Spring Athletics 2025: A First Look

As our winter sports came to a close last week for Elmwood Park High School and Elm Middle School with lots to be proud of, the spring athletes prepare for another competitive season!

Congratulations to Elm Middle School Wrestling for sending 11 athletes to regionals this year, and Elm JV and Varsity Boys Basketball for finishing in third and fourth place! Going into the spring season, a few teams are hoping also to taste post-season success. In 2024, Elm Girls Soccer came in second in the regional championship, and is looking for another shot this year. And with 60 students registered at Elm, Boys Volleyball is the fastest-growing program in the district!

At EPHS, both Boys and Girls Basketball made it to the regional championship. For the boys, this was only the third time in the team’s history! Also, an impressive 3 EPHS Wrestling athletes made it to sectionals this year.

Both Elm (pictured) and EPHS boy's volleyball are growing fast.

As the spring teams look towards the future, they are building up strong programs.  Last year, the EPHS Girls Soccer teams came in second in the regional championships, and are hoping to go further this year. Softball is looking to return to sectionals again this year.  For EPHS Baseball, after graduating many seniors last year, there is great potential to grow a strong young team that can consistently do well in the coming years. Boys Volleyball is also growing fast, and EPHS has added a third Freshman team to their JV and Varsity spread. In Track and Field, one EPHS  senior is looking to return to state again for the long jump and 400-meter dash. 

EPHS Assistant Principal of Athletics & Activities, Anthony Sylvester, has high expectations for his teams and believes they are set up for success. Strong coaching staff, competitive facilities, and committed athletes support this vision. Grounds crew, Juan Solis and Jason Viquez, work through the challenges that can come with unpredictable spring weather to ensure our athletes have facilities for competition. 

This hard work will be on full display as EPHS is set to host the Girls Soccer regional championship this year. Both the EPHS softball and baseball teams will have new scoreboards to enhance their fields, which should be ready in the upcoming months. 

“We’re always trying to meet our coaches' needs in partnership with district funds, booster club fundraising, and the ideas in mind of the Board of Education,” Sylvester said. 

EPHS Softball is hoping to make it to sectionals for the second year in a row. 

For Sylvester, student-athlete success doesn’t just come through post-season results and great facilities though. His team has been working on implementing the motto “Raise the bar” across all student performance, and the network of those who support them. Setting small improvement goals in athletic training, personal fitness, and academic performance add up. Through this, the bar of expectations is raised by parents, coaches, teachers, and students themselves, steadily growing success. 

One way both EPHS and Elm steward this is by working on making the transition from 8th grade to high school athletics a smooth one. Throughout the spring and summer, various EPHS sports are hosting student-led sports camps and 8-12 grade clinic days. Elm returns the welcome to the elementary schools and hosts multiple events for rising 5th graders. The cross-district support is also present amongst the coaching staff, with members of different school staff coaching different teams than where they spend their work days, widening the impact of sports success. 

Elm athletics are overseen by Principal Ashley Groeneveld, she is proud of District-wide effort, and the holistic way her students are supported. 

“Mr. Sylvester does a great job of letting our eighth graders know what is available at the high school so they can be committed to their school community,” Groeneveld said.

To support our spring teams, shop from our spirit store, or view the EPHS Tiger’s Spring schedule and the Elm Couger's Spring schedule to come cheer on our teams!