Spartan athletes look forward to tryouts for the winter sports season

BY MCKENNA NANARTOWICH, STAFF WRITER

On Monday, Nov. 21, the winter season officially kicks off. More than 200 student-athletes will be attending tryouts and practices for Sanford’s winter sports including cheering, basketball, swim, wrestling, and the newly established indoor track team.

According to the SHS Student Handbook, “Athletics at Sanford High School are open to all students who meet and maintain the standards of academic eligibility, are good school citizens and meet basic physical health qualifications.” Specifics regarding eligibility for grades and class enrollment can be found on page 12 of the handbook.

All athletes must be registered on Family ID, per Athletic Director Zach Lemelin. The platform is used to track and monitor all of the student’s insurance information and health information to make sure they are physically fit and able to play sports. Student-athletes need to sign up for family ID to ensure the student has insurance for them to be cleared by the athletic trainers to practice and play. The link to access family ID can be located on the Sanford High School’s athletic website.

Any student interested or wanting to play a sport will had the opportunity to attend a team information meeting for all necessary dates, details, and requirements, which were posted in daily email announcements, through signage throughout the school, as well as social media.

At tryouts, coaches will evaluate based on skills and abilities to put them on a varsity or junior varsity team. For boys basketball there is also a freshman team.

Practices for the sports will happen after school in specific locations. Basketball will take place in the gym, track will be in the school’s halls and gymnasium, swimming will take place at the Sanford/Springvale YMCA, wrestling in the wrestling room and cheerleading in the practice gym. 

“I would tell anyone coming out for a winter sport to be invested and all into the sport they are playing,” said Lemelin. “You only get a short time to be a high school athlete so enjoy every moment.”

Good luck to all athletes as they embark on the new season!