A school year with COVID compromises: Why is the Redwood gym closed?

By Donya Hassanshahi

There is no question when confronting the thought of whether or not this school year has been difficult; needless to say, the challenge is definitely there.

Not only are students’ classroom learning altered, the interference in teaching has taken a toll on what can and cannot be done when teaching students this school year. As for extra-circular activities, like sports, the pandemic isn’t the only factor into permitting those who desire to participate in certain interests.

Without an appropriate gym, there is not a place for athletics, teachers, coaches, leadership, and other attending students to hold typical events. Quite frankly, the gym is not allowed to be entered without a mask, much less the performance of physicals activity or other occasions.

Mr. Michael Wright, the Athletics Director of Redwood High School, expressed his knowledge of the Ranger gym and the current challenges being faced and resolved by the school community.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the ventilation system in the gymnasium is not meeting the requirements needed to be able to have a large quantity of students or faculty members inside the facility.

Tackling this obstacle in the school community has many aspects. While the gym is being redone, how is the physical education department handling this? Where are athletes practicing? How are student athletes and coaches dealing with this detour in their season?

For instance, last season’s volleyball players didn’t have the opportunity to host their season in the Ranger gymnasium. Instead, Ridgeview Middle School welcomingly allowed Redwood’s volleyball teams to fulfill their 2021 season in their gym. In winter, basketball players will undergo the same.

Wright believes these challenges are being overcome, in regards to sports seasons, by simply being, “grateful for the opportunity to play” and compete to the best ability.

He adds, “Our athletes are really overcoming so many challenges that most don’t even know of.” Some of these obstacles that face athletes include practicing off campus with masks and the required testing weekly.

With the unpredictability during this time, Wright expresses how cooperative parents and athletes have been, stating, “Our athletes just do whatever is required of them and make the most of it. I really do not hear our athletes or parents really complain, rather they just do whatever they have to to play or see their kids play.”

Though athletes, specifically, are being affected more so than others, the entire school and Redwood community has been affected in some extent.

“We do not have our own gym and it has made things tough,” conveys Wright. He continues by correlating other student-lead programs, like the Ranger student body ASB, which is unable to host events similar to a typical school year. Instead, the student body must accommodate to the regulations that have come with returning on campus.

Even with the COVID restrictions, Wright mentions that he is happy that Redwood athletes are able to compete this year. “I have been so impressed with our athletes and fans in the way they have competed and supported our teams,” he says.

Wright commends, not only the football players for their season, but the fans who supported their fellow classmates and athletic representatives, “The student section at football games was amazing and really made for an atmosphere that cannot be matched by anyone.”

He highlights what a pleasure it is to be the Athletic Director at Redwood High School. He emphasizes, “I am in awe of our student body, athletes, parents and coaches. The dedication and commitment to making Redwood athletics the best it can be is awesome.” Wright looks forward to future athletic competitions and the success of the remaining winter and spring seasons.

ASB Spirit Coordinator, Savannah Torres, ’23 expresses the challenges she’s had to face throughout this school year in terms of events like rallies and sporting games, “The gym was extremely crucial for a large amount of our ASB events like rallies, gifts of giving, and so much more.”

Torres also emphasizes the toll that the closed gym has had on PE classes and all sporting events. From an economic standpoint, she adds, “Not having the gym for Cowhide costed us a few thousand dollars more to have a rally outdoors this year.”

In the future, she hopes to go back to traditionally-hosted school events inside the Redwood gymnasium, although she has also learned some positives from the obstacles faced.

With Ridgeview Middle School being the established “home gym” for the 2021-2022 school year, she feels like designing the layout for sporting events is incredibly exciting, as Torres previously attended Ridgeview during her middle school educational career.

Adjusting to the normal is a difficulty, though Torres is handling it with leadership and newfound strategies, “As Spirit Coordinator, it’s slightly more difficult to be able to adjust to new measurements and new gym to decorate, but at the same time it is extremely exciting to try new things.”

Activities Director, Mrs. Hailey Aston, continues the thought of how ASB had to accommodate to the restrictions and challenges they faced, as Torres expressed earlier.

Aston states, “It changes a lot. For us, as far as rallies go, we’ve had to make changes. We’ve had to do Homecoming outside during school. Cowhide had to be outside after school.”

Regarding sports, Aston expresses the obstacles she’s had to face when preparing for sporting events this school year, “It’s hard for things like volleyball and basketball, who play all their home games here [Redwood], where we come and make signs and we try to get a crowd out there. Now, it’s hard because it’s all the way across town at Ridgeview.”

Though there have been challenges, Aston and the ASB crew have learned and taken their newfound knowledge into account. “It’s always a challenge to try something new, but it’s an opportunity to find a new way to do something,” she emphasizes.

For instance, Aston talks in regards to Cowhide, ’21 taking place outside at night. “We think it was really cool, it looked great, it was a good space for the performers, and the screen and everything was really nice,” even if she and ASB may be unsure about whether the Cowhide rally will take place outside in the future.

This school year without the gym has brought inconvenience to everyone. Aston describes the inaccessibility of the gym as “disappointing.”

She adds, “I wish we had the gym because we love doing things in the gym and getting everybody in there altogether at once.” Aston takes into consideration the younger classmen, freshmen and sophomores, who haven’t gotten the chance to fully experience the Ranger gym.

Even with the obstacle she has had to tackle as Activities Director, while simultaneously dealing with finding normality within this school year, Aston is grateful to be hosting rallies and being capable of going to sporting events. “I’m grateful for that, I just wish we could get back to normal. I think everybody does.”

As for her students, Aston speaks highly of the way they are handling this school year and accommodating for the challenges that cross their paths, “I’ve been really impressed with their ability to compromise and take their ideas and move them to new places. It’s been great to see them collaborate together to make those changes.”

Mr. David Watts, head of the physical education department, Integrated Core PE 1 teacher, head JV football coach, and head boys varsity wrestling coach, has had to attune to challenges regarding the unavailability of the school gymnasium.

In his PE classes, Watts expresses the interference of having the gym closed with the PE curriculum. During an ordinary school year, such activities like basketball, volleyball, and badminton would be played in the gym.

“The gym being closed forces us, PE teachers, to find alternative places to go when we have weather that is not suitable for PE class [rain, excessive heat, bad air quality],” adds Watts.

Relating to weather interferences during a typical school day, PE teachers have had to learn how to accustom to using other school resources, like the cafeteria.

Considering the students and athletes perspectives, Watts states, “I think they all understand that we have to be flexible and that the outcome will be a gym that is more functional and not looking like something out of the 80’s.”

As head the physical education department, and being a PE teacher himself, “being tolerant of the process and knowing that the outcome will be something we can be proud of here at Redwood,” Watts expresses what he has learned in correlation to the inconveniences experienced throughout this school year.

When the gym is finally reopened, he is looking forward to the instillation of the air conditioning after this long wait. Adding to this, Watts emphasizes, “I hope that everyone understands that we sometimes have to be inconvenienced to get what we want.”

Pedro Mendez, ’23 is a part of the Ranger wrestling team for the 2021-2022 school year. As practices are either held in the dance or wrestling room, Mendez feels that this year is different because his teammates, and himself, are able to have an actual season, unlike the previous year.

The gym being closed is not much of a concern to Mendez, as he continues with his excitement of competing for the first time after two years. During this wrestling season, he looks forward to meeting new teammates and wrestling alongside them.

Another teammate of Mendez, Eddie Cortez, ’23 addresses his teammates and himself in a positive notion. “I feel my teammates and I are going to be awesome this season no matter if the restrictions are going to push us off the track,” Cortez states.

The main difference Cortez mentioned was being required to be COVID tested weekly. Despite this, he looks forward to see his improvement throughout the season while the restrictions are set.

As basketball season is already fired up, girls frosh coach, Katelyn Lopez, encourages Redwood students to support their fellow peers, “We hope to see you all out at Ridgeview to catch a couple games this season, getting loud and cheering on your fellow Rangers.”

Considering the previous year of little-to-none official sport seasons, Lopez is pleased with having the accessibility of the Ridgeview gym in hand. “I’m truly just excited that we’re getting the opportunity to play against other schools and continue growing our program. It was hard last year not getting to have a true season, so I’m just really excited for the kids to get this opportunity,” she emphasizes.

The absence of last year’s season has implemented excitement of athletic beginnings for this season. With the return, Lopez has noticed the girls happy to be back in Redwood uniforms and play official games.

Considering the past year that the Redwood community, and everyone, has experienced, it’s definite to state that things have to be worked on.

Lopez adds, “There’s some rust to knock off, some kids haven’t had an opportunity to play a competitive game in over two years, they also haven’t had to manage their time as much, so they’re having to figure that out and find the balance, but it’s coming along nicely and I’m excited to see our progression.”

Ridgeview campus has been a great compromise to hosting basketball practices, as the Redwood gym is still undergoing changes.

With this year’s practices at Ridgeview, Lopez adds, “I’m just grateful that we’re getting the opportunity to practice indoors and play competitively. Ridgeview is a very nice campus so it’s a great alternative while we’re unable to use our gym at Redwood.”

Despite the alternatives, Redwood’s gym being closed has had its course of obstacles. Lopez expresses the challenges of having practices at Ridgeview this season, “I think the biggest challenge is the players getting over here to Ridgeview. In previous years, some players would just wait at Redwood after school until their practice if they had problems with transportation, now they’re trying to get over to the other side of town when parents are still at work.”

Taking the start of the season into review, she adds, “We’re still early in the season though, and I’m sure that hiccup will work itself out.”

Libby Thompson, ’25 member of the frosh basketball team, implemented her view on Redwood’s gym being closed and her experience as a freshman athlete. “Practice gets delayed or set at different times since our coaches can only book the gym at certain times. It’s challenging because it messes with my personal schedule,” she remarks.

Thompson is beyond excited for this season and her involvement with the team and games, “I hope students come watch the varsity, JV [junior varsity], and frosh girls play at Ridgeview.”

In preparation for the next school year, Redwood’s school gymnasium will be completed, hopefully, by August. Though, “that may be optimistic with everything that needs to be done,” adds Athletics Director Wright.

Without a doubt, the wait will be worth it, assures Wright, as they continue to pursue the project. “It will be a home to be proud of for our athletic teams.”

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