Eight months ago, athletic director Andy Ewald announced that Park athletics would not be participating in North Suburban Conference the following year. Instead, Park would be joining Bloomington Kennedy, Bloomington Jefferson, Chanhassen, Chaska, Richfield, Robbinsdale Cooper, and Benilde-St. Margarets, to create the Metro West Conference.

Although the new conference does not include the biggest schools in the state, the new conference will bring a greater level of competition than the North Suburban Conference.

“These seven schools share very similar demographics as well as extremely convenient distance from one another, which is a great opportunity for our school to be proactive and align ourselves that look more like us,” Ewald said.

Earlier this year some controversy surrounded the addition of a private school, Benilde- St. Margaret’s, to this conference of all public schools. Ewald, along with other athletic directors of other schools, does not show too much concern regarding their participation.

“We know, and other schools know, that across the board all of our programs have to up our game, there’s also not that mega-giant school that will dominate in every sport, which makes for a fair and even playing field,” Ewald said.

Unlike with the North Suburban, Ewald is confident Park teams will be squared up against greater competition in every sport in the Metro West.

“The level of competition will be stronger. There won’t be as much of a bottom on some sports in the old conference that we were a part of,” Ewald said.

Ewald, said he anticipates that the new conference will also reconnect Park with old competitors and make new relationships with new schools.

“It’s a great opportunity for our community to reconnect with some old rivalries, being the Bloomington schools and Richfield, and then develop some new relationships and rivalries with new schools, those being Chanhassen and Chaska,” Ewald said.

Previous girls track coach, and current girls soccer assistant coach, Brad Brubaker said that above all else, competing against different schools at a higher level will be a breath of fresh air.

“The benefit of this transition is that we get to compete against new faces, and new competition from schools that we share similarities with, and we share the same philosophy on sports,” Brubaker said.

In contrast with the North Suburban conference, Brubaker explained how the increased level of play can also be attributed to the financial position of these schools.

“Aside from Benilde, these schools sports programs are economically at a level that is more like ours, which makes every program that much stronger,” Brubaker said.

Sophomore Grace Williams, who will start her fifth season as a varsity cross country runner  expects more of a challenge from these new schools, but still believes in a good result from the team.

“I expect that the other teams will be tougher to beat,” Williams said.  “It could be more of a challenge, but Park is ready for it because we get faster each coming year.”

Ewald who has been athletic director for 16 years, knows all too well that the philosophy of Park athletics is to encourage the emotional, physical and intellectual development of each student.  Although this conference may be more competitive,  this new conference with satisfy the characteristics of Park’s philosophy.

“Athletics are more than what’s on the scoreboard at the end of the night, and all seven schools came together because they know that it’s about the experience,” Ewald said.