At BVH, there are a multitude of activities available for students to participate in. These activities include several clubs with different motivations and goals. This can range from Kpop Club, where students can gather together to discuss their shared interests, to any sports club, which formed in order to improve their skills and teamwork. No matter the type of activity performed in each of these clubs/sports, they all contribute to the greater building of community within BVH. However, a student who is involved in both a club and a sport may benefit more from their experiences in these endeavors. Having the opportunity to hear from three different athletes at BVH, they shared what they have learned from the activities they are involved in, as well as how said activities relate to each other. BVH senior and girls lacrosse midfielder, Renata Herbst, explains how she got involved with her sport.
“I started playing [lacrosse] my freshman year. I started playing because I saw an ad for it on instagram on the ASB page and I thought it sounded like fun so I tried out […] I wanted to play a sport for four years and I ended up enjoying it. I thought it was a cool sport; [that] it was different and I had not heard of it before,” Herbst said.
The ASB at BVH is the group responsible for organizing the most important events within the school year, as well as promoting different events at our school in general. As we can see in Herbst’s case, promotion is important because it will end up drawing more people in. Sports are typically a popular thing to get involved with in high school, but seeing someone talk about it may convince a person who has never even thought about starting a particular sport, to join the school team. Herbst discusses the other club she is in at BVH.
“Interact is volunteer work like helping out the school or just trying to make a change outside of school too. [I have learned that] it is possible to make a change, starting with yourself. [A lesson I have learned from the club that can apply to my sport is] having a good mindset about things,” Herbst said.
Interact Club is a go-to for anyone looking to get more involved with their community, as the volunteer work extends from cleaning up around the school to helping clean up outside of it. Herbst expresses that the work she puts into Interact Club allows her to improve her mindset regarding her sport, lacrosse. Having a good attitude is a very essential part of becoming successful in almost anything, but especially in sports, where you have to learn to keep going even when faced with failure. Finally, she elaborates on how her skills from her club help with her sport.
“Yes, [being in clubs inside school helps me with my sport outside of school]. It helps to manage your time better, if you have other things going on you will get a knack [for it], doing better through time, ” Herbst said.
Herbst plays lacrosse for both the BVH Girls Lacrosse team and a club team, the Reapers. By having to manage her sport spread across two teams as well as participating in volunteer work through her club, Herbst has had to learn how to achieve a healthy balance. BVH sophomore and girls soccer midfielder, Ava Galvan, shares how she began her soccer career.
“I started playing when I was around four years old because my older sister was playing and that inspired me […] I have stuck with [soccer] for so long because I find it really fun and the friendships that I have made during it are very valuable. I am [also] looking to get a Division 1 Scholarship,” Galvan said.
As opposed to Herbst, Galvan has been playing her sport for most of her life, rather than taking it up during high school. However, she remains just as passionate, with aspirations as high as receiving a scholarship for her athletic ability in soccer. The fact Galvan joined an activity at school due to her sibling is a common decision, as younger siblings tend to take inspiration or be given the push to join similar activities as their older siblings did when they were in school. Galvan’s other club focuses on the social aspect of interacting with others.
“In [Baron Buddies] we meet with our buddy and we do fun activities with them. [We] make them feel a part of the school community. I feel like [through the club] I have learned to communicate with others better,” Galvan said. “I feel that in a way [the lessons I have learned from Baron Buddies have helped me with my sport], because it has taught me new ways to speak to others and the way that I communicate with others on and off the field. [It helps me] with my teamwork.”
Baron Buddies is one of the bigger clubs on campus, focusing on creating friendships between the special education students and the students from the general curriculum. Galvan explains how the connective nature of the club allows her to become more communicative, which extends to her teamwork skills in the context of her soccer playing. Galvan wraps the conversation up by describing her unique experiences in both Baron Buddies and soccer.
“[Being involved with clubs at school and sports outside of school] makes you feel like a part of a community […] In my sport I have experienced a lot of challenges and success. In the club I feel like I have made new friends and dealt with different experiences I have never experienced before,” Galvan said.
By being a part of two extracurriculars, Galven is able to accumulate different experiences and come out with more knowledge than before. Making friends and bonding over shared interests and goals is a valuable thing that can be obtained through extracurricular activities as well. BVH junior and Girls Lacrosse offense attacker, Laurette Gonzalez, reveals her beginnings with the sport as well as her passion for it now.
“I started playing lacrosse my sophomore year around November for the offseason so now it has been over a year that I have been playing for. I wanted to play it because I previously had played for the school’s field hockey team and I knew people that were going to go to lacrosse next season so I decided to give it a try. The reason why I have stuck with it for this long is because I grew a love for the sport, I love being a part of a team and community, and I am really passionate about it,” Gonzalez said.
Although Gonzalez has only been playing the sport for a year now, she is determined to continue with it, as she has found lacrosse to be not only a pleasant experience but one where she can find community and friendship. Rather than also being in an unrelated club at school, Gonzalez is a part of a club team called the South Bay Vipers. She shares what she has learned from both her club team and the BVH team.
“We have practices on the weekends and we play tournaments […] A significant lesson that I have learned from the club would be that I am now more confident in my abilities. It has taught me discipline, for example waking up early on the weekends and getting there on time,” Gonzalez said.
Lessons learned from one team can be applied to the other, helping athletes gain more knowledge and better their skills. In Gonzalez’ case, she has been able to gain confidence which in turn helps her play better, as well as being able to receive advice from others with experience and to utilize it effectively.
“[What I have learned from] my sport is hard work and dedication. Some other players that I have met have started playing since they were in elementary school while I started “late”. It has taught me how to work hard and how to take constructive criticism from others and apply it. Everyone starts somewhere, and to be successful in anything I need to work hard because that nothing is given to me without hard work, effort, time and dedication,”Gonzalez said
Regardless of the amount of experience she has in the sport, by working hard she is able to continue to improve and flourish within her sport. Gonzalez offers her opinion on having both an outside club sport and a school sport, as well as her challenges with the sport overall.
“[Being involved in a club team] has allowed me to work on my skills and gain game experience which will help me be more successful for my high school sport,” Gonzalez said. “I feel that in the beginning of my lacrosse journey I had been really scared and intimidated of games and playing against others, [so] I lacked aggressiveness. But now while I do still have these challenges, I do feel that I am slowly overcoming them. I feel more confident in myself and my abilities. With gaining confidence, I have gained aggressiveness.”
