As the sun starts to set a little earlier and the weather starts to get a little chillier, it can only mean one thing for GA athletes: fall sports season. The football season began on Aug. 15, while all other fall sports started on Aug. 22.
Athletic Director Tim Ginter says he loves “everything about the fall season…There is just something different about August and September that doesn’t exist during the winter and spring seasons.” Ginter also mentions how the build-up to GA/PC Day in November also provides some of this early-season energy among all the teams.
The Girls Cross Country team welcomes Diane Neubauer as their new coach for the 2022 season. Neubauer’s goals for this season are to “develop each athlete and to help them reach their potential and goals.”
She is a “firm believer in the importance of a coach teaching mental resilience to not only be successful in running, but in life.” Neubauer can’t wait to start the season and looks forward to multiple home meets to “support the GA community!”
Boys Soccer coach Kurt Wetzel is excited for his team to return to the field after a very successful season last year. The team won the Inter-Ac title and placed second at the PAISAA state championships after several memorable games. He says, “GA will be seen as a big game on everyone’s schedule because everyone likes to defeat the defending champion.”
Wetzel emphasizes the importance of hard work and how it was the key to such a “tremendous season last year.” Wetzel says, “If we continue to play one game at a time and play our best in each match, that is all I can ask for as a coach.”
Without the class of 2022, he says, “It will be imperative that the returning players step up and take on the added responsibility not only of scoring/creating goals, but possibly playing out of position for the betterment of the team. It will also be important that any students coming up from junior varsity be ready and willing to work hard.” Wetzel hopes to have big crowds at games again this year, because it “creates a great environment for the team to play in.”
The girls’ volleyball team is off to a great start this year, with preseason kicking off on August 22. Head Coach Chuck Dougherty is optimistic about the season, saying, “We have such a good returning group from last year…I think this is the best team we’ve had in a long time.” Dougherty’s goal for the season is “winning the Inter-Ac,” and he plans to achieve this by “coach[ing] this team like a college team. I want us to run an offense similar to a college-level team.”
Doughtery emphasizes his excitement about the growth of GA’s volleyball program, with more than forty players at tryouts this year and twenty-one girls playing club volleyball outside of school. Dougherty explains, “The culture of the program is to play volleyball more often than just coming in September and playing. I think that’s the biggest growth.” With conference games now beginning, GA Volleyball is ready to continue playing hard this season.
Last year the football team finished 5-4 under the leadership of Coach Matthew Dence. Dence is excited to bring back two All-InterAc players – Evan Spivey and Tristan Machado, who are both “really taking a step up in leadership.” He also is excited to see other seniors like Colin Pugh, CJ Kearney, and Aidan Donahue play.
The team’s mantra this year is “being present and being in the moment.” Dence expanded on this as meaning the team is “on time, engaged, enjoying it,” which is important because “you can’t do anything unless you are totally there and immersed in it.”
This theme is also linked to his aphorism, “Win the day.” Dence wants to make sure his team focuses on the present and “doesn’t worry about tomorrow.”
Girls’ and boys’ Water Polo Coach Mike Koziol says he is “looking forward to working with such a driven and passionate team” this year. After a great season last year, Koziol’s goal for the boys’ team this year is “to leave practice better people and student-athletes at the end of the day than we were at the start of it.”
Koziol says this year the girls’ team’s “atmosphere is incredible, and the girls are all incredibly motivated while also having fun.” After also having a great season last year with several returning players, Koziol’s goal for the girls’ team this year is “to continue learning each day while maintaining a positive environment. We want to be at our best for our Inter-Ac opponents, the Eastern Prep Tournament, and GA-PC day.”
While the Covid-19 pandemic has provided the past two fall sports seasons with several obstacles, this year’s season will finally have a sense of normalcy. Ginter says, “This will be my first year as athletic director that I don’t have to worry about masks, state/local restrictions, or policy changes in the school.”
From field hockey and water polo, to cross country, golf, and tennis, and everything in between, GA sports is looking forward to a bright autumn. Whether you’re an athlete getting ready to tie up your cleats, a spectator getting ready to cheer on your friends, or a coach ready to lead another great season, get ready GA, and let the games begin!