Jupiter High School’s powderpuff game has been postponed to April due to scheduling complications and security issues. Students who have already paid still have their spot on the team and any students who are unable to play in April can receive a refund in Coach DeLeonardo’s room 4-106.
“To get a refund just ask me,” Coach DeLeonardo said. “We try to make it easy – and if a student has already paid and wants to play, then they can just stay in and play.”
In a powderpuff game the roles are reversed from a normal game. The girls play flag football and the guys cheer on the sidelines. Jupiter has hosted powderpuff for many years, but it was not originally flag football.
“Before it was tackle and the administration said that was too dangerous so we didn’t have it for a few years, but a couple years ago someone thought of the idea of flag football and we have been doing it ever since,” Taylor Gale, senior, said.
Gale is the Vice President of the Student Government Association (SGA) and she is in charge of running and scheduling the powderpuff game.
“We have to find a date that works for everyone, but unfortunately our date didn’t work out so we have to push it back until April,” Gale said.
Students have mixed emotions about the games postponement.
“I understand it’s better schedule wise, but it’s just annoying because we were already in the midst of practicing and getting ready for it, but now it’s postponed,” Katelyn Sparapani, sophomore powderpuff player, said.
Although some players are upset about the postponement, they understand why it needed to be pushed back and are excited to play in the spring.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to play in the powderpuff game this year and getting to spend time on the field with so many amazing people,” Kylee Feaster, sophomore powderpuff player, said.
Gale and her team each year donate the proceeds from powderpuff registration to a nonprofit organization of their choice.
“This year I am donating the funds we make to an organization called Team Rubicon,” Gale said. “They are a nonprofit organization who is currently working with people from the California wildfires but have helped with hurricane relief in the past.”
SGA still wants to support Team Rubicon and for that to happen in time, Gale and her team have decided to host a pickleball tournament.
“I chose pickleball because we had the most space for it, we have courts behind our football fields that are currently being repainted, and it’s really popular right now so we can get a lot of students included,” Gale said.
Pickleball is a game that uses a mix of concepts from tennis, badminton and ping pong. To play, 2-4 players use a paddle to hit a perforated plastic ball over a net.
“We currently don’t have the date for the pickleball tournament but we will announce it as soon as we do,” Gale said.
Pickleball has become a popular, fun sport because it’s an easy game to learn that anyone can play.
“I think it’s cool that we are hosting this and I’m excited to watch the upcoming pickleball game,” Kirra Sherman, freshman, said.
