The typical day for an athlete revolves around either a practice or game. However, high school sports haven’t always been this way. Many teachers at AHS who have played sports in high school agree that their experiences were much different than the experiences of student athletes today.

Although most teachers agree that high school sports have changed, the degree of change directly relates to the teacher’s age.

“The only sports for girls were basketball and cheerleading, which was not considered a sport at the time,” math teacher Judy Fisher said.

Fisher went to school in the 60s and did not participate in basketball because there was only one varsity team.

“Only the really great girls played; even if you were mediocre or some what coordinated you wouldn’t make the team,” Fisher said.

Fisher also recognizes that girls now play sports when they are younger. However, for Fisher, high school was the first opportunity many students in her school had to participate in sports.

On the other hand, younger teachers do not feel the same.

“I do not think sports have changed since I was in high school, it was 10 years ago,” physics teacher Thomas Chorman said.

Chorman ran track in high school for three years and also participated in marching band.

“Track was a very social thing but we were very competitive; it was nice because it was open to everyone,” he said.

Some teachers, like Fisher, remember the time when girls had few options for sports, while boys could take advantage of many different athletic opportunities. Even more recently, girls have been dabbling in sports that are traditionally for boys only. Debates have even sparked around the country about the extent girls should be able to participate in sports like wrestling and football.

“I think it’s inspirational and it must take a lot to prove themselves in male dominated sports,” English teacher Stephanie Guffey said.

Although AHS does not currently have any females on its football or wrestling teams, other schools in the patriot district, like Lake Braddock, do. On the other hand, boys are now more involved in sports like cheerleading in schools around the nation.

Another huge change in high school sports deals with their competitiveness.

“I played softball, but it’s a lot more competitive now and less when I played. It was more about hanging out with friends,” Guffey said.

The penalties for losing are now more severe, so athletes feel the pressure to perform. Although athletes get to hang out with their teammates, coaches are taking the games and practices more seriously.

Guffey is not the only one who has this opinion. “I was a swimmer and swimming has become more competitive,” history teacher Stratton Shartel said.

This newfound competitiveness makes students spend more time on their sport.

“It seems more time consuming,” English teacher Melissa Phillips said.

Practices are longer and athletes must dedicate hours everyday to their sports. Phillips went to a small high school where sports, like lacrosse, were not available to girls.

“A lot of girls did sports but most girls either played softball or cheered,” Phillips said. She played softball and only had a few practices a week.

Fundraising for sports was also different, as athletic boosters are an invention of the last decade. Schools used to provide funding for all sports and fundraising was not common.

In addition, spirit wear was also scarce. As opposed to now, athletes did not accumulate t-shirts from the numerous sports they played; the only spirit wear they were given was their uniforms.

“We did not have as much spirit wear, but I wish we had; the more the better. It fosters a sense of pride in the school,” Shartel said.

Students often believe that their teachers don’t understand how hard it is to balance school and sports, despite the fact that teachers were once high school students, too. Maybe when you get older you can look back on high school sports just like many teachers do.

By Corinne Balicki

Staff Writer