By Junior Hannah Colbert

As the fall sports season winds down, final preparations are underway for the fall musical and students are gearing up for the winter sports season. Participation in extracurricular activities greatly enhances the school experience, and augments the student experience beyond just wins and losses. Windom students participate in a wide array of activities ranging from VEX Robotics to gymnastics. Why do students begin participating and what do students gain from attending our events? We asked a few of our middle school participants for their thoughts on the value of attending extracurricular activities. 

At Windom Area Schools the age of eligibility for sports teams is seventh grade. Once you reach that age you can join the different teams when the season comes, starting with the fall sports such as volleyball, football, and cross country. Participation at the youth level while having the opportunity to go watch our student athletes compete at a higher level helps our young student athletes better relate and develop their skills by seeing them in action. 

Many middle school age students go to varsity events just for something to do. It is, in a sense, a safe social gathering. However, why our young student athletes attend doesn’t necessarily matter as much as what they get out of going. For 7th grade student athlete Reagan Haugen, going to volleyball games is a regular part of her life. “I like to watch and really relate to the games.” At almost every home game you can look up and see Reagan and her friends watching, learning, and seeing how the varsity players use the skills these girls are learning themselves. Reagan and her friends are learning from the positive community environment that our varsity events provide. When the time comes for Reagan and her friends to be the athletes our community comes to watch, they will know how to carry themselves and the program in the right way because others have shown them the path. 

On a chilly fall Friday night, it’s no surprise to see a crowd at Island Park for a varsity football game. Are these people insane for braving the elements (wind, cold, you know it, you were there…)? Probably, but mostly they’re showing their support for these players, regardless of what the final score might be. Within this crowd of people, you can once again see middle school student athletes taking in their older peers competitions. Most of these student athletes don’t know the players personally, many of them don’t even understand all the intricacies and nuances of a football. So why do they go? 7th grade student athlete Na’eem Muhammad says he likes to yell for his team in the crowds. “I mean who doesn’t?” For him, like for Reagan, it’s a way to relate to the game, but it’s also more than that. The event provides a way for him to see the boys who stay in the game, boys who continue to play regardless of the reasons not to. The atmosphere on a Friday football night brings the community together and shows our young student athletes that no matter the outcome, it is the process of coming together that matters. 

In some cases, going to varsity events is a large part of the growing up experience and something they have been doing since they were babies. Some of these kids had siblings they went to watch and actually grew up around the sport. One example is 8th grade student athlete Thomas Green, who grew up watching all of his siblings run on the cross country team and, as a result, developed a passion for running. For Thomas, running was always something he was around, but going to meets provided more of an electric experience. “I not only liked seeing my siblings run, but I liked to see the competition at these events. I liked to see how all the other runners did and how they pushed each other.” Cross country events create an environment similar to what a person might see on a larger scale at any of the thousands of marathon events around the country, albeit on a much smaller scale of course. Champions are congratulated, but all runners are encouraged for putting themselves out there and improving everyday. Participation teaches perseverance and a growth mindset to continue to improve as a person, all vital lifelong relevant attributes.    

There’s something about a Friday night or a crowded gym that pulls people of all ages to watch a sporting event. Lots of times it’s a parent going to support their child, highschoolers watching their friends, or a community member who loves the game. We take for granted the youngsters in the stands but this group is probably the most important group of spectators. They are the future of not only our varsity teams, but also the leaders in our community. They love to see their team win, but what they love most of all is the coming together for a purpose bigger than any one individual. Regardless of the reason our students have for attending the many events at Windom School, what they leave with is undoubtedly much more important.