Sports are a big part of a kid’s childhood. Even if someone has never been interested in sports, they have probably played one before in their life. Many people play sports for the love of the game, while others stay on the sidelines where it’s safer and can cheer on the players. According to Mr. Campbell’s second period eighth grade stem class, three out of fourteen play a sport for the school. That is less than half the class that doesn’t participate in sports for the school. Although not many people play the sports we offer, we have very strong teams that create an environment that is welcoming to everyone that wants to join.
Students attending Roosevelt Intermediate School often wonder why certain sports aren’t selected as an option to participate in. Currently, the options given are field hockey, softball, baseball, cross country, wrestling, and volleyball. Although this doesn’t seem like a very broad selection, there are reasons behind the assortment that are available. You may be wondering, why don’t we have sports like soccer and basketball? The Athletic Director, Mr. DeSarno explains the facts behind this. “I think unfortunately we scale back on some of the sports because the town leagues are so strong and it’s just very hard to manage,” Mr. DeSarno said. He then added, “unfortunately we don’t have a lot of field space in town” Essentially, according to our Athletic director, certain sports like basketball and soccer already have very strong town teams that overlook what could be within a middle school team. Furthermore, Mr. Desarno added that funding those sorts of sports wouldn’t be worth it because many students wouldn’t participate from will or availability.
The sports the school offers aren’t many, but they are loved by all. An eighth grade student named Lakin Garcia plays softball and loves middle school softball for many reasons. “What I like about middle school softball is that it gives you a lot of friendships that you can make along the way while you play . . . I believe it is a really good environment and all my girls are really nice and I just love being around and doing what I love.” Lakin has expressed that this environment is very supportive but also mentions that she doesn’t only just play with her friends, but also makes new friends along the way. These sports can form friendships for life whether you continue to play the sport or not. A boy in grade seven named Zack Zabranak plays baseball. He says, “I really like it because it is a great joy to me and it’s really fun to play.” Zack is very passionate about baseball but also genuinely likes playing it. Some people find sports boring but not these two or any other sports player. To the players, sports is not just about playing, but also about connecting with each other and the love of the game.