From peers to teammates to friends.

School sports are allowing freshmen to meet new people and become friends with other students in all grade levels making them more comfortable with each other and in school.

Many students go through high school feeling like they don’t belong or like they don’t have any friends but when they join a team they discover a whole new group of people that they can create friendships with. It gives students a place to belong and develop bonds with their peers and teammates. 

“Knowing they are your teammates and friends all in one makes it even better because you know they will be there for you,” Dominic Lezco (9) said. 

Many freshmen can speak from experience that having their teammates with them in high school has helped them feel more comfortable and makes their high school experience a lot better. This is important because they are coming from different middle schools and it can be difficult to feel comfortable when you are surrounded by people you don’t know. 

“I think being on a team would help someone adjust from middle school to high school because it shows you the different types of bonds you have with people. Before walking into a school with no idea who’s in your class or how to talk with others you’ve never talked to before,” Jordyn Hawkins (9) said.

Not only do students create friendships while playing sports together but they help each other with school work as well as workouts and simply saying hello to each other in the hall. These simple acts of kindness and friendship make teammates grow closer and make them more comfortable with each other which in turn makes them more comfortable at a school they are new to. 

“Me and my teammates have some classes together, and whenever we do group projects we are together. For example, I have a teammate in an athletic conditioning class, and we work out together. Also, if we see each other in the hallways we will always say something to each other.” Colton Jackson (9) said. 

Being on a team gives students more than just teammates and a place to go, it gives them friendships that can last a lifetime. Their teammates are much more than just other players, they become best friends and a second family. They make high school and life a little easier. 

“It helps them gain new friends and give them the chance to be apart of something that other people don’t get to experience.” Andrew Jackson (9) said.