Rarely are people afforded the opportunity to live in the present. Often, the moments truly worth appreciating are far too brief and much too fleeting to ever fully grasp. 

Well, one of those moments is occurring right now.

A golden era of New Trier sports is upon us. Rarely in the past have the school’s athletic programs aligned so perfectly as they have right now.  

New Trier Green capped its incredible season with a state championship at the United Center on March 19, their second in three years. NTG has annually dominated the Scholastic Hockey League in recent years, having held the most regular season standings points four years in a row. 

Girls field hockey has been a perennial powerhouse, having claimed four state championships in a row, along with an undefeated COVID season. No other program in the state seems to compare to their sheer dominance. 

Boys basketball broke the school record for wins with 33 and finished third in the state, best since 1973. Jake Fiegen became only the third player since 2000 to score 1,000 points in his career. Last year’s team broke the previous school record for wins, and boasted what was probably the program’s most talented roster in history. 

Boys soccer won a sectional of their own with a number of all-conference and all-state selections. Girls soccer looks poised to do the same, with a team complete with strong returners and dynamic newcomers. 

Girls lacrosse brought home a state championship last year and they returned a stacked roster hungry for more. They have begun their new season in dominant fashion, going 3-0 with resounding victories in all three games. 

Only one era of New Trier sports compares to the present level of success – the 1982-1983 school year. In this year, New Trier took state in boys golf, boys tennis, girls golf, and girls swimming, while capturing second in boys soccer, boys football, and girls gymnastics. They finished third in girls badminton as well. 

No school in the history of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has ever matched the eight state trophies that New Trier won in the ‘82-‘83 school year. 

However, while I do not mean to diminish the massive accomplishments of the 1982-83 New Trier athletic department, I think it is important to recognize that these state titles were won in comparatively minor sports. These sports do not command the attention that major sports such as hockey and basketball certainly do.  It is difficult to imagine the student body packing an arena to watch the girls badminton team fight for a state trophy.

But today, New Trier students are rallying around their sports teams like never before. Ten buses, all filled to the brim with students, were chartered to get students to Urbana-Champaign for the boys basketball state tournament. Hundreds more drove themselves to the State Farm Center, and filled the arena to nearly maximum capacity. 

The United Center was also rocking for the New Trier Green state title bout, where mountains of white apparel cheered the team on to victory. The Metra train to and from the game was almost exclusively with Trevians.

People often reflect on their high school days wishing that they had indulged more in school spirit. They sadly reminisce, wishing that they had gone to that football game, or joined the student section at the basketball playoffs. If you fear that these despondent souls could become  you, dear reader, I am telling you: The time is now. We are in a golden age. Embrace the school, and embrace our sports, for before you know it, the time for cheer will be over.