Mitty Athletics: How we got to Today

After months of cancellations, delays, and disappointment, Mitty athletes have returned to campus hoping to fill the void left by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 12, the Mitty Women’s Basketball team was informed that their season was finished, and their quest at a state championship was cut short just days before their matchup with La Jolla Country Day due to concerns over the rise of COVID-19. This was our first glimpse into the unexpected future, and as much as we didn’t want to admit it, nothing could save our sports. 

On April 3 the California Interscholastic Federation announced that the remainder of each spring sport season was officially cancelled.  Fields, courts and pools were tidied up one last time, equipment was packed and stored away for good, and teammates said their final goodbyes. In the span of a little less than a month, Mitty sports were slowly wiped out, and when it was all said and done, we were left with nothing. Athletes were thrust into the offseason, and with the lasting thought of what could have been still on their minds, were forced to look ahead to a year even more unpredictable than the last. It has been the toughest, longest offseason Mitty has ever witnessed, and while it’s not over yet, the Mitty sports you know and love are ramping up again. 

Our athletes are back on campus for one hour training sessions a week and are preparing for their quickly approaching seasons, and Athletic Director Brian Eagleson couldn’t be more excited. Asked about how it feels to see the athletes back on campus, Mr. Eagleson said, “It has been such a quiet campus these past months, to see our student-athletes back, our coaches back, and to hear the laughter and noise back on the fields again is just awesome.”

The athletes are back on campus, prepping for a schedule that will look different this year, as sports have been pushed back slightly and will be played in two seasons instead of the usual three. The first season of Monarch athletics begins on December 14, so mark your calendars and unearth those Pit T-shirts because starting that day, we should finally get our Mitty sports back.

This season is headlined by the return of the football team led by new Head Coach Danny Sullivan as well as both Men’s and Women’s Volleyball. Following that, we will be given an even larger second season with some teams starting up on February 22 of next year, and the remaining teams starting up on March 15.  So, more than a full year after their quest for a state title was shut down, the Women’s Basketball team will be able to rekindle that quest. After the longest offseason Mitty has ever witnessed, it feels good to say: Mitty sports are back.