Menlo News November 02, 2020

Teams vie in inaugural Knight Games friendly

More than 150 students compete in range of events with distance and spirit

11.1.2020 – What started as a way to bring a new element to students whose athletic seasons are delayed to the spring brought so much more to the players and coaches. More than 150 student-athletes participated in events from basketball shooting to sprint relays to volleyball serving to hitting baseballs at Cartan fields and courts for the first Knight Games, a welcome friendly competition among teams Thursday and Friday.

The teams that have been conditioning in three-week long after-school Athletic Enrichment pods, and whose players completed COVID testing as well as balance and ImPACT testing, had an afternoon to compete. Each team paired with their coach and made their way through stations, led by that sport’s varsity head or assistant coach.

“It was really fun getting everyone out here, playing sports which we’ve been missing the past few months,” junior Tyler Flynn said.

Knight Games is one of the ideas borne from committee work over the summer and fall to engage students in athletics activities while their CIF sports have been delayed to two sessions - one in late winter and one in spring. Working with Director of Athletics Earl Koberlein on the idea and the logistics, Menlo Head Athletic Trainer Aubrey Fennell and Assistant Trainer Stephanie Swan launched the plan. They enlisted the help of school administrators to ensure safety of all the students, as well as Jesse Lindenstein, director of sports performance, and Sam Leeper, and Menlo’s esteemed corps of coaches.

“I thought about events I had seen during All-Star week in the NBA, MLB, NFL, and so on, and thought it would be pretty cool to make a similar type event for Menlo Athletics,” Fennell said. “It would allow for competition but still be fun and lighthearted during a difficult time while most importantly, we keep our student-athletes safe.”

Two players every event were selected by teammates to represent. Players who are aces at volleyball or deft firing a lacrosse ball got to lead the team, and even better, students who had never tried throwing a water polo ball or hitting a baseball tried a sport they didn’t know.

Knight Games 10.29-10.30.2020 Credit: Pam Tso McKenney
“We got to see a lot more people than we usually see,” said junior Sergio Beltran, who along with Flynn is in the football, lacrosse pod - one of three pods for football. “Our pods are fun, but it’s great to see a lot more people.”


With teams cheering wildly for closest to the tee or footballs sailing through a donut-shaped tackling aid, and every attempt in between, Knight Games was a unifying afternoon of team-building. Beltran said his favorite sport - aside from football and lacrosse which he plays for Menlo - was the 4x100. Even though he didn’t run it, rooting for his teammates was most memorable.

“We were really hyped, and then we beat all the teams here,” Beltran said.

Certainly, the spirit of competition is a big part of the fun. The students in their pods took on water polo and lacrosse target shooting, volleyball serving, basketball shooting, tennis target hitting, 4x100 relay,soccer target kicking, baseball hitting, football throwing, and putting.

Knight Games 10.29-10.30.2020 Credit: Pam Tso McKenney“All of the events were super fun and this was so good for our team to spend time together,” said Menlo senior Danielle McNair, a basketball guard who also fared well in the baseball event.

The first Knights games served as a pilot, and the Athletics team aims to hold other events throughout the year for the student population. Already planned for next week is MidKnight Games which will take place with the Middle School P.E. pods on Wunderlich Field and courts, said Middle School A.D. Joe McDonald.

“During this time when we don’t have an opportunity to work all together; we’re working on fundamentals in pods, this was an opportunity for kids to compete as groups,” Lacrosse Coach Blake Kim said. “They were so into it, supporting the lucky souls who got to fire lacrosse balls. There was a lot of spirit. Seemed like a huge hit.”