As the winter sports season began, Villa Walsh Academy, an all-girls independent middle and high school in Morristown, realized they did not have enough swimmers to support a full team. In response, Villa Walsh was going to call off the season until Morristown Beard stepped in. Demonstrating its commitment to collaboration, MBS invited the Villa Walsh swim team to merge with their own, allowing those student athletes to continue pursuing their sport. The MBS swim team has welcomed three Villa Walsh swimmers to the varsity swimming program and MBS community.
In order to merge the two teams, both Villa Walsh and MBS had to get approval from the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). This decision was carefully considered and discussed by members of the NJSIAA who weighed the benefits and drawbacks to the merge. Ultimately, the NJSIAA approved Villa Walsh’s request to combine teams, continuing the long standing relationship MBS has with Villa Walsh. In past years, MBS and Villa Walsh have used each other’s facilities to support their respective athletic programs.
Mackenzie Dougherty ‘24, one of the girls varsity swim team captains, believes that this merge has promoted further engagement in the swim team overall. “As a captain, upon hearing about it I was excited since for previous years the girls team has had very few numbers […] I was also happy they would be able to continue their love of swimming on a school team.” Dougherty also expressed how the team is getting along very well, and how with the increasing number of swimmers there is a higher chance of winning more meets. The girls from Villa Walsh have become a part of the MBS community.
Annie Rionda ‘27, one of the three Villa Walsh swimmers, expressed how the kind community put her right at ease. “It is really fun and regardless of swimming ability everyone is included […] the other swimmers are very welcoming and kind.” Rionda also said the coaches create a welcoming environment, and consistently make an effort to improve the team as a whole in addition to helping individual swimmers. To promote even more inclusivity, the MBS team produced swim caps sporting logos from both Villa Walsh and MBS.
The welcoming environment MBS provided for Villa Walsh creates a seamlessly merged team where everyone is able to learn from each other in a supportive and inclusive environment.
