Many have heard the saying “try any activity or sport one can in high school, otherwise there may be some regret when older.” But what if students can’t try everything? Numerous extracurriculars such as bowling, golf, and swimming practice are at off-site locations, which can cause some students to not have the ability to do other extracurricular activities, or even the sport itself. When being a part of these teams, many may find themselves trying to find not only time for the practice itself but also extra for travel. One student who truly understands these difficulties is Grace Wittstruck, senior. Wittstruck said, “I would either have to drive to Washington High School or Coe College, which was about a 15-30 minute drive.” Due to the school not having a pool, or even a school-sponsored swim team, she has to drive to other campuses to be able to compete. The school, still wanting students to have the opportunity to swim, made an intertwined team with other institutes. Although many athletes are grateful for this, it still can be difficult for them to get to their event. Wittstruck said, “I would have to split my time for everything. I wasn’t able to fully participate in any of my activities because it is such a time-dependent activity.” Even though she is fully committed to swimming, she had to miss opportunities due to it being off-site. It can be challenging for these students to get the same amount of time spent on certain extracurriculars due to the sport being far away. 

     Another student having the same issue is Isabella Aguliar-Lingo, sophomore. She has been a part of the bowling team for almost two years now. As much as Aguliar-Lingo loves being a bowler, she struggles with the sport being off-site as well. Aguilar-Lingo said, “A negative is that I believe that we pay for lanes so the budget has to be balanced to support the payment to the bowling center.” Just like any other sport, bowling has a limited supply of money as well, but having to pay for their practice area can take almost the whole budget. Bowling shouldn’t have to be punished by losing all of their allowance since the school doesn’t have the equipment that these players need. It can be challenging for the team to get new jerseys or tools when their balance of money is declining for their practice times. Another degrading factor is the lanes being open to the public. Aguliar-Lingo said, “The public is allowed to use the lanes on Monday while we practice, so the oil patterns on the lanes can be off.” Not only does the team have such limited time to practice on certain days, but they can be found changing the lane patterns before even getting to practice. With the conditions the bowlers have to go through just to get reps, it can be detrimental to their game. 

      Both of these athletes have to power through many conflicting events, budgets, or time just to be able to play the sport they love. Several students have had to quit the sport or another activity to be a part of an off-site team. This can also lead to the school having less support for these players since the events are so far away. Wittstruck said, “I think it would be very validating if our school decided to support my sport.” As a school with so many extracurriculars, it can be difficult for everyone to remember some activities. Although their practices and tournaments are so far away, they are working just as hard as everyone else. Aguilar-Lingo said, “It would be nice if the school connected us with other sports so that we could have similar opportunities that help with updating the jerseys, funding, and photography.” Making sure we support all extracurriculars can help our school become better adapted as a whole. So next time you have a free moment, go to a swimming or bowling meet and support other classmates!