As summer yields to fall, another transition occurs – the comeback of school sports. And with that comeback comes the biggest game of them all – homecoming. At Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, homecoming is a big thing for us. The student council organizes many events, and student participation is through the roof. The annual Friday afternoon pep fest before the game is alive with excitement and activity. Thousands of students and alumni stream to the football field. You would think with all this energy, we’re confident of crushing the other team and sweeping victoriously into the homecoming dance. Trouble is, it doesn’t always work that way.
In fact, our football team hasn’t won a single homecoming game in the last few years. Not that the crowd cares very much. Our rivals might crow they beat us by high margins, but I’ll bet they can’t beat the energy of the Sauk Rapids-Rice crowd going crazy when the team scores a touchdown putting us at 7-42. This really shows the dedication and love for school we have here in these two towns. Football is more than just beating the other team. It’s a way to bring the whole school together, no matter our differences. Our football team is a great group. I know many of them and despite the odds and depressing score lines, they are still full of enthusiasm. Every game night, the Storm pride is always on display. The amount of perseverance is amazing.
Our fans are the same way. Sauk Rapids-Rice proves you don’t always need to win to have an enthusiastic fan base. For us, the experience and the atmosphere is enough. This very fact is proven every game. On Sept. 30, the bleachers were packed to the brim with spectators breathlessly waiting for the game to start. The parking lot was packed with tailgaters watching from the beds of pickup trucks behind the south fence. This makes victories all the more sweeter. On a chilly Thursday night in October of last year, I went with a friend to watch the Storm play the Willmar Cardinals. With the score swinging back and forth with the biting wind, we watched the team pull off a well-earned 26-21 victory. The excitement and elation was incredible. It remains one of the best football games I have ever seen. Our 4-5 record last year was something to be proud of, and the team sure earned it.
Perhaps high school sports and activities have something to teach all of us. It brings to mind that old phrase of “winning isn’t everything.” How true that is. In my own sports and activities I participate in such as soccer, Knowledge Bowl and golf, we are not the most successful groups, but we still have fun. My golf game still needs some work, and the top places in Knowledge Bowl always seem to be just out of reach. But the camaraderie and teamwork built up by these activities is second to none. I remember coming in to the high-school freshman year and feeling somewhat intimidated by the older students. But participating in activities, it helped me meet so many great people and forge lasting relationships. Being a junior now, myself, I hope these same experiences can help the current ninth- and 10th-graders in the same way.
So for any young people reading this right now, my advice is simple: Join an activity or club. You don’t have to be athletic or really into sports. There is something for everyone out there now. There’s Math League, Art Club, Marching Band along with a multitude of others. Many of these programs also have little to no activity fee. In my experience, participating in many different activities has helped me to meet many new people and expand my knowledge and learning. Speech and debate are also good choices for improving public-speaking skills. The most important thing is to get out there and have fun, and learn something new while doing it.
I hope we can continue to expand and keep adding school activities that can serve the range of interests and abilities of today’s students. Everyone is different, and now everyone can be. There are more options than just sports and band these days. School activities do great work in promoting strengths, improving weaknesses and making us all better citizens. You just need to know where to look.
Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
