When it’s impossible for the community to rally around the school year successes of the superintendent and the school board, they can turn to the one area of American life where despite wars, terrorist attacks, pandemics, and political and social upheaval, Americans have found reason to cheer and celebrate success.  Sports.

As this school year comes to a close, let’s celebrate the successes of the young boys and girls who participated in Hartford Public Schools athletic programs.

However, it wouldn’t be balanced reporting if we first did not take notice of the failure of HPS in attracting more students to become engaged in their school’s athletic programs.

According to a 2019 study quoted by EducationWeek magazine, 57% of U.S.A high school students played on at least one school or community sports team in 2019.  This school year, 43% of HPS high school students participated in a school athletic program, which includes cheerleading and eSports programs.  Of the entire HPS student body, only 21% of students took part in a school athletic program.

During a recent Board of Education Teaching & Learning Committee meeting, where HPS Assistant Athletic Director Heidi Schmidt gave a “Year in Review” of HPS athletics, there was also a presentation by HPS Director of Art and Wellness, Tracy Avicolli, on the successful and important health and fitness programs ongoing at HPS.  However, no connection was made between the two presentations or programs, and HPS’ lagging behind national norms of student athletic participation was not even mentioned as a “we’ve got to do better” challenge.

Despite a district in distress, HPS produced students this year who became contenders, champions, and award winners in eleven different athletic programs.

In high school football, the SMSA Co-op team (SMSA, Bulkeley, Classical Magnet, HMTCA, and University High) rolled to a 10-0 regular season record with SMSA’s Daniel Hernandez receiving a Walter Camp All-Connecticut Football Team Award and being nominated as a Gatorade Player of the Year.  The Hartford High Owls also won a state tournament seeding. 

Thirteen HPS high school football players were named All League and 3 players were named All State; Daniel Hernandez (SMSA), Tamir Gamble (SMSA), and Elijah Perry (HPHS).   Tomal Tillman (SMSA) was awarded the Teddy Netcoh Award while his coach, Kevin Quinn, received the Pequot Coach of the Year Award.

HPS has 13 co-ed flag football teams throughout the district, and MLK Middle School Tigers won the Middle School Championship this year.

HPS has twenty-four soccer teams in the district, including 7 boys high school teams, 8 girls high school teams, and 9 middle school teams.  These teams produced 6 state tournament appearances and 3 league championship appearances. 

Merdan Kuljancic (HMTCA) and Jerson Battalanos (Bulkeley South) were named to the CT All State Boys Team, while McKenzie Simpson (HMTCA) received an All State Girls Team selection.  Sixteen HPS soccer players were named All League while one student received a Class S Outstanding Sportsmanship Award and another a CIAC Sportsmanship Award.

The MLK Tigers won their 2nd team championship this year as their soccer team won the Middle School tournament held under the lights at the Hartford Athletics field.

HPS has 14 cross country teams across the district.  This year, these teams produced a state tournament appearance and a state championship appearance and 7 players across the district were named All League.

There are 27 boys and girls volleyball teams across the district which combined for 6 state tournament appearances, 2 championship appearances, and produced 8 All League players and one All State player, Abby Lee, of SMSA.

HPS has 41 basketball teams across the district.  This year, these teams accounted for 6 state tournament appearances 5 championship appearances with SMSA winning their 3rd straight championship.  MLK and Milner Middle both earned invitations to the State Middle School Championships with the finals being held at the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield.

King Shaw and Kemani Thompson of SMSA were named All State boys basketball, while 9 players in the district were named All League.  Two students from Classical Magnet joined the “1,000 Point Club.”

Of the 8 boys high school baseball teams at HPS, HMTCA and SMSA qualified for the state tournament but were eliminated in the first round by Old Lyme and Lyman Memorial respectively.

Three of 8 HPS girls softball teams qualified for the state tournament this year, with University High School knocking out fellow district contender HMTCA in the first round, while Weaver High School was eliminated by Sacred Heart Academy.  The University team was then upset by the Plainfield team in the second round.

HPS also has 2 middle school baseball teams and 3 middle school softball teams.

HPS has 28 different track and field squads split between indoor, outdoor, and co-ed teams.  This year these teams earned 2 state tournament appearances, 2 championship appearances and 7 district players were named All League while 3 schools have athletes who will be competing in the Nationals competition being held this week in Pennsylvania.

HPS has 4 swim teams, a girls team, 2 boys teams, and a middle school team.  Combined, they earned 2 state tournament appearances, 2 championship appearances, and 7 players were said to swim like fish, so they were named All League.

Cheering for HPS’ basketball and football teams are 9 cheerleading squads across the district.  Sadly, it does not appear that any of HPS’ cheerleading teams entered this year’s state cheerleading competition at New Haven in March.

And of course, then there are the eSport athletes.  A team from University High won a state championship earlier this year.  This was the only team existing in HPS at the start of the year, however, for next school year the field will be expanded to, according to Assistant Director Schmidt, “all schools” in grades 6 -12. 

Finally, to continue the dismantling of the belief that all jocks are “lift things up and put them down” smart, 16 HPS senior athletes were named Scholar-Athletes this year by the CIAC.   These folks are so named due to their “exemplary” academic and athletic high school careers, “whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others,” and with “high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage,” show that it is possible to rise above the bullshit and be successful.

These students are:

·         Dalsa Torres and Adrian Ortiz of Bulkeley

·         Jenessa Pearson and Khyree Ross of Capital Prep Magnet

·         Dwight Biggs and Jasmine Charlery of Classical Magnet

·         Nathan Moyer and Natalie Norbut of HMTCA

·         Dheniffer Santos Oliveira and Christopher Pineda Duran of HPHS

·         Dzenita Hamzabegovic and Zaynn Godbee of SMSA

·         Justin Chidozie and Cassidy Ward of University High

·         Jasmine Cardona and Taylor Wilson of Weaver