The time of year at Miami Palmetto Senior High has come: winter sports are ready to go into full swing. As fall sports come to an end, tryouts for a whole new group of sports approach. Five sports come to the front this season: boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer wrestling.
All the sports use the same mandatory paperwork for athletes to try out. Before trying out, students must buy athletic insurance through their Online School Payment account in the athletic office. Athletes must have completed the 2024-25 Physical Packet found on MPSH’s Athletics Page. Students also must have proof of completion for all four National Federation of State High School Association courses and present an official birth certificate or passport. Even returning athletes must go through all these steps every school year.
Dribbling ahead into the start of their season, girls’ and boys’ basketball have their tryouts at the end of October.
Boys basketball will hold tryouts on Oct. 28-29 at 4:00 p.m. in the MPSH gym, under coach Alex Ordoqui. In order to try out, athletes must turn paperwork in to the athletic office in room 1806 by Oct. 14. The varsity team will play their first game against the South Miami Cobras on Nov. 11 at South Miami.
Girls basketball, under coach Donovan Martin, has their tryouts on Oct. 28-29 at 2:30 p.m. in the MPSH gym. To try out, paperwork must be turned in before Oct. 14. The game season officially starts on Dec. 2 against Miami Jackson Senior High School, and the MPSH family hopes people will come out to support.
“My goal this year is to win a district championship, as we have done in a couple years past,” Martin said.
Aside from basketball, soccer will kick off in the winter season. The MPSH boys’ soccer team tryouts took place on Oct. 14-15 on the MPSH field. Coached by Diego Rios, the team hopes to have a successful season.
The girls’ soccer team hosted tryouts from Oct. 15-17 on the MPSH field at 2:30 p.m.. The girls soccer team hopes to continue its run as regional qualifiers this upcoming season. Coached by Alejandro Castro, the girls ended last year’s season 15-3-1, and were undefeated in away games. It is important to note that they have a junior varsity and varsity team.
Wrestling Coach Anthony Fadelle’s goal is to have students on his team that are willing to work hard and strive to become their best.
“Students just need to be ready to work hard,” Fadelle said.
The wrestling team and their successful wrestlers last year hope to continue their championship run. The wrestling team is co-ed and offers a unique experience, a close-knit community that thrives outside of MPSH. Tryouts are on Nov. 11 in the wrestling room, their season starting toward the end of November.
“We go to preseason tournaments, hang out, do barbecues, the little things,” Fadelle said.
The MPSH family hopes to see many Panthers trying out for different sports this year, stepping out of their comfort zone and all playing their hardest this season.
“My first message before the first game is ‘win, win, win,’” Martin said.
