As students and staff are trickling back into the way things used to be before Covid, both old and new traditions and events are coming back that team athletes are taking a liking to.

Now that Covid restrictions have been lifted, teams have been able to get together and connect over bowls of pasta at a certain teammate’s house. These “pasta parties” are used as opportunities to get to know each other better and build stronger relationships throughout the team.

“We’ve been able to do a lot more team bonding,” swimmer Vivian Rizer ’24 said. “It’s fun getting to know each other better.”

Teams impacted by Covid weren’t able to feed into the pasta parties and other experiences that teams this year can.

“With swim, we were spread out and alone in our lanes,” Rizer said. “That was rough. The team wasn’t really a team my freshman year.”

Some students have found themselves grateful for these events, as it gives them opportunities to meet people they wouldn’t have expected to become friends with.

“Since running is an individual sport, the pasta parties help you meet the team and become friends with all of them,” Cross country runner Kelsie George ’25 said. “It’s really cool to have that experience of knowing people that aren’t in your grade. It makes the school year go by easier.”

Spending time out of practice as a team builds friendships that might not have been as strong had they not gotten together. This builds trust between teammates, which can be important on and off the field