Sports teams play a major role in the high school experience. For some, the only motivation for waking up in the morning and going to school isn’t for school itself, but for sports practice afterwards. Indeed, one of the biggest “honors” in high school is being on a sports team; being part of one creates moments and memories you will remember for a lifetime.
Recently, MCPS has been making an admirable effort to make sports teams more accessible to more students. At the start of this school year, MCPS announced that both pickleball and flag football teams would be coming to high schools in the fall; the first with the goal of including kids with disabilities and the other with the goal of giving girls another sport to play and thrive in. In the spring, WJ will also have a new “Allied Softball” team—separate from the traditional softball team at the school—that will serve as a coed team. As a result, more students will get to play a sport that they like.
The pickleball team featured many athletes with disabilities and gave them a sports team which they otherwise wouldn’t have. With bocce already existing as a winter sport with a similar objective, these Corollary Sports teams, which roster students with and without disabilities, provide a chance for these students to be part of something they’ll never forget.
When I was younger, I had many challenges with my social skills. I’ve practically played sports my whole life, but for me it’s always meant more than a competitive game: I was in it for the comradery. I loved being a part of a team, and I enjoyed playing for fun. Back then, it was never about winning, it was always about having fun.
Now as a high schooler, I’m very grateful to be able to run track for WJ and to be able to share the same passion for running with my teammates. And while the goal is (of course) always to try to get faster, I like to put things into perspective. At the end of the day, it’s about the memories you make, the ability to try new things and to develop friendships that will last a lifetime.
High school sports aren’t about winning, they are about memories. Scholastic sports were made to develop teamwork, cooperation, sportsmanship and leadership, all of which are life lessons that benefit people in their post-high school lives.
The bocce team, for instance, puts less emphasis on winning and more focus on having a good time. Having only rarely won any matches as a program, they don’t focus on their win/loss record. They instead measure their success in the ability to enjoy their time and experience being on a team.
On sports teams, people always want to win, and understandably so. We all want to beat the likes of the Barons, Bulldogs, Vikings, Patriots, Cougars and Rockets, amongst others. But sometimes we all need to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective. Having the desire to win as a team and improve your skills is important, but so is enjoying every practice as if it’s your last, and making sure everyone else can do the same.
How many of us are going to be playing professional sports someday? Next to none. How many of us are future collegiate athletes? That number would be slightly more, albeit still not a lot.
For many, high school may mark the last time they will play their sport. It’s therefore of heightened importance that we as student athletes care more about improving our personal skills as well as our physical and athletic abilities.
This is why all sports teams at WJ should be looking up to teams like bocce and pickleball. Those teams have truly discovered something that almost no one else has: winning is great, but the overall sports team experience is what will really matter.
