Not even the Omicron Variant can stop FDR’s athletes from doing what they love and representing their school. This year has created several challenges for Cougar Athletics. FDR has incredibly dedicated athletes and coaches. They have to deal with vaccinations, mitigation, and testing in order to do what they love.

The FDR Wresting team is having an outstanding season, with a 6-0 record. Coach Daiello has his team competing at an extremely high level. According to Daiello,“The Wrestling Team is doing well considering the circumstances.  Although the team has less members than pre-Covid seasons, we have a dedicated group led by senior captains Aslanbek Sharipov and Francisco Muriel.  The team is undefeated in our division at this point and hopes to be division Champions.” There is little doubt that the Cougars are a legit contender for the City Championship!

Both Table Tennis teams are having successful seasons. The 7-1 Girls team is dominating the competition. Say Paw and Xitaly San Martin, both seniors, are leading the Cougars this year. Coach Stanco is very proud of their effort this season with all the challenges. The Boys team is a young and up-and-coming team! Coach Lam summarized well the difficultly of running a team during a pandemic, “Coaching during a pandemic is extremely challenging with all the regulations set in place. But, I feel fortunate to coach Table Tennis since we are always 9 feet apart, due to the size of the table. We also use new ping-pong balls, and personal equipment, to prevent sharing and reusing. Student athletes across the city are coming up positive after the holidays.  With all the precautionary measures we take in practice, we have to be careful outside of practice.” The Table Tennis program always makes Cougar Nation proud, but this year they have been amazing!

Both the Boys and Girls Varsity teams are playing hard! The Boys team has faced hardships, but thanks to their seniors, they have stayed focused and determined. According to Coach Thomas, “The 2021-22 FDR Boys Varsity Basketball Team had a very tough and unpredictable season at times, due to COVID-19. To their credit, the team stayed committed together and competed hard throughout the season. The team is led by senior captain Yakov Nakash, along with fellow seniors Essa Adnan, Muhammed Panni, Marquis Bradshaw, Freddie Villalobos, Andrew Huynhvu, and Will Traverso.” The Lady Cougars are a very young team, with a bright future. Gabriele Blazyte is one freshman to watch in the years to come. Coaches, Slayton and Patamarapipan, are very grateful to have such hardworking athletes.

Even though the Winter Season is particularly challenging with the surge of Omicron, the coaches and athletes at FDR have done amazing jobs. Our school community is very grateful. They are an inspiration during a really hard time.