After a cold winter spent indoors, Rockville Rams are switching gears and heading outside for the spring season. Following a long hiatus due to the global pandemic, RHS welcomes new faces on each spring team, including coaches and players. 

Girls varsity lacrosse coach William Morris has been coaching for six years at RHS. The team is very special to him. He works alongside his sister and cousin to help coach and guide the team. His expectations for this season are similar to boys lacrosse coach, Jimmy Castro. Castro plans to build the team on four pillars.

“We will create a foundation for this program built upon perseverance, accountability, integrity, and humility,” Castro said.

From basketball to tennis, coach Todd Dembroski is ready for a big turnaround. Tennis is a very different sport than basketball. Tennis is both a team sport and an individual sport. 

“Tennis is a unique sport in that each match you have a team outcome as well as 7 individual outcomes,” Dembroksi said. 

This year, both girls and boys tennis teams hope to focus on improving each day. Girl’s head coach Robert Stolhman has goals of working as a team, going 12-0, winning their division, and competing for a state championship, he said. 

Some new additions to RHS sports include journalism and honors English 9 teacher Taryn Trazkovich*, who is coaching varsity girls softball, and Ariella Rodriguez coaching boys volleyball. As Rodriguez is a new face at RHS, her main focus is to have fun and create a good community for her players, she said. Luckily, if she has any questions this year, head coach of co-ed volleyball Raymond Trail can assist.

Raymond Trail has been coaching co-ed volleyball for five years at RHS. With a team full of girls and boys, players need to work extra to earn playing time. Trail’s goal this year is simply for every player on the team to get a little bit stronger, he said.

Some coaches, like Trail, have goals for the season that are short and sweet. They want to improve. Boys varsity baseball coach Farron Riggs similarly feels this way.

Riggs has coached RHS baseball for 25 seasons. Each year his goals and expectations for the season change. This year, Riggs’ goal is very direct: He wants the team to get better.

“I know it sounds cheesy, but we really try to focus on how we can improve each day,” Riggs said.

Many spring teams will be completely new because of the one year gap caused by the pandemic.

“That’s what makes it kind of fun though. You never know who’s been practicing and improving on this time off. It’s going to be fun to interact with new players and coaches. This could be a big turning point for RHS sports,” senior baseball player Sam Brami said.

Similarly to Brami, outdoor track and field coach Nicole Stransky emphasized her excitement to welcome back athletes to a full season and see the abilities of new athletes, she said.

“As a player, the feeling that you know you are improving and all your practice is paying off is one that makes playing all worth it,” Brami said. 

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*Taryn Trazkovich is also the staff adviser for this student newspaper.