Look around at a Pascack Hills sporting event – home or away – and two things are always constant: there is a sea of orange in the bleachers, and there is a team of brown, white, and orange on the field, court, or track. Cowboy Crazies are known for their cohesive uniform whether it is all orange or all white, beach or USA themed. However, one often overlooks the fashion choice of the athletes. And although this style changes less often, it none the less goes through a similar (yet more subtle) fashion cycle as the Cowboy Crazies or even the runway.
Athletic Director Mr. Phil Paspalas tries to change the uniforms for each team every five years. When doing this, he said, “As long as I am planning to order uniforms at least six months in advance, there is never too much of a problem.” Paspalas credited the necessity to plan so far ahead to the unique school colors. Some years, he says, uniforms need to be custom made, while other years finding brown, white and orange is easy.
These school colors are a long-standing tradition at Pascack Hills, however orange was not always in the mix. When Hills first opened its doors in 1964 the school colors were brown and white. Paspalas explained that this was normal. “Valley was green and white, we were brown and white. No one really started adding in these accent colors until a few years later.”
Like any decision in the world of fashion, there are a lot of variables when picking out a new uniform for a Hills’ team. On what factors go into the selection Paspalas said, “I think about cost, I think about color, and I think about design flexibility.”
He noted that football uniforms are the most expensive to buy, issues with color come in waves, and design has become increasingly easier with new technology. He also said, “I absolutely think about if this is something the coach is going to be happy with.”
Volleyball Coach Shawn McDonald knows the process better than anyone. Although Paspalas ultimately has the final say, McDonald says she gives her opinions on each and every uniform her team wears. The most important aspect she looks for in a uniform is comfort. “First and foremost I look at what the girls are going to be comfortable with – especially in a sport like volleyball. I think the focus should be on the game and not on what their bodies look like,” she said.
McDonald believes that the simpler the uniform is, the better. “I don’t like the flashy stuff,” she said. “Some coaches worry too much about what their players look like and their uniforms are crazy. It’s distracting.”
However while comfort and confidence comes first when choosing a uniform for McDonald, fashion is never thrown out completely. “I tend to choose uniforms based on the style that year,” she said. “When long sleeves were popular I jumped on that bandwagon.”
Paspalas and McDonald both agree that styles, even for high school team uniforms, have changed a lot. And while it is important to keep up with the trends, what seems to always be in style is a comfortable uniform that allows Pascack Hills to stay on top in not only the fashion world, but the athletic world too.
