adventures of a typical high school student

Welcome back everyone!

Football season is in full swing, which means my cheer season is as well. I figured I would write another post about my experience doing a high school sport, but in a more general form than I have in the past. I’ve written about doing high school cheer specifically, but not as much about just being a high school athlete in a way that could relate to any sport. I know some people don’t consider cheer a sport and it definitely has a different structure than most so take all of this with a grain of salt, but I still think it can help you out if you’re wondering what it’s like to do sports in school.

For a little background, I am currently a sophomore on my school’s JV sideline cheer team, meaning I cheer at all JV football and basketball games. I was on the team last year as well, so this is my second year doing a high school sport. I go to a public high school that has good sports for our area, but is not a major sports school. There are a few highly ranked football players and track athletes, but that’s mainly it. As I mentioned, I’ve posted other articles about cheer; I have a High School Cheer Q&A and a couple other posts about it, so go check those out if you haven’t already! And if you’re interested in the more general things to know about being a high school athlete, keep reading.

• There will usually be a very interesting mix of people on the team – You have the people who have been playing this sport since they could walk, the people doing it because their friends signed up, the people who just want PE credit, the people forced into it by their parents, and the people who just wanted to try something new. If your team is super competitive and small you might not have this mix, but I find with any larger teams or not as elite teams, you definitely have a few of each of these types of athletes. It makes for a more interesting team though, so don’t be discouraged either way.
• Coaches are not the best or the most understanding, and they often quit/get fired/etc. – Again, if you go to a huge sports school or have long-respected coaches this may not be true. At my school, coaches usually last a few years maximum and are known for being unnecessarily harsh and unorganized. It makes you stronger and more self-sufficient in the end, so just power through and try to ignore their craziness.
• Being a 4-year athlete is a big deal since not many people stick it out – In the state of California (maybe other states, not sure?) you need two years worth of athletic credit to graduate high school. Lots of people quit after that, usually in time for junior year since sports are such a big time commitment and junior year is super busy. Because of this, the people who really love their sport and stick it out all four years are regarded very highly. If you think you’ll be one of these people, look forward to lots of senior privileges!
• The distinction between frosh/soph, JV, and varsity can be odd depending on how your school does tryouts and selection – At my school, some sports will let anyone on but then only let the best on varsity, some sports divide teams strictly by grade level and not skill, and some sports have very small and competitive teams where not many people make it on. Depending on how competitive your school’s sports programs are and how many people are interested in playing sports, it may be harder or easier to make a certain level.
• Conditioning is rough – All coaches will make their teams condition. It’s just a fact. However, high school athletics practices are usually during the afternoon… the hottest part of the day. Whenever running and conditioning is involved, it will be so much harder in the heat. This might not be an issue if you live somewhere colder and you’re in a winter sport, but in sunny California it is HOT for fall sports and even winter…and spring.
• It’s a significant time commitment – I think this is the most obvious thing but I still wanted to include it. A school sport is usually a minimum commitment of ten hours a week, and that’s just counting practices and games. There will also be lots more events such as bonding, camps, fundraisers, clinics, etc. that you will be expected to attend- most of these are fun so it’s not an issue, it’s just something to be aware of since they will take up even more room in your schedule.
• You will have to wear your uniform or sports attire to school (a lot…) – I think most schools do this? On game day, you will most likely have to wear your uniform or something related to your sport just to represent the program and remind people there’s a game. It saves you the struggle of picking out an outfit, but I know it bothers some people.
• Depending on your sport’s season, you might still have to take P.E. or do more than one sport to get athletic credit – If your sport doesn’t practice in the offseason or it has a particularly short season, it often won’t count for a full PE credit. You’ll have to do sports during the other seasons or transfer into a PE class once your sport is over to finish the semester/year of credits. I had to do this after cheer was over for second semester, and it was a huge bummer. You can take PE online (I know, it’s weird) through BYU Independent Study if you’re interested!
• It’s an amazing way to get involved in school, meet people, and have fun – Doing a high school sport is a great experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested. You feel like you’re really part of the student body from the beginning of the year, and you meet a lot of people you probably wouldn’t have otherwise. It has its ups and downs, but what doesn’t? Make the most of it while you can 🙂

I hope this gave you guys some insight into what participating in high school sports is like. Your experience is really what you make of it and it also depends on how your school runs their athletic programs, but I promise it will be fun if you have the right attitude. Let me know if you have any questions or requests for future content as always!

-Brooke