With a student population of barely over 300 students, Haldane is on the smaller side of public high schools, fostering a tight-knit community that encourages student engagement. One of the most common forms of extracurricular involvement is the athletic program, with the majority of high school students participating in at least one of 19 sports, either at the junior varsity (JV) or varsity level. Through their high participation rate, Haldane has garnered a reputation for athletic quality and consistently fields highly competitive teams. The school has won several state championships, most recently the boys varsity soccer team in 2022. Although the school’s size poses funding and scheduling challenges, the small student body largely benefits the school’s athletic program and community.
Haldane’s small student body does not come without its athletic disadvantages. Athletic success tends to vary from year to year, as the talent in each grade is inconsistent. In contrast, larger schools have more players to choose from and thus, less variation in athletic quality. Additionally, since tryouts are not as competitive as in bigger schools, students are often not forced to fully dedicate themselves to one sport. While this gives students the opportunity to play multiple sports, players may be too occupied with other sports to practice much during the off-season. Limited funding among small schools also makes it difficult for the school to raise money for athletic resources. Haldane recently installed lights on the tennis courts, but the field still lacks overhead lighting, leaving the homecoming football game illuminated by rented lights. While large schools often have stadiums, lights, and often multiple fields, competition for field and court space, as well as limited daylight, often provide obstacles in teams’ practice schedules.
The tight-knit nature of the school community increases athletic participation, as students feel less intimidated to try out for a sport than at a large school, where hundreds of athletes compete for a handful of spots. At Haldane, cuts are few, and most athletes are already friends heading into the season, cultivating a largely positive team culture. Freshman softball player Allegra Clementson spoke to the relationships built on Haldane teams: “[Playing sports at a small school] allows for really close relationships between players, especially between JV and varsity.” Additionally, many players have been practicing their craft together since elementary school, building team chemistry even before high school. JV basketball and soccer coach Daniel Rotando, who also coaches young athletes in the area, spoke to the unique benefits of coaching at a small school: “I’m able to be directly involved in the community, developing soccer and basketball athletes from a pretty young age…This kind of outreach fosters really great relationships with the athletes and their families.” The strong relationships built both between athletes and with coaches drive the school’s athletics program, motivating participation and building team chemistry.
Unlike many larger schools, Haldane students can compete on merger teams, which are in conjunction with other schools. The school does not have the resources or student interest to field certain sports, so Haldane student athletes instead play on teams combining players from multiple schools. These exclusively winter sports are swimming and hockey. The teams combine players from Haldane, Hendrick Hudson, Lakeland, and Walter Panas High Schools. These merger teams provide a unique opportunity for students to build bonds between schools and get involved in sports that their schools would not otherwise offer. Junior Kiyoshi Tomizawa, who plays hockey, stated, “I’ve made a lot of friends from some bigger schools that I would’ve never met if it weren’t for this merger. I’m more connected to the schools in the area now just by talking to teammates about everyday stuff.” This unique opportunity allows students to broaden their athletic involvement and connect with school communities outside their own.
Ultimately, although there are limitations to playing sports in a small school, the close bond between the players and coaches, as well as the unique opportunity of merger teams, allows Haldane students to connect with their community and form strong relationships. As Rotando described, Haldane athletics provides “a special enriching experience with a myriad of life lessons and fond memories.”
