New England Innovation Academy is gearing up for an exciting 2023-2024 explorations program that promises to showcase the spirit of competition and foster personal development for its students. This year, NEIA is offering more options, both on the field and off, than ever before.
Fall Season:
- Cross Country (team)
- Soccer (exploration)
- Girls’ Volleyball (team)
- eSports (team)
- Fitness (exploration)
- Mountain Biking (exploration)
- Pickleball (exploration)
- Robotics (exploration)
Winter Season:
- Basketball (exploration)
- Wrestling (exploration)
- eSports (team)
- Fitness (exploration)
- Robotics (exploration)
Spring Season:
- Mountain Biking (exploration)
- Track and Field (team)
- Tennis (team)
- Golf (exploration)
- eSports (team)
- Robotics (exploration)
Fall Explorations began on Tuesday, September 5, and runs until November 16.
At NEIA, student input plays a crucial role in shaping the athletic program. Several new programs, such as wrestling, emerged from student suggestions, highlighting the school’s commitment to creating opportunities that resonate with its student body. Athletics instills values like discipline, teamwork, and perseverance while promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. By offering diverse athletic opportunities, NEIA aims to nurture a well-rounded student population and provide a platform for students to pursue their passions beyond the classroom.
“I’d like to give a shout-out to the tennis players and every one of the track and field runners who participated. I don’t think they realize it, but they started something,” Gary Dunn, Head of Student Life, said. “It was an emotional experience seeing them run their first meet. They were as nervous as could be and when they were done, they were just full of excitement and just seeing that and seeing that this is the first time that these kids have experienced that, it was amazing to witness.”
ESports at NEIA focuses primarily on the game Valorant, one of the most popular games among students in this demographic. The team consists of five main players, with a few substitutes. In Valorant, each player controls a unique agent specializing in a specific role, emphasizing the importance of teamwork. Alex Yu’s coaching approach involves starting from the basics and gradually building up skills and team dynamics.
According to Alex, eSports provides an opportunity for students to learn about collaboration, communication, and the bigger picture beyond individual performance. These skills can be applied not only in the game but also in real-life situations.
“It would have meant so much if my high school had a team like this,” Alex said. “There’s so many exciting things here. Being at NEIA is just such a blank canvas. That’s why I love it so much. Anything can happen. It’s awesome.”
