March Madness is a tournament that provokes all kinds of emotions: happiness, sadness, hope, regret, and much more. The basketball games also have the ability to bring people together, as seen by the March Madness bracket contest held by the Athletic Co-Heads of the Upper School, seniors Jesse Hollander and Sebastian Rzychezski.

The basis of the tournament is fairly simple. The rules state that the tournament is single elimination, starting with 68 teams under four designated regions: the Midwest, South, East, and West, with 16 teams in each region. Once there are only 16 teams left in the tournament, the games occurring during this time are in the “Sweet 16.” When there are only four teams left in the tournament it is the “Final Four,” and from there the tournament dwindles down to the showdown of the championship. Throughout the games, PDS students are encouraged to fill out a bracket indicating the winner of each game leading up to the finals. Students are required to fill out the bracket prior to the games to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of winning. Checking the bracket and seeing if you gained more points based on right guesses is the thrilling part of the game. Junior Olivia Richter states, “Looking at my bracket was a ritual for me during the tournament. I was not only watching every game but hoping I made the right guess for [the bracket].” This sentiment is echoed by many other students due to the friendly rivalry that stems from the creation of the brackets. 

Historically, students who obtained the most points on their bracket are awarded a trophy. However, the most important part of March Madness is the sense of community that is cultivated by the students. The joint interest and friendly competition foster a team-like characteristic during this month which only makes it so much more fun!