Why it’s Important to Get Involved as a Freshman
Freshman year might seem hard enough as it is, but it’s also the best time to get involved in sports, cheerleading, STUCO, and clubs. Doing these things can help you now, by giving you something to do and people to talk to. They can also help in the future when you’re filling out college applications or a scout sees you on the field. Even if it feels like you don’t have time for any extra activities, you do, it’s all about time management. At this point of the year, it’s too late for fall sports and cheer, but the Freshman class STUCO, clubs, and other sports can still be joined.
If you missed your chance at fall sports, get out there and attend the games so you can get an idea of what you’ll be doing next year, maybe you’ll even end up changing sports. Going to games is also a great opportunity to have fun and start building up your school spirit. Upcoming winter sports for boys are wrestling, swimming & diving, basketball, and bowling. Girls have a choice between wrestling, basketball, and bowling. Conditioning for all winter sports starts in the fall. All you need to attend any season’s conditioning and/or tryouts is a physical from past May 1st. Spring sports available for boys are tennis, track & field, and baseball. For girls, there are teams for soccer, track and field, swimming & diving, and softball. Conditioning starts the first week back from winter break. Coaches need freshmen to participate in their sport because with the seniors graduating and everyone else moving up a grade every year, they need new players to fill opening spots on varsity, JV, and freshman teams. The newcomers are the future of the team. It’s good to start early so you can decide if you genuinely want to participate in a certain sport or if you changed your mind and want to try something new as a sophomore. While it’s still a good idea to try new things as an upperclassman, you won’t have as much time to improve your skills or enjoy what you’re doing. Even if you feel like you don’t have a future in sports, you should still try them for fun. Do it for the team banquet, the long bus rides to games/meets/matches, and for the new friends you’re going to make.
This year’s cheer squad has already been selected but if you’re interested in trying out for next year, tryouts are in the spring. The coaches are Ms. Haney and Mrs. Rodgers. When asked why freshmen should try out for cheer, Rodgers said it would “make them care more about academics and more likely to stay in school”. Being in cheer also keeps you healthy, and teaches you leadership & discipline. The cheer team is fun, involved in most school-related activities & their own competitions, has a lot of positivity, and is “all about school spirit!”. According to Rodgers, the most important thing to consider is ” the coaches are awesome”.
A lesser-known way to get involved is to join the color guard in the marching band. Color guard is not for anybody who doesn’t like to run or move quickly. They get to attend and perform at all the home football games and go to marching competitions with the rest of the band. Tryouts for next year are also in the spring. If you’re interested in doing it and have any questions, talk to Ms. Nance in S-2.
Student Council is another option you have for getting involved. Doing STUCO and sports is a possible option and has been done often in the past years. STUCO does volunteer work, fundraisers, and organizes Homecoming.
There is a limited amount of clubs which can be found on page 38 of your agenda. The most popular ones include DECA, International Thespian Society, Student leadership, Titans Reach out, and Young Life. DECA is the Distributive Education Clubs of America. They prepare you to be a leader and entrepreneur in finance, marketing, hospitality, and management. It’s available for all students at every grade level. The International Thespian Society is for theatre students. Student leadership is not the same as STUCO. Student leadership meets Thursdays during lunch in B-6. Titans Reach Out is a club that does community service and plans Titan Pride Day. If you are interested in Titans Reach Out, join the Remind class @titansgive. Young Life meets every other Monday at 7:00 p.m. in E-12. Joining clubs is beneficial to you because it’s another way to get involved and can get yourself graduation cords, scholarships, and in some cases, like DECA, take you to national competitions.
The most important thing to remember when you start to get involved in activities is that your academics come first. No matter how important your club or your sport is, if you’re on the D & F list you won’t be allowed to attend any games or events. You also run the risk of having your teachers email your coaches or not passing a class and having to retake it.
