Gaining a new appreciation of sports

The+girls+basketball+team+and+the+student+section+celebrate+their+45-34+win+against+Abilene.

Dalia Mejia

The girls’ basketball team and the student section celebrate their 45-34 win against Abilene.

Lauren Textor, Editor-In-Chief

I remember the first time in my life that I was excited about sports like it was yesterday. Because it was yesterday. March 9, 2017 – the day I gained an appreciation, however tentative, for the effort put into the game.
The girls’ basketball team’s first-round state tournament against Abilene became a startlingly important milemarker for me. Before that game, I didn’t know how long a quarter was. In fact, I overlooked the blatantly obvious and asked the person next to me how many quarters there are. Somehow, the rules of logic didn’t seem to apply when it came to sports.
If you asked me what a layup is, I still wouldn’t be able to tell you. My sportsual awakening wasn’t rife with any knowledge deeper than that on the very surface. Tweeting out game scores and noting who made a basket didn’t grant me that. However, I now have an appreciation for the game that I didn’t before.
I’ve always acknowledged that athletes work hard, but I couldn’t see the point beyond fleeting entertainment. I still can’t – not entirely. But I can appreciate that entertainment value instead of scorning it. There’s something about making a three-hour drive to see your team play and having them win that makes it all seem worth it.
I don’t condone all of the money spent on the sports industry, and I won’t be shelling out hundreds of dollars out on tickets any time soon, but the Lady Pirates’ win ignited a spark of school spirit within me that can sometimes be difficult to conjure. Although the Lady Pirates lost their game today, within me is now the hope that they’ll play just as hard next time.