Ever since the “supafans” were created, spirit and class involvement have dramatically risen at some sporting events. However, the crowd size and participation is still a stretch at a Friday night football game compared to an early morning cross country race. Recently, activities and sports have gotten criticism on how the members do not actually participate in a “real sport.”
Comments ranging from “running doesn’t count” or “cheer isn’t that hard” all create the ongoing list of examples of how some people are being put down because their sport doesn’t fit the typical stereotype.
“Cross country is other sports’ punishment,” junior cross country runner Bailey Barnhart said. “We work just as hard, if not harder, and train just as long to get where we want to be. It’s harder than most sports and requires discipline and allows us to be competitive with each other and other teams.”
Not only is cross country listed under the sports the district recognizes, it also competes in State along with weekend competitions. Only seven varsity spots are allowed and that can change from week to week, unlike other sports who allow as many to play every week. Even though it has different objectives than more widely-attended sport events, such as football and soccer, cross country meets the requirement for the definition of a sport.
“For me a sport is a lifestyle,” freshmen football player Christian Farris said. “It doesn’t have to be a game, on a field, with a ball, a sport is what makes it all worthwhile.”
A sport, according to the dictionary, is defined as being an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others. Even though cheerleading and band are mostly seen on the sidelines of football and basketball games, they both also compete against other schools.
Cheer and band are classified as activities only so that the team can put in as many practice hours as desired. Team members of each group are required to take the specific class which allots them even more practice time. In the fall, band arrives 45 minutes early to school, four days a week and continues to rehearse throughout first hour. With cheer being almost similar, cheerleaders practice throughout their seventh hour class time and sometimes continues on into the after-school hours.
“Band can be very physical,” senior drum major Steven Murray said. “We practically have to run across a football field to certain locations while controlling our breath; we sometimes don’t get the chance to inhale until after about 20 to 30 seconds.”
Whether it’s running in the early mornings, marching through a football field or playing in the rivalry football game, each team has a different definition of a sport, that all involves one common theme.
“Others say we are all crazy for running cross country and that’s true, we are crazy, but that’s the fun of it,” Barnhart said. “A sport is for crazy people who want to do what they love and what most people won’t or can’t.”
