By Adelyn Burcham, Ellie Hockersmith, Melanie Le, Norah Wallischeck

Trying something new requires courage. 

For sophomore foreign exchange student Sandra Navasa, it was trying basketball for the first time. 

“My first basketball practice was really hard because in Spain we are not into sports that much and I am not used to running,” Navasa said. 

Despite being nervous for her first practice, Navasa was eager to give basketball a try because she was inspired by her older brother. 

“My brother played all his life, and I loved playing with him,” Navasa said. 

Freshman Emma Vornheder was also influenced by her brother to try throwing for the first time. 

“My brother influenced me to do it. My whole life I have always wanted to try things he did, so I thought I would give throwing a try,” Vornheder said. 

The hardest part of trying a new sport is getting through the first practice. New experiences bring nerves and excitement. 

“At my first practice, I felt scared but also so excited to try something new,” freshman Kira Smith said. 

Welcoming teammates can help to calm first practice nerves. 

“I felt welcomed at my first practice because some of my friends already ran track,” senior Amare Middleton said.

After getting through the first practice, everyone is now beginning to get into the swing of the season. 

“Tennis is going really good. I feel that I have improved a lot,” Smith said. 

New skills are being learned at practice and improvements are being made. 

“I have learned that throwing is a lot more than you think it is. It is a lot of work on your body and it is a lot of technique put together,” Vornheder said. 

For some, these new skills that they are learning are essential for the other sports they play. 

“I am going to college next year, so I think track would be good conditioning for football. I have learned how to use blocks and become faster,” Middleton said. 

No matter what new sport everyone has picked up this past season, everyone is glad they tried something new. 

“I have learned that it never hurts to try because you could end up loving it,” Smith said. 

Trying something new requires courage, but it is worth it. 

“Go for it. It is an awesome way to meet new people and it keeps you busy. It is a lot of fun,” Navasa said.