Being involved in high school sports will enhance your high school experience in many ways. Students should take advantage of the many opportunities that Mead High School has to offer, as it can positively impact your high school career. There are so many doors that can open if you get involved with sports. These can vary from how you remember your high school career or have an impact on what you want to do in your next chapter of life. It also brings out your personality and lets you be yourself. Additionally, high school sports involve tremendous amounts of teamwork and dedication to working towards the same goal in the end.
“The volleyball community has impacted me in every way in my life,” said Mead Volleyball senior Hailey Hall (‘25), “It has given me some of my best friends that I’ll have forever, they help us come together as a family and create a community in the school that I would not have had without playing volleyball.”
Not only can participation in sports expand your friendship circle by creating a new family as a whole, but it can help you grow as a person. Through the participation of sports you learn life lessons you carry throughout your life. Some of these life lessons include learning how to persevere when things get challenging. Whether it’s trying to make the team, facing a tough opponent, or when you make mistakes, sports teach you to get back up and continue trying your best.
“I know getting cut is terrifying, and even if you get cut you have so many more opportunities [from] getting involved with different clubs, different sports, and even clubs outside of high school. I would just get out there as much as you can,” added Mead Volleyball Senior Ava Knudson (‘25).
Sports participation is not always being on the court or the field playing, but by participating in other ways. These can include being on the sideline, being the manager for different teams, or just by attending the games. By being on the sidelines, you are supporting your teammates by keeping the players positive and also by pumping up the crowd and players, giving more energy to the team. By being a manager you can create bonds with all the different players as well as the coaches. You are always helping out to make sure that the athletes get what they need to play their best, but also the coaches with the things they need to ensure a practice or game runs smoothly.
Participation through attending games can mean a lot to the athletes as the encouragement from the crowd keeps a positive mindset in the athletes as well. The crowd also reminds them of why they are playing and what their end goal is that they want to achieve. Through this, you gain valuable friendships that will last a lifetime, and memories that you can admire forever.
“I have met some of the most amazing people throughout my whole life that I will forever continue to have. I will forever cherish the moments I’ve had with the people I’ve met” said Knudson (‘25).
“There’s nothing to lose [when you get involved in sports],” added Hall (‘25).
You should try and get involved as much as you can so you have something to always remember and look back on instead of wishing you had done more. If you take advantage of the different opportunities at Mead High School, you can have a lot of fun during your high school career.
