curricular. 

The 2020-2021 school year has arrived with many changes, and the fall co-curricular program is also affected by COVID-19 restrictions. Students can choose from 36 interscholastic teams, intramural activities, outdoor programs, and alternative team options this fall, more than ever before.

For example, the new Expeditionary Leadership program is looking to get outdoors and improve students’ wilderness skills through a variety of activities, including trail-running, rock-climbing, hiking, and expedition-training in all weather conditions. Jack Johnson ’22, head of the Outing Club, said, “I’m excited to spend more time engaging with Hotchkiss’ natural environment in such a unique way. Spending time outside will reduce infection risk among groups, so I’m also excited for the chance to socialize and meet new people.”

Co-curriculars are one of the first ways students will be able to engage with the campus outside of classes and dorms. New student Sada Schumann ’22 said, “I’m looking forward to just getting outside and getting to know the area. It looks like there’s a lot of rich nature here, and exploring it [through Expeditionary Leadership] will be beneficial for my mental and physical well-being, especially [now that] we’re inside so often.”

Students can also look forward to the return of some off-season sports with a new slate of club and varsity options, including golf, rowing, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, Engineering/EFX, and Sports Media. Scout McKibben ’22, a member of Club Ultimate, said, “I started playing ultimate Frisbee casually outside Buehler last year and had really looked forward to playing last spring. When I saw Club Ultimate would be offered this fall, I thought it would be a great opportunity.”

In addition to providing new offerings, Athletics Directors Ms. Robin Chandler ’87 and Mr. Danny Smith, have adjusted the weekly schedule to accommodate the updated school calendar and inability to travel for games with other schools’ teams. Co-curriculars held both indoors and outdoors will start at staggered times to accommodate a modified capacity limit, with practices lasting anywhere from one hour to one hour and 45 minutes. Winter and spring varsity practices will be held on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from 2-6 p.m. Students who are not varsity athletes in the winter or spring seasons will have those afternoons free.

The new co-curricular additions provide students with a wide breadth of activities to keep them active and motivated during the transition back to school. Co-curricular activities will begin on September 17.