Timber Team is something that was made for kids who don’t like the other clubs in Woodland. The whole team treats everyone like family and that is something you want in a club. Try the Timber Team. It’s fun and you might like it.

Robert Murdy, current Timber Team coach and Woodland teacher, had the idea to start the team in 2016.

“I love the timber team. It’s part of me; I created it,” said Murdy. “It’s an activity for a lot of students who don’t like traditional clubs and sports. I don’t know where I’d be without it.”

Timber Team is a different level of activity compared to other Woodland sports. Timber Team features throwing axes, cutting wood, and throwing or rolling logs. Two different events offered are crosscut and bow saw. Crosscut has three sections: Jack and Jill, Jill and Jill, and Jack and Jack. Bow saws have two sections: Male and Female. Timber Team may not be for everyone but it’s worth a shot to try it out.

Competitions take place at fairs against other teams: Nonnewaug and Womogo. Winning badges and trophies isn’t that easy, but the Woodland team always tries their best.

In 2022, the team won a first place prize; the first one since 2016 in the Harwinton fair. They practice every Tuesday so the whole team can get stronger.

“The team gives me a sense of community at Woodland because the team has my interest,” said Autum Tanguay, a junior on the team. “I think that, in general, the team is absolutely amazing. We are just like a force to be reckoned with at this point.”

“Timber team, to me, is my favorite extracurricular I’ve done here at the school and probably ever since it’s given me a real sense of community and a bunch of friends. It has also given me a lot of memories,” said Zachary Renaud, team captain. “I don’t recall a single time where I haven’t had a good laugh at all.”

The plan for this season is to dominate the two teams: Wamogo and Nonnewuag. The competitions are very hard but Woodland wants to push through.

There are a lot of new freshmen on the team because they wanted to try something new. A lot of the team is hoping to get better at timber because they want to win more competitions.

“What it means to me is a group that we all come together to enjoy our time together and have fun wasn’t mean to me it’s a great time for me to reserve energy after school as well as to be part of a community I believe there’s a good group of people for a lot more environment where a lot more connected and a lot other sports teams,” said Rjay Strumski, captain on the team.

A lot of people think that Timber Team is a better sport to do because most sports aren’t for them. If you don’t want to do the other sports that are in the school try Timber Team because Murdy has made the team for others to try when they don’t like anything else that is there to do.

“I was in another sports team but I just didn’t get this connection to routines. There are a lot of people I already know and have friends and enjoy. The winter season gets very boring for me so it’s fun in the spring when we get back into it,” said Strumski.

Timber Team’s main annual event is Axe Games but, this year, Axe Games will not be running. Thankfully, Wamogo and Nonnewaug will be holding competitions which Woodland can participate in.

“The competitions are very fun,” said Edgar Jorge.