Andrew Bolfek, a junior, had just won his first high school football game and processed his excitement as students from the stands came rushing onto the field. They crowded around Bolfek and his teammates, jumping up and down to celebrate. Senior Andrew Bolfek considers this one of his greatest memories. As an athlete on the football, baseball and swim teams, Bolfek is a skillful varsity teammate for all three, as well as a captain. 

“Growing up, I was always doing a sport year round, basically,” Bolfek said. “When I got to high school, I found it was a great way to meet new people and make friends. I just enjoyed playing sports, it’s always what I’ve loved doing.”

Bolfek, a quarterback on the football team, said he was not the best player freshman year. Over his high school years, he moved up ranks into becoming a successful athlete. As a captain on a team he makes tactical decisions and communicates effectively with the referee and the team. He is not only a player but a leader, communicator, key decision maker, and an important link between team and coach. 

“I kind of assumed that at the end of the four years, I would [make varsity],” Bolfek said. “That’s just kind of how it works, but I’ve never really thought I would have such a contribution to the team as I did this year and the last couple of years. “

All three sports teams have offered Bolfek the chance to develop friendships. The development grew from difficult practices, particularly in all kinds of grueling weather. Another factor was being able to watch the team’s hard work pay off in the end. The teams bond through a range of activities, such as hanging out in someone’s backyard and enjoying themselves, or going to eat after a game. 

“For baseball, a couple of my friends and I would go out to eat after games,” Bolfek said. “Just kind of talk about it, like how we think we did and what we can try to improve on.”

COVID-19 benefited the teams by creating even stronger bonds. Bolfek sees one of his tasks as a captain  to help create a collective team. COVID-19 both helped the team, and it didn’t. Not many athletes came out, causing the teams to be smaller, but on the contrary, the smaller group benefited more. Bolfek was able to help the team bond faster with  it being smaller, and pursue his leadership goals. 

“COVID threw a bunch of different people [together] and kind of having that smaller, tighter group we get to know each other a little bit better,” Bolfek said. 

Coaches have supported Bolfek all throughout his years at the school. His development from being on the freshman team, to junior varsity, to the varsity team in all sports, came from the support of his parents and coaches, as well as himself. His parents work at the school as his mother is Hope Bolfek, an English Language teacher and his father is Justin Bolfek, the Assistant Director of Student Activities. 

“It’s really cool, being able to be a leader in all of [the] locker rooms and all of the teams, and having the guys look up to you,” Bolfek said.