Sports Jamboree

Pizza and cookies, anyone? How about Escape from New York pizza, Anthony’s Cookies, sports games, and old friends? These are the promises Synergy makes to alumni and parents to lure them to school for the annual sports jamboree.

Alumni were in for an extra treat this year—it was the first time many of them were able to see our new multi-sport court! Middle School P.E. teacher Melvin organized basketball and volleyball games to showcase the much-improved hard yard, which now holds a full size court and allows the school to host competitive games. Thanks to the fundraising efforts by students, staff, and parents for the fund-a-need in 2015, Synergy now can host basketball, futsal, and volleyball games on a home court. Go Wolves!

“The whole thing was so much fun,” said Makai, a fourth grade student at Synergy, of the event, “The food was really good, too.” From the mixed Varsity and JV girls’ game to the Future All-Stars match, Synergy’s sports jamboree builds and strengthens community from start to finish. In the girls JV/Varsity game, the players were split into mixed teams, which gave them a chance to learn from each other and practice teamwork. This valuable experience will help the JV players in their transition to being the school’s varsity leaders next year.

In the Future All-Stars game, fourth and fifth graders were encouraged to step out onto the court as players instead of cheering on the sidelines. Eighth grade Varsity players Zion and Liam coached the team, guiding the younger players with thoughtfulness and encouragement. Fourth grader Sanders enjoyed playing and said, “The Future All-Stars game was awesome. We usually play mini games on the half court, so getting to play a full court game was really special.” It was heartwarming and inspiring to watch Zion and Liam practice excellent coaching with Synergy’s up and coming athletes.

The most highly anticipated game of the evening, the Alumni/Staff/Parents vs. Varsity Students game, was a real nail biter! Despite the height advantage favoring the alumni/staff/parents, both teams fought to the bitter end and the game ended in a tie. The parent/staff/alumni-led squad eventually won the game in overtime on a spectacular shot at the buzzer!

Before everyone packed up and said their goodbyes, Melvin honored community members that have dedicated a lot of time and energy to Synergy’s sports programs. Parent Julie Kessler received a team-player award for helping facilitate sports team communications, while seventh grade students Ozzie and Jacqueline were honored for having participated in the most sports this year—together, they played on Synergy’s basketball, volleyball, track, cross-country, and futsal teams! Of course, the event was only complete thanks to Suzanne Esser and Anthony Lucas of Escape from New York Pizza and Anthony’s Cookies, whose generous donations kept attendees happy and energized the entire afternoon. Thank you to all of the Synergy community who came out to make this event a huge success!