Athletics director praises season highlights, warns busing schedule is hurting games
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Summary
Athletic Director Travis Lombardi reported strong participation and team achievements across fall, winter and spring seasons, but told the committee the district’s 2:30 p.m. dismissal and limited bus availability delayed visiting teams and game starts.
Travis Lombardi, the district’s athletic director, delivered an annual report highlighting high participation and multiple postseason qualifications across fall, winter and spring sports — but he warned that bus scheduling and an early dismissal time are harming athletics logistics.
"Our primary goal remains to provide strong athletic opportunities for as many students as possible," Lombardi said. He presented participation counts: for the fall season NHS had 246 athletes across eight sports; CPS had 156 across six sports. Winter participation included 165 high school athletes in seven sports and 53 CPS athletes in two sports; spring participation counted 188 at the high school across eight sports and 65 at CPS across four sports. He also listed team accomplishments, such as boys and girls tennis and lacrosse qualifying for state tournaments and the football team's 22–14 overtime Island Cup win at Fenway Park.
Lombardi told the committee the biggest operational problem this year was transportation: "The 02:30 end time to the day is really, really impacting athletics in a not so good way," he said, describing visiting teams arriving by ferry and then waiting for buses that delayed game starts. The athletic department said it is discussing options with Cape Cod Collaborative, which provides transportation services.
The report also noted staff training milestones, app development for schedules and communications, and the arrival of three first-year varsity head coaches. Committee members acknowledged the accomplishments and discussed potential fixes for bus scheduling; administrators said an additional bus driver expected next year should help alleviate some issues.
No votes were taken on athletics items during this session; the committee asked administrators to continue coordination with Cape Cod Collaborative over the summer.