3 minute read
in search of more attention
Hidden Games
Less popular sports deserving of more attention
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Senior Brenden Czigler focuses hard on his swimming, hoping to beat his personal goals. The swim meet on October 17th was a great opportunity for him to show off the talent he has. Photo by Brock Slinkard
By Amber Davis
Staff Reporter
Stories of winning touchdowns in football games and rather crazy shots in basketball are constantly being seen and talked about by the general community. But it is not often that outstanding performances in tennis matches or record times beaten in swim & dive are mentioned in conversations.
Some sports offered to students at FHC do not get the attention it deserves — leaving their sometimes unprecedented achievements in the dark. One of those sports is swim and dive. Coach Robin Hussey believes a few factors contribute to the unpopularity of some teams.
“I think it would be more popular if there was a pool at school, and practice wasn’t so late at night,” Hussey said.
The team practices about four to five times every week, typically from 8-10 p.m. Although this is a sacrifice when it comes to time management and a cut into some of their free time, there is one thing that she wants students who are on the fence or considering joining to know.
“Participating in this sport gives you a skill for life and a sport you can continue for the rest of your life,” Coach Hussey said. “It is the best overall exercise for your health.”
According to Coach Jeremy Rohrbach, tennis requires a high level of mental strength. Coach Rohrbach makes this point to his teams.
“You cannot succeed in this sport if you are not mentally strong,” Coach Rohrbach said. “The dynamic of playing individuality in a team sport is something that does not happen in many other sports.”
One aspect of a sport is taking personal responsibility while playing on the team. When it comes to tennis, individuality is oftentimes an important part of success within the game.
“You are a part of a team but also have times when you are playing as an individual,” Coach Rohrbach said. “Tennis is one of the only sports that this happens. You can win your match and the team can still lose; it can be a grind mentally.”
Bowling is more than likely one of the least known sports offered to students. Senior Daniella Bohnenstiehl, a member of the team, suspects that this is due to the sport simply not getting the same promotion that many other sports get.
“I feel like the school could advertise it more,” Bohnenstiehl said. “It doesn’t get a lot of recognition by [the school] like football or baseball does.”
Coach Rohrbach agrees there is a subset of sports that do not get advertised as much compared to other sports.
“It never gets the publicity that other sports do,” Rohrbach said. “It does not bring in any money for the school.”
Bohnenstiehl adds that a person’s mindset of what does (or doesn’t) qualify as a sport can have a large impact on promotion of the sport, attracting spectators, and recruiting members onto the team.
“When people think of sports, they think of more competitiveness like football and baseball,” Bohnenstiehl said. “They don’t really typically think about bowling because people don’t really think of it as much of a competitive sport as the other, more physical ones.”
Bowling does, however, have competitiveness to it. In fact, the team has participated in a number of tournaments and games against other teams in the area, including the Metro Tournament at Imperial Bowl on November 6. Although not all sports involve being tremendously physical, they do have the same goals in mind: have fun, get stronger, and win over any opponent they face.
“When we grow up, we watch the ‘big four’ sports on TV and that’s part of the reason they are the most participated in,” Coach Rohrbach said. “[But] I do want to say that our AD, Mr. Scott Harris, does a great job of supporting [sports] at FHC.”
