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James Bairaktaris 5/15/21 James Bairaktaris 5/15/21

Saturday Skate

Westporter Jasper Fowle skates the quarter pipe at the Compo Beach Skate Park this afternoon.

James Bairaktaris 5/13/21 James Bairaktaris 5/13/21

Staples Rugby Team Ranked #20 in Nation; Heading to National Championships with the Help of Donors

`The Staples High School Rugby Team celebrated on Tuesday with congratulations from community leaders. The team is flanked by First Selectman Jim Marpe and Staples High School Athletic Director Marty Lisevick (left) and Superintendent of Westport Public Schools Thomas Scarice, and Staples High School Principal Stafford Thomas (right). Contributed photo.`

For the first time in its history, the Staples High School Rugby Team will be heading to the National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri this June as the #20 team in the country. The team is actively seeking donations to fund the trip to the championship matches so they can compete.

Founded in 2003, the team has grown significantly in the past five years alone - going from 30 players in 2016, to 85 boys and 25 girls on the roster today. This is not just the case in Westport.

Nationally, the contact sport has grown in numbers with USA Rugby claiming 110,000 registered players as of this past Summer, and “at high school level, there are over 26,000 people participating, eight times more than there was a decade ago” according to Sport 306’s Senior Editor Niall McCague. Staples High School head coach Dave Lyme says the current number of youth and high school players is currently over 40,000 members.

While rugby grows, Forbes reports that youth football participation has dropped by over 30% since 2009’s peak seasons, and “It seems almost certain that 2020 or 2021 will see overall high school participation in tackle football drop to below 1 million players, a level of participation not seen since 1998.” (Roger Pielke).

To those unfamiliar with the sport - rugby is not seen as a pillar for safety and grace, however players and coaches describe their technique as their brain’s saving grace when it comes to taking down an opponent - leading with parts of the body such as the shoulder instead of their head, and using body mechanics that protect them from injury while attempting to gain possession of the ball - especially during stereotypical scrums.

The Staples High School Rugby Team is lead by Head Coach Dave Lyme. Lyme is not a stranger to championship matches, In 2016 he took a men’s team to the USA Rugby National Championship as head coach for the Fairfield Yankee’s; they won against a Texas opponent. Lyme also serves as Head Coach for the Westport PAL rugby team, and the Sacred Heart University rugby team. The Australian native has been involved in the sport for 45 years.

This year’s Staples Rugby Team captains are Staples Seniors Felix Pollmann, Ben LaFontan, Sam Seideman, and Dylan Garra - all of whom joined their teammates in losing an entire season due to COVID-19.

The Staples Rugby Team is seeking the community’s support as they embark on their journey to the national championships - with a fundraising goal of $50,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. Team members are looking forward to the match, which will also be attended by Connecticut’s Greenwich High School’s team as well as the Aspetuck Valley high school club. “These experiences increase player ability and opens larger opportunities for college recruitment as hundreds of college coaches and scouts will be in attendance” the club described in a release.

To learn more about the Staples High School Rugby Team, visit their website. To donate funds towards getting them to the National Championships this June, click here for their GoFundMe campaign.

edited 05/15/21

James Bairaktaris 5/12/21 James Bairaktaris 5/12/21

Westport Public Schools named “Best Community for Music Education” Ninth Year in a Row

`The Staples High School Jazz Band prepares a pre-recorded piece for America’s Voices performances.`

Press Release

The Westport Public Schools has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for the ninth year in a row. Recognized for its outstanding commitment to music education, Westport joins 623 districts across the country in receiving this prestigious award for 2021.

The Best Communities Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Districts that have been recognized by the NAMM Foundation are often held up as models for other educators looking to elevate their own music education programs.

To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Westport answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, and community music-making programs. The Music Department has been fortunate to forge partnerships with community organizations such as the Westport Library, the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, PTA Cultural, WestPAC and Westport Arts Advisory Committee, all who recognize and value the importance of the arts in education.

This award also recognizes that Westport is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the new federal education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA recommends music and the Arts as important elements in a well-rounded education for all children.

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,300 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.

James Bairaktaris 5/8/21 James Bairaktaris 5/8/21

An Un-official Tradition Returns: The Staples Class of 2021 Motorcade

`Vehicles taking part in the Staples High School class of 2021 motorcade pause on Soundview Drive while the unofficial parade of seniors begins the procession to Staples High School.`

Each year the Staples seniors drive loudly and proudly up the Compo Beach driveway with focus on getting to the homecoming football game. In 2020, like many other things, that didn’t happen. The homecoming game festivities were nixed while the motorcade was postponed until today. Although not heading to homecoming, the group of teenagers gathered their friends and loaded into open air vehicles to cheer on their peers as the boys lacrosse team battled against Trumbull High School on the Wreckers field.

The group gathered at Compo Beach at 2:00 PM today to organize the parade towards their North Avenue high school, with dozens of vehicles streaming through the gates after having their beach parking sticker checked. Westport Police Department officers and Parks & Recreation staff members were on-scene for the event, which is not sanctioned by the Westport Public Schools and not an approved event by the Westport Police Department. However the un-official tradition kicked-off as the clock struck 2:45 and the groups of teens got into their respective vehicles - some in seats, others in the beds of pickup trucks or trunks of drop-top convertibles.

In a year when many young people struggled to see their friends and celebrate their accomplishments in person, passersby stopped to cheer on the graduating class - one woman exclaiming how excited she was to “just see kids smiling again.”

Safety has always been a concern for the un-official event - as many are without safety belts while inexperienced drivers remain behind the wheel. Today, shortly after the procession left Compo Beach, first responders rushed to the area of Compo Road North and Post Road East for the report of a person down with possibly serious injuries after falling from a moving vehicle. There was no information released about what caused the accident or the extent of injuries sustained during the fall.

In a year when so many events were cancelled, the Staples High School Seniors reclaimed one of their favorite traditions as they made the drive to school today. The event has served as a rite of passage for thousands of Westport teenagers - it’s fate now unknown after this year’s accident.

James Bairaktaris 5/8/21 James Bairaktaris 5/8/21

Gallery: Staples High School Class of 2021 Motorcade

Beginning at Compo Beach and ending at Staples High School, the tradition of the senior class motorcade took place today ahead of the Staples Wreckers Boys Lacrosse Game against Trumbull High School.