by Tessa C.

Most people consider black a neutral color, which is why many schools and outside clubs incorporate it into their uniforms. The school colors of Alamo Heights are blue and yellow, which is why you probably won’t see us wearing black. However, I’d love to see us give it a try.

Black is often associated with elegance, power, and strength. When athletes wear this sleek color, it can give them a confidence boost and help them feel more polished. Don’t get me wrong—Florida blue and old gold are both great colors. But I, along with many others, think we should consider adding black to the mix for our jerseys.

Mark Bond, a coach at Alamo Heights Junior School, explained the reasoning behind the current uniform policy. “The idea behind this expectation is that Coach Ron Rittiman, the Alamo Heights athletic director, wanted to create a brand for us when he first joined the Alamo Heights community,” Bond said.

Rittiman felt strongly about standardizing the colors to represent the school clearly. “When he would go watch Alamo Heights at other venues, he didn’t always know who he was watching unless the uniforms had the school name on them,” Bond said. “He saw a variety of colors instead of our traditional Florida blue and old gold.”

While Coach Bond doesn’t believe the uniforms directly affect game performance, he acknowledges their role in fostering team unity. “With everybody on the same page, it creates a team atmosphere, and I think that’s important,” he said.

This uniform expectation is particularly significant to Rittiman. “It feels like a way to bring the community together,” Bond said. “That’s why you wear a uniform in sports—so everybody looks the same and there are no outliers.” He added that Rittiman will likely never change his stance on this expectation.

The policy was established when Rittiman joined Alamo Heights as head athletic director, and the reaction was as expected. Bond shared his perspective: “I personally feel like I understand why this expectation was set. It’s not an issue for me at all; in fact, I think it’s a good thing.”

Do you agree? Share your thoughts in the comments!