Samo athletics' latest challenge: the Bay League

By Gwendolyn Warren, Staff Writer

This year, Samo athletics would have entered a new league: The Bay League, which is said to be more competitive. In light of restrictions placed on athletic practices due to COVID-19, it is clear that Samo athletes might not be prepared to compete against these new schools. 

The Bay League consists of Redondo Union High School, Palos Verdes High School, Mira Costa High School, Peninsula High School and Culver City High School. These schools have created a COVID-19 practice plan that will ensure their training and competitiveness will come out onto the field. However, this creates a struggle for athletes at Samo when going into the new league, as they have not participated in in-person practices since March of 2020. 

In the past, Samo was in the Ocean League with other schools such as Culver City High School, Beverly Hills High School, El Segundo High School, Hawthorne High School and Lawndale High School. Culver City, however, left this league along with Samo to join the Bay League. All Samo sports will start a new chapter in the Bay League, apart from lacrosse which will continue in the Ocean League.

Evan Fujinaga, the athletic director at Samo, explains the process of schools switching to different leagues. 

“We joined a new league because in CIF the re-leaguing process occurs every two years. So, that means, even amidst a pandemic, we are in a planning year where new proposals are presented and voted on by the 18 member schools that makeup the Bay, Ocean and Pioneer leagues. The league proposal that won out in 2018-2019 moved us from the Ocean League to the bay league starting this school year,” Fujinaga said. 

When asked if teams at Samo have been given the right amount of practices, Evan Green (’21), a punter for the varsity football team, expressed his frustration at the lack of practices being held at Samo.

“Football is a physically demanding sport and we have not had enough practices, but we’ll just have to work really hard in practice to get back in shape,” Green said. 

As for all school activities at Samo, the administration is taking into account all COVID-19 guidelines to stay safe. These regulations are making it difficult for Samo sports to prepare for their new competitive league because they do not permit in-person practices. However, these regulations are completely necessary for the health and safety of the coaches and athletes at Samo. 

Georgia Fischer (’21) is on the Samo girls’ varsity volleyball team. Fischer revealed that the team has not been able to practice in person since the lockdown in March, but they hope to return back to consistent practices. 

“I’m confident in each player's skill level, [but] I don't think we're prepared to go into a game. We haven't had any practice without our seniors last year, who were a vital part of the team. My hope is that we will be able to get back into the gym and have an adequate amount of time to get used to the new team, which will help us be ready for our new opponents,” Fischer said. 

While Samo is following stricter COVID-19 guidelines with the health of the Samo community in mind, the competitive teams in the Bay League have started practicing for the upcoming season. Mira Costa, for example, has made a schedule that allows all sports to hold in-person practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Although the new league will certainly be more challenging, Principal Antonio Shelton understands the benefits of Samo joining this new competitive environment. 

“We are going to be competing with more competitive schools than before. Do I think we can achieve it? I do. I think we can compete in whatever situation we are in and I think we can adjust,” Shelton said. 

Though no coaches can predict what will happen in regards to holding stable and recurring practices due to COVID-19, the lack of training is sure to reflect poorly on athletes at Samo. Schools in the Bay League, such as Redondo and Mira Costa, have been practicing frequently, making their teams even more competitive in preparation for the upcoming season. Samo has chosen a path that prioritizes the health of our athletes and coaches over competition. But will Samo be ready to take on the challenges of the Bay League? Only time will tell.