The Impact of Sports in Notre Dame’s Community
With 11 sports offered at Notre Dame, all students are welcome to and encouraged to sign up and try out for a sport of their choice. Whether trying out for a new sport, or one you have practiced all your life, all who are interested should put in their best effort and vie for a spot on a team.
For the 2023-2024 school year, fall season tryouts have officially started, beginning with volleyball, golf, and cross country on Aug. 7. Many students are also excited for a new flag football program. Around 70 girls have shown interest in Notre Dame’s new program.
Even if you aren’t sure how to play or aren’t sure if you want to join a team, most sports have clinics where they show you what the sport is and how to play correctly. They are free of charge and all you need to do is sign up and make sure to go. Even if you don’t like it, there’s no downside to trying. If you do go and find that the sport is super fun, you now have the opportunity to try out. This is something you might not have done if you hadn’t gone to a clinic.
Students seem to be making a good choice by signing up and trying out for these sports. Being in a sports team is the perfect after-school activity to be involved in. You can stay active and healthy, laugh with friends, and represent Notre Dame on the court. Being on a team is also a great way to meet new people and make new friends—especially if you are a freshman.
Additionally, when you are on a team, you can exercise your leadership skills and learn things that can help you in real life. Sports can help you become more disciplined and responsible. You learn how to show respect to your teammates, coaches, and referees which can help you to show respect to classmates, teachers, tutors, parents, and siblings. It keeps you disciplined in your life, taking what you learned about getting to practice on time, staying focused, and pushing yourself and helping you with those qualities in the real world.
Unfortunately, sometimes things might not go as planned, and you or your friends might not make the team. That’s okay, though—it’s always worth a shot. You can still support your fellow classmates by attending games and meets, and cheering them on while they play—increasing overall school spirit. When asked about the importance of attending sports games, alumna Juman Bayati ‘22 says, “Yeah, I guess it [sports events] would give us something to look forward to.”. While basketball and volleyball are the most popular sports to go spectate and cheer for, don’t forget about all the other teams, since players put a lot of effort in to go out there and play their hardest.