Spring Season Begins at BHS

More frightening than midterms, even scarier than finals, the time for spring sports tryouts has arrived at Broadneck High. With some team memberships more sought after than others, those trying out for some activities have to face a massive amount of competition.

At Broadneck, sports are constantly in the back of everyone’s mind, but there are some sports that seem to be more coveted than others. The boys and girls lacrosse and track & field teams seem a little more competitive, with rigorous tryouts and intense workouts.

“We definitely had a lot of kids try out this year, so it does get pretty competitive,” said Wyatt Fields, Broadneck sophomore and Broadneck JV lacrosse player last year. “But even though we’re all fighting for a spot, we’re all still teammates.”

Securing a spot for the boys lacrosse teams at Broadneck has always been challenging, but with the JV team having gone all last year undefeated, it’s easy to understand why.

Track & field actually doesn’t cut many people, but is known for its "self-cuts." These “self-cuts” can result from any number of things, like walking, talking back, or just flat out quitting, but from an initial group of roughly 100 teens, the teams are reduced to about 60 over the course of a few months.

“Tryouts tend to be pretty crowded,” said Broadneck runner Devon Baummer. “But I’m still excited for the new season.”

However, there are other teams that take a more relaxed approach.

“I pretty much made the [tennis] team because I was on it last year,” said Jack Bandarenko, tennis player and Broadneck sophomore.

Teens who play sports at Broadneck, despite the late nights, the harsh practices, and the nerves right before a game, seem to genuinely enjoy themselves. They create a network of friends that, for some, could only be brought together by the love of the sport. The people you see at lunches or in class can be completely different in personality from the teammate that you learn to hit the field with.

Good luck to the hundreds of students involved in the tryouts this week. Broadneck has historically been tops in the county in athletic activities throughout the year, and, with the looks of the many who lined up ready to impress the coaches on the fields this week, the tradition will continue through the spring.