The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

With schools recently reopening for the new academic and sporting year, the CH Reeves Raptors are looking to keep last season’s momentum going.

The Raptors had quite the year in the return of most Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) sporting events. The junior school emerged as champions in girls basketball, repeated as winners for the 30th GSSSA track and field championships, and the girls won the Noble Preparatory Academy (NPA) basketball tourney in the spring.

The Raptors are well known for their sporting success that has expanded nearly two decades and their physical education department expects to continue that this sporting year.

Varel Davis, Raptors’ physical education teacher, believes the junior school has attained and maintained a high standard in sports and this year is no different.

“My expectations for the CH Reeves Raptors are always high. I always tell my kids that this is a winning school and we have continued with that name of being the top junior school when it comes to sports in the country,” Davis said.

The sporting events are soon to get underway for the GSSSA and the Raptors have commenced practices and training for cross country.

According to the physical education teacher, 40 students have shown up to practice in the early stages, which is great for their plan to start preparing for sports earlier.

“Our plan this year is to start preparing our teams early, especially for the first sport so that they could train,” she said.

Davis added that she wants the Raptors to be involved in more tournaments and track club meets in preparation for the various sporting disciplines throughout the year.

“We are going to try to get involved in more tournaments and track club meets to prepare our kids for these events. Once we do that I think we should have a great season with our athletes,” she said.

Despite being short-staffed with only two physical education teachers stationed at CH Reeves Junior High School, Davis maintains that adequate training along with confidence in the athletes goes a long way.

The coaches at the junior school focus on training with the students from their entrance in grade 7 and consistently work with them in sports until their departure in grade 9 for senior school.

“We try our best to get our children to believe in themselves and to believe that they can use their sporting abilities to get them somewhere,” she said.

With expectations high for the 30th anniversary of GSSSA sports and sporting events returning to normal, Davis wants the junior school to accomplish much more.

She said they hope to accomplish a lot this school year which includes winning more sporting activities in, not just track, but other disciplines.

She added that once everybody works together and trains consistently there is no reason why the CH Reeves Raptors should not be on top for junior sports again.