Over the summer, students from WJ attended many sports games and events, and with all the various events there were many different experiences. All types of sports have their own distinctive atmosphere, and they all have a great contrast from games at WJ. Some people prefer going to games at WJ to meet up with friends, while others prefer professional games because there is a higher level of play and the focus is more on the game than everything else.
One of the most popular sporting events of the summer was the Women’s World Cup in France. The USA women beat the Netherlands in the final after a dominant performance throughout the cup, including a record 13-0 win against Thailand. Although it was all the way in another continent, some students from WJ still made the trek to watch some of the games.
“It was amazing seeing the people get together to see their favorite team. It was also fun seeing the crowd and the actual games were really entertaining,” junior Sofia Lopez-Lamia said about the quarterfinal game between Chile and the USA.
Soccer games have a reputation for having some of the craziest fans, with incidents involving firecrackers not uncommon. A game that is between two countries is often even wildier than a game involving club teams due to fervent patriotism.
The Premier Lacrosse League is a new league that began its first season this year. They play with a travelling schedule, which means the games are played in different venues and none of the teams have a home city. There were six games in both D.C. and Baltimore (three each), at the new Audi Field and at the historic Homewood Field at Johns Hopkins, respectively. “The games were really intense, even though we got hit with a torrential thunderstorm,” senior Zach Cannon said.
He attended a double header with the Archers playing the Redwoods and Whipsnakes playing the Atlas. After the first game, there was a massive thunderstorm that went on for hours. After the long delay, the second game finally began, but then was delayed again for rain. Cannon says he left at the second delay, but then was able to go back the next day to see the other game between the Chrome and the Chaos.
Many of the fans stayed through the rain delay because of their dedication and love for the sport.
As always, the MLB played throughout the summer. The Nationals and Orioles are the teams that are the closest to WJ students, but that doesn’t mean those are the only games students attended.
“Going to Fenway Park was a great experience at such a historical stadium, despite the struggles of the
ballclub,” sophomore Noah Greenfeld said.
Fenway Park is the oldest stadium in the MLB, and although the Red Sox did not have a good game, Greenfeld still enjoyed the experience, as going to a game is always a fun experience for students.
