I was seven years old, getting ready to dive into the water for my first ever summer swim relay. I was the anchor person, so I would finish the race off for my team, and was shaking in fear that I would lose it all. I immediately hated the feeling of all the pressure and thought to myself that I never wanted to swim again- not in a meet, maybe not even for fun.

Lightridge High School offers a variety of athletic teams to be involved in, and a significant number of students take advantage. During the 2023-2024 school year, 599 students have participated in a sport so far.

As someone that has participated in many different sports throughout the entirety of my life, I have learned that playing sports provides me with essential skills that I didn’t know I would be using in different parts of my life. I’ve participated in gymnastics, dance, softball, swimming, and lacrosse, and they have each taught me that procrastination won’t bring me success and that managing my time is a necessary skill.

Not only have sports been a positive influence on my life, but being a part of an athletics team has proven to have an overall positive effect on the mental health of many of the students at Lightridge High School. Students express that not only does it provide a sense of community, but it allows students to gain crucial skills that they didn’t know were necessary.

Senior Sam Taylor is a three sport athlete who plays field hockey in the fall, basketball in the winter, and lacrosse in the spring. She says that athletics allow her to “improve her leadership skills” and “take a much needed break” from her academic life.

“Being a part of an athletic team gives you another family and provides a safe space for you to make new friends and build new relationships,” said Taylor.

Being on a team allows people to work together towards a common goal and improve collaboration and leadership skills. It allows for growth of character and gives you another support systems. There were many times that I felt extremely stressed about school and other aspects of my life and my athletics became my safe space that helped me to get rid of stress and start to feel better.

While sports can provide students with necessary skills and important relationships, playing a sport can present students with struggles to balance their academics and their athletics.

Sophomore Sophie Samson is another three sport athlete who plays field hockey in the fall, basketball in the winter, and lacrosse in the spring. She believes that time management skills are essential.

“once you get in the groove, balancing out your two lives helps you gain the time management skills you need and makes you feel accomplished in your action,” said Samson. “Knowing that I’m successfully balancing my grades and my sports life makes me feel really good about myself because I’m able to accomplish two important things in my life at once.”

Being an athlete at Lightridge has presented some challenges to the students, but those challenges allow the students to learn and thrive in the face of adversity. The participation in athletics has overall proven positive and allows for enhancement of self esteem as you see the progress ayou are making.

Three-sport athlete, senior Brady Fernstrom said that “although at some points high school sports may appear draining, the accomplishments and skills you gain make it completely worth it.”

That’s an idea that seven year old me, standing terrified on the starting block in my first swim meet, didn’t understand.

The third person touched the wall and I dove in. Adrenaline hit and I was too busy to be afraid. Before I knew it, I had touched the wall and ended up winning it for my team. My teammates came running to me and were all jumping with excitement. At that moment, the feeling of accomplishment and joy overpowered any feeling of pressure or anxiety that I was previously feeling; I knew that being on different sports teams was exactly what I wanted to experience.

That first win in my summer swim relay race encouraged the starting of the sports that led to the improvement of my mental health and also led me towards high school sports, which ultimately helped my stress and problems disappear.