At our school, there’s no denying the excitement around football and the fame it brings, a staple in high school for decades and more decades in the future. Big crowds, loud cheers, social media posts, and all the usual. But if you walk across campus after the school day and everyone separates to their own, you’ll see athletes from other teams running laps, diving into cold water, swinging racquets, lifting weights, giving just as much effort, time, and heart. And yet, to a degree, I think their hard work goes unnoticed.

It’s not that popular sports shouldn’t be celebrated; they absolutely should, but when only a few get it, we miss out on so many stories that matter and the inclusivity for others.

Sophomore track and field student athlete Damian Garcia gave his reply when I asked if he thinks some sports “overshadow” others. “Sometimes, especially in funding for school track and field, we barely get new hurdles and equipment,” Garcia said. This suggests that certain sports, such as track and field, receive less attention and support, which can affect how athletes practice and compete.

I continued my interview with Garcia and asked if he believes a sport, such as football in this case, is fairly receiving the mass attention it gets compared to other sports. “Yeah, it’s a complicated sport and is somewhat interesting. I don’t mind it, but it does overshadow track and field,” he added. This shows that other people, rather than just I, who respect the effort and skill put into football, believe it’s drawing attention from other sports that aren’t as “popular” as football.

To get more perspectives, I interviewed two other student athletes here at Woodbridge High, and I asked the same questions I gave to Garcia. Sophomore boys’ lacrosse player Yashas Santosh gave his opinion on the same questions as before. When I asked about the “overshadow,” Santosh said, “I think lacrosse doesn’t get as much attention as some other sports, but we do get recognition.” Most importantly, it’s great that sports at least get recognition from the school, but where’s the drive? The hype when a big game is upcoming or a playoff clincher? Santosh also gave his opinion about the fairness and added “I think all sports should be focused on equally.” The common belief is that all sports should be equally represented and showcased.

Lastly, I interviewed sophomore girls’ volleyball player Reagan Chi, again, with the same questions given as before to the past student athletes. When asked about “overshadow,” Chi said, “In terms of overshadowing, I don’t think so. Football deserves all the support they can get during tougher seasons, and I respect them for trying as they can anyways throughout the season…I think we could get more attention for the lower teams like JV and Frosh A/B.” While yes, I heavily believe and support the fact that football does deserve attention for their amazing CIF push despite rough past seasons, still, other teams, even if they’re lesser levels than Varsity, should be getting enough attention and hype.

I asked her the last question about the fairness and to which she said, “I think football deserves the attention they’ve been getting, which is good for them,” when referring to the playoff push made by the program. As I said before, I support and believe the fact that the football team deserves attention as they still deserve it for their efforts and determination, but I still believe that lower levels to other popular sports and flat out whole other sports are still being outshown by large sports.

Though right now, I think our school’s support system favors a handful of teams. Posters go up only for a few, announcements mention them first, their games fill the bleachers. But what about teams like golf, lacrosse, track and field, baseball, softball, and much more? They deserve more than a quiet mention on a bulletin board or a quick “yay hooray” slide on the homeroom slideshows.

I’m proud of all the athletes at our school, no matter what sport they play and I think our community has an opportunity to grow. By putting other sports in the spotlight, we show that effort matters more than popularity. We say that dedication matters more than the number of fans in the stands. We show that every athlete counts for their hard work and love for their sport.

Let’s celebrate all teams, not just because it’s fair, but because it strengthens the feeling we all share in our school. After all, when every athlete feels valued, our whole school wins.