“High School Sports; where lessons of life are still being learned, and where athletes still compete for the love of the game and their teammates.” Micael Powers
Hastings Senior High School officially started the 2022-2023 school year on August 17th. Although the school year didn’t start until the 17th, the fall season sport coaches began practices before the start of the school year. Fall sports include cross country, football, volleyball, softball, golf, and tennis.
Some senior athletes at Hastings High have participated in sports all four years of high school and even longer. These athletes have spent a significant amount of time practicing and working hard to get to the point that they’re in, in their sporting careers.
“I play basketball. Growing up at my old school there was a basketball coach who believed in me ever since I got on the court. I have played all 4 years,” senior Aaron Nonneman said.
Although student athletes spend a notable amount of time practicing a sport, this does not imply that it is no longer difficult. Students who are more focused on sports become less focused on their personal lives and school.
“Really the only way I could see playing sports causing a problem in my personal and school life is if I didn’t know how to manage my time. You have to recognize what’s important to you outside of your sport and make time for or prioritize those things after practice,” senior Logan Brooks said.
Even though sports and school get hard, an athletes team is like a family to them. A coach to guide them onto the right path and plenty of teammates to celebrate the winning games with but to also sit in sorrow with after a lost game.
“I would say that my team and coaches feel like family to me. I think the fact that we spend 2-3 hours everyday after school with each other means we have a lot of time to bond with each other,” Brooks said.
A little over 7% of high school athletes, which is about 1 in 13, go on to play a varsity sport in college. Less than 2% of high school athletes, which is about 1 in 57, go on to play at NCAA Division I schools. The odds aren’t in student athletes favor but that doesn’t stop them from trying to achieve their goals and dreams.
“I have committed to the University of Nebraska Omaha to continue my acedemic and softball career,” Schmidt said.
