Spring sports bring stress, fun

Jimmy Rizzo
Staff Writer

Spring sports try-outs started Feb. 28. For some students it was a walk on to the team, and for others it was nerve-wrecking process.

Women’s soccer head coach, Chris Allen, said, “I think our most stressed out players are either our juniors or freshmen. Many juniors are worried of being placed on Junior Varsity instead of Varsity, which in some cases is harder than being cut as a freshmen, but freshmen are sometimes stressed out too, especially when the freshmen don’t know what they are getting into.”

 The women’s soccer team made seven to eight cuts in the 2010 season.

 Allen added, “With having pre-season programs, the amount of players who try-out has gone down. Last year, we went from having around 80 girls coming to the pre-season work-outs, but by try-outs only 50 of them were still there.”

 Sophomore Phoebe Mendelson said, “Spring sport try-outs, to me, are more stressful because the weather is nicer, and the coaches push us harder. Also second semester school work can be a little harder.”

 Track coach Jonathan Petter, said, “Starting a new sport season can increase stress because of having less time, but a lot of the time sports can be a stress releaser. For example with our runners, I know it releases their stress while running. Sports allow kids to clear their mind from the rest of the day, even if it’s only for a couple hours.”

 Petter added, “Trying out for a new sport can be stressful because if you don’t know many people on the team or if you don’t have many friends on the team, then you have to develop new relationships which can be difficult.”

 Petter said, “Also a lot of kids don’t manage their time very well, and they procrastinate school work, so that develops into them having less time for school work which leads to less sleep, and ends in more stress.
If the kids don’t keep on top of their school-work the stress has a snowball effect.”

Science teacher Margaret Skouby said, “I don’t think spring sports have an effect on grades of students because the athletes seem to be more organized. I think the weather has more of an effect than anything.”
Spanish teacher Amy Rowland said, “I think it really depends on the student and what sport they’re playing. A football player or basketball player has a more demanding schedule than a volleyball player, so schoolwork might become more difficult.”