Winter Sports Season: Bring the Heat, Support Our Teams!

As the air grows colder, things are heating up on our school’s courts, mats, and tracks! The winter sports season is here, and it’s going to be a good one. With basketball, step team performances, wrestling matches, indoor track meets, and more, it’s important to show school spirit and gather together and cheer on our passionate student-athletes. Players and coaches commit so much effort into not only their sports, but their academics as well, and they deserve being celebrated as they continue to make our school proud.

Basketball: Taking Control of the Court

Both our boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are ready to compete and get some wins. With returning star players and exciting new talent from our underclassmen, the gym is bound to be filled with fire and intensity. Expect strong competition, buzzer-beaters, and high-energy games that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Give them a shot and don’t miss their opening home game next week.

Step Team: Setting the Rhythm

Our step team is back and better than ever, ready to showcase their incredible precision, rhythm, and creativity. The step team works hard and that is seen through their dedication and passion. Their participation during halftime of basketball games and pep rallies are guaranteed to leave you wanting to watch more. This year’s choreography is rumored to include new routines, impeccable song choices, and exciting moves!

Wrestling: Strength and Mindset 

Wrestling season is here, and our wrestlers are looking to hit the mats and pin down some wins. With intense training that many could not handle, and a lineup of experienced competitors, our team is looking stronger than ever. Matches will be filled with excitement so come out and support them as they take on rival schools in the district!

Winter Track: Speed and Strength

Our indoor track team is hitting the ground running—literally! From sprints to long-distance events, hurdles to relays, these athletes are ready to break personal records and make school history. Their first meet is just around the corner, and their hard work is not something that is being overlooked!

Why You Should Show Up and Support the Scotties 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being supported by classmates and family as they watch you do the thing you’ve spent hours pouring your heart into. By attending games, meets, and performances, you’re not just showing members of the team that you care, but you’re building a sense of community that makes our school special. Plus, these events are a great way to spend time with friends, take a break from the stress of schoolwork, and be part of a community that supports each other!

Let’s fill the stands, the bleachers, and the sidelines this season. Bring your loudest cheers, participate in themes, and show our teams that we are here for them, win or lose. This winter sports season will be one to remember and that starts with the support from the Bordentown community!

Upcoming Events

•   Girls Basketball: Home Holiday Tournament, December 27 @ 10:00 a.m.

• Wrestling: Home season opener, January 14 @ 6:00 p.m.

• Indoor Track: First meet December 17, Bennett Indoor Complex @ 5:00 p.m.

Let’s go, Bordentown! It’s time to bring the heat!

As Bordentown enters another year equipped with an official girls wrestling team, important conversations arise about the extent of equality on and off the mat. Title IX, a commonly known movement that funds equity in schools ideally facilitates equal opportunities for student athletes of all genders. How true is this statement at Bordentown Regional High School? Our girls sports team is decked with numerous titles, awards, and recognitions. (specifics)Yet, behind all of these acknowledgements lies the individual athletes who worked towards them. The girls wrestling team at BRHS is an ideal example of a newly formed, anti-stereotypical sports team. After speaking with several members and staff of the team, it was clear they had tremendous skill, passion, and gratitude for the inclusive environment they contributed to and were encouraged to upkeep. 

In appreciating the team’s efforts to uphold inclusivity, it is important to recognize the effort put in behind the curtain. The team is coached by high school history teacher James Gill, who has been in the game for 7 years. Gill explains how the team is constantly growing each year, as the amount of girls on the team gradually increases. He applauds the advancement not only in growth, but also in fair opportunities, stating “every aspect has been improved over these years. Today, girls have the option to wrestle with boys, there are separate rosters, the state has fully sanctioned girls wrestling as a sport, and weight classes were just recently modified.” 

Many of the female members also expressed their enjoyment of the sport, but how (if at all) is this enjoyment stunted by embedded gender inequalities? In other words, how do the athletes feel to be a female wrestler in an environment typically dominated by the opposite gender? To quote Sofia Klama, “I could probably name a lot of struggles I have faced being in such a male dominated sport as a female, but I feel as though talking about those struggles would be rude considering I could not feel more welcomed.” Klama continues to emphasize her support from teammates and staff, explaining “There’s not one person who I have met who hasn’t appreciated the fact that I step onto the mat every day. Whether I win or lose, every one of my teammates, boys or girls, have made it a point to show their respect, and I feel as though that is all I can ask for.” Klama not only speaks for a majority of the girls’ experience and opinions, but also highlights BRHS’ respectable inclusivity regarding the wrestling team. Sarah Santoro, a junior on the team, explains that if there was any form of unfairness, it would not stem from the school’s staff, as they try their hardest to prevent this. She explains, “Everyday, we practice as a team; there's never a time where we were separated or doing different workouts as the guys. I think it's expected for us to work as hard as we can, but the coaches and guys know it's going to take longer for us to perfect or understand the moves and drills.” Sarah goes on to explain the difference between the athletic abilities of a male and female, and how while some girls might struggle to do some of the workouts the guys do, it’s also true that sometimes the girls are at an advantage. She states “Girls are more flexible, which makes some moves a guy would perform on another guy harder to pull off on a girl. The coaches are learning how to make us better wrestlers by learning our own difficulties.” These girls accurately represent the team’s efforts to perform in a male dominated sport, and how easy it was for girls joining the team to find comfort. Jessica Bassion, a newcomer on the team, says “The main thing I struggled with at first was knowing that many of the guys around me had much more experience and long-term goals for themselves.” Even though Bassion felt that her inexperience would make her an outlier, especially regarding the guys on the team, she goes on to say that she felt the complete opposite; “No matter what level of experience was in the room, boys or girls, I felt the utmost amount of support and inclusion. We’re all in the same room, working towards our own goals, and supporting each other throughout the process.” 

Despite the fortunate progression towards equality in such a sport, some might argue that there is still stigma that may emerge in regards to being successful and winning awards on the mat as a female. These unrooted biases are not necessarily evident at Bordentown Regional, as much as they might be found nationally. However, this raises the question of how girls on Bordentown’s wrestling team handle the possibility of lower expectations to actually win, earn awards, or even participate, as opposed to a male. Klama explains, “I definitely saw that last year in some ways, and sometimes in the real world I still see that lower expectation. However, I will give credit where it’s due and can say that this year I have not felt any lower expectations from the coaching staff or teammates. People who are not in that gym everyday may not see the work that gets put in from everyone, but there is not one drill or warm up that the girls do not do with the guys.” From Klama’s words, it is clear that no matter what kind of pressure the girls may feel, the important idea is that the same amount of work was put in, and that is what makes this team strong. Caitlyn Tyler, another first-year member, explains “I love that when the girls are wrestling you can hear all of the guys on the sidelines cheering and clapping for us before a match. It goes to show that we are all one team and all working towards the same goal, to be better in a sport that we all like.” 

Bordentown’s wrestling team is a prestigious example of a promising devotion to equality and sportsmanship that is seen from both the members and the coach. After speaking to only a few participants, it is clear and evident that their hard work, dedication, to their sport, and support for each other is an inspiration that contributes to their success. To answer the question previously raised, Title IX was able to efficiently provide these athletes with opportunities, but their ability to seize these opportunities and overcome the gender stereotype is the true achievement. It seems as though if the mat does not catch these athletes when they fall, their teammates will.