After years of problems with the gym floor, mix-matched sports uniforms and low attendance at the games, the Hebrew Academy Athletic Department is scoring big this year with a new floor, a Nike sponsorship, and incentives for fans.
The old floor was damaged due to moisture, resulting in the cancellation of some games last year, said Athletic Department Director Chad Bishop. To prevent problems, the school installed a floating wood floor over the summer, which has a moisture barrier to protect it.
“I just think it’s a tribute to the athletic programs and the things we have been able to do and the success of the teams,” said basketball coach and history teacher Mr. Berman.
The school also made a change to its uniforms. Hebrew Academy is now officially endorsed by Nike after signing a deal with the company over the summer. This means that all warm-ups and uniforms for every team will now be outfitted by Nike. The school was able to pull off this deal because of their heavy involvement with the company in the past, according to Bishop.
“I think it’s really cool we have this thing with Nike going on. It’s really good for our school,” said student athlete Kayla Abramowitz (10th grade).
New this year for fans is an incentive program open to students, parents, and friends for attending Warrior games. Through an app called “Superfan,” you can check in at games and receive points. Those points could later be cashed in for prizes. The whole concept came about when Math Department Head Mr. Innes wanted to have an incentive program for fans supporting Warrior games three years ago, Bishop said. Conveniently, Bishop came across the app that could enable that exact idea to be a reality.
“I love all three. I think it’s going to enhance our program tremendously,” said Assistant Principal Rabbi Assaraf. “Although uniforms do not decide outcomes of a game, at least we feel and look good. The wood floor is exceptional. Lastly, the fan app is an amazing idea, I hope it will increase student participation. Kudos to our AD Chad who worked so hard on these improvements.”
By: Jeremy Dobin (10th Grade)
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