The Decatur Boys varsity lacrosse team recently adopted Randall Archer as the new head coach after a five year interim period between permanent head coaches. Archer, who took over as head coach from Adam Pinsley, is one of the few head coaches to work at the school, a position which he feels has made it easier to connect with the team.

During the first semester of the school year, sophomore Henry Yates was learning about global food economics instead of the American Revolution, and backpacking through the Blue Ridge mountains instead of walking to Chemistry. This was everyday life at the Outdoor Academy (OA).

Students shout her name and wave signs of support for number 32. Three quarters pass and she still isn’t in the game. She waits, the nervous smile on her face mirroring the crowd’s anticipation. Midway through the fourth quarter, Coach Felton finally calls her over. “Alright Coach, I need to know: do I just run at them?” Chloe Soto said. Knowing one week is hardly enough to learn the intricate and tough sport of football, Coach Felton tells her to do her best. Soto walks to midfield to check in for the next play. As she and fellow sophomore Jada Harris cross the white line on Decatur’s artificial turf to enter the game, the crowd roars. “It was weird because we were all on the sidelines and then when we got on the playing field, everyone went crazy,” Soto said. “But it was only a two-foot difference.” This “two-foot difference” between the field and the sideline no longer separates Soto from the team as a passive observer; instead, she becomes one of the first two girls to play for the Decatur football team. Soto lines up as a linebacker for the subsequent play. The player opposite her on the North Atlanta offensive line hears Soto’s high-pitched voice, sees the makeup on her face and stands up. After a second, he returns to his stance. “You’re a girl?”