Enraged GOA Athletes Demand Their Own Field Space

By Mimi Lebeau ‘24
    Recently Golda Och Academy’s varsity softball team moved its diamond onto the tennis courts following a prolonged conflict with the girls varsity soccer team over the shared field. 

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For many years, GOA’s girls varsity soccer team and varsity softball team peacefully coexisted, the soccer team using the field in the fall and the softball team using it in the spring. However, beneath the surface, all those years tension was brewing. 
    Just a few weeks ago the softball team demanded their diamond be moved elsewhere.  
    Soccer player and junior Tori Lamkin said, “I wasn’t going to say anything, but it always bothered me that our field is shared with that sandy softball field. Soccer is meant to be played on grass, not dirt.”
    Softball player, junior Rebecca Altmann responded, “Well, how do you think we, the softball players, feel that our outfield is completely torn up from soccer games and practices?” 
    Following the softball players’ outcry, the conflict has only worsened, with each team blaming the other for the detrimental impact sharing the field has on their respective games. 
    “If we didn’t share our field with soccer, we totally would have gone undefeated,” said softball player and junior Avital Ely. 
    Since the protest, the tensions continued to skyrocket. The soccer team reported seeing 
the softball team carrying around metal bats, presumably preparing for an attack. 
Concerned soccer player, junior Talia Perlstein said, “I didn’t realize how serious this feud was until I walked by the gym and saw the softball players swinging bats, clearly threatening the soccer team.”
Alternatively, an equally worried softball player, junior Maya Taylor-Prince said, “Now that I think about it, the soccer players have had it out for us since the fall. I remember seeing them practicing these really strong kicks, obviously directed toward us.” 
Worst of all, each team blamed the other for the astonishing amount of goose droppings that litter the field. Cameras were set up to prove once and for all that the droppings were in fact from geese and not from the players themselves.
As the agitation rose, it became apparent that the current arrangement needed to change. Finally, GOA athletics director, Mr. Kozar decided to move the softball diamond onto the tennis courts to prevent further conflict between the feuding softball and soccer players.
“I think moving the softball diamond would be the best move for all parties involved. Especially given the busy spring season with all the new sports options, I wanted to divert the drama before it occurred,” said Mr. Kozar. 
However, the placement of the softball diamond on the tennis courts has caused changes for the tennis team as well. In order to have space for an outfield for the softball team, the tennis courts need to be converted to grass, comparable to the UK’s Wimbledon tournament at which players play on grass courts. 
Fortunately, the tennis teams have been extremely open to –and accommodating of– the new changes. 
Boys varsity tennis player and junior Bradley Griffel even said, “I am excited for this new opportunity to try playing tennis on grass. I think it’ll bring a new element to the game that could be really exciting.”
This solution also satisfies the softball team. 
Softball player and junior Giselle Weiss said, “I am thrilled that the softball team will finally be freed from the constraint of sharing a field with the soccer team. I am confident this new arrangement will lead to a great season!”
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