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Forever Young: School sports – too divided

McCall Linke
Forever Young co-editor
Middle Park High School

Breaking News: The school board, perhaps, may have a great idea: The possibility of cutting all sports except football, volleyball, basketball and track is splendid.

I’m sure I have already gotten people in a tizzy with so many shocking statements, but let me explain.

The number of student-athletes that attend Middle Park High School is high, but not enough to support so many different sports. If Middle Park consolidated their teams, only good could come from it.



For example, in the fall there is a huge rivalry between the football and the soccer boys. It is actually quite sad how divided the school becomes when picking soccer or football sides. School is supposed to be a community, a place to be proud to cheer for. How can the student body be supportive when they are torn between two teams from the same school?

It may not be as dramatic as the classic 1950s fight scene, but there is definitely tension. Not only are the students torn, so are the teams. The football team wants this kid because he is tough while the soccer team wants that kid because he is fast.



No doubt Middle Park has some superior athletes – no matter what they do they are going to excel. Imagine if all the star athletes were on one team – I could see a trophy coming home. Our population cannot support this many sports.

We have 11 sports, not counting basketball as two (boys/girls), or skiing as two (Nordic/alpine). If that load were cut down to four, the community would be forced to rally behind the remaining teams. The student sections at games would increase because the students that are not in the sport being played would be able to support the team because they wouldn’t be at practice for another sport. The Middle Park Panthers would be so much stronger with only four sports.

I don’t mean to make anyone upset, I just want to make you think.


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