Spring sports have officially started since February 27th, although they were delayed slightly due to the snow. The sports being offered consist of track and field, baseball, tennis, golf, softball, and lacrosse. A lot of the teachers at Ida B. Wells coach these teams such as Aaron Olsen, Kasey Geller, Barry Daigle, and Jeremy Shetler. Although all of the teams are trying to work around the weather, they’re all very excited nonetheless. Especially the coaches and players of track and field and men’s baseball, who are all preparing for this season’s competition. 

Aaron Olsen (he/him) teaches Health Occupations and is a head coach for track and field and cross country. Olsen has been coaching at Ida B. Wells for 24 years and has enjoyed every moment of being an outlet for his athletes. “My coaches were tremendous influences on me when I was young,” said Olsen, and he hopes to be the same for his students. For him track isn’t just for sport, it’s a great way to have fun and meet new people. “We want it to be a fun, positive environment, that’s my goal,” said Olsen. 

Casey Miller (he/him) is a sophomore at Ida B. Wells and is on the track and field team and specializes in events such as running and pole vaulting. “It’s probably the easiest way to meet people because it’s the largest sport in the school,” Miller said. Miller joined through a friend and really enjoys the socialness of the sport. Track and field is a great way to condition and get into better shape but also a great place to build new friendships and add some consistency or structure to your after-school life. 

Jeremy Shetler (he/him) is a College Career Exploration, US History, and Geometry workshop teacher and is the varsity baseball coach and program director. This is his 26th year of coaching baseball at Ida B. Wells. He loves the team and says the outlook for this and future years is very bright.  “I’m looking forward to this group of our returning pitching mesh with the newcomers to varsity this year,” said Shetler. Another part of their success as a team is the players’ enthusiasm and passion for the game, “[The players are] Athletic, competitive, and are contagious. Their enthusiasm for playing goes into other players.” Every year they’re looking to improve, and Shetler makes sure to instill “high standards” for the team to make sure they succeed this season.

Cam Hammer (he/him) is a sophomore at Ida B. Wells and is on the varsity baseball team as second base and a backup catcher. Hammer looks to continue playing baseball after high school and has a love for not only the sport, but the Wells team.“I definitely want to be more of a leader this year and work on my baseball skills, like, my normal hitting and fielding, but beyond that just want to be a bigger impact towards the team,” said Hammer. 

The team is very close, and Hammer looks forward to spending time with the team, pre-game bus rides and practices included. “It’s what keeps me happy, really, so it’s just what I do every day all day,” said Hammer. The baseball team seems to have high hopes for their season, while also encouraging an amazing team environment that involves everyone playing their part. “For me, it’s mostly just about my team because you can’t do it with one guy in baseball, you need all nine people to be playing it,” said Hammer. 

Although they’re at odds with the weather, all of the spring sports teams are excited to play and win games all while spending time together. With promising players and new matches, we can be sure that this season is shaping out to be a good one. Make sure to keep an eye out for upcoming games and go show your support. Go Guardians!