Manitou Springs High School athletes sometimes have to play sports for other high schools because MSHS does not offer their sport. A large number of these student athletes do not get the recognition and credit that they deserve for putting in the same amount of work and effort, or even more, for playing at a completely different high school.
Students at MSHS that play sports for other schools do get counted for being a multiple sport athlete but do not get much recognition other than that. Madison Anderson, a senior, has played softball throughout high school at Cheyenne Mountain High School. “During the awards ceremony, when they talk about the all-conference athletes, they don’t say anything about people who have gotten it out of the district,” Anderson said. “I’ve gotten second team all-conference since my sophomore year, and nobody knows about that.”
Student athletes, whether they play for the same school or not, should get recognized for their great achievements the same way that a student would that plays for the same school that they go to.
Logan Kelley, a senior, has played JV lacrosse for Cheyenne Mountain High School for the last three years and plans to make varsity this year. “I think it would be interesting for students to get a little recognition from your school, especially since you don’t get a whole lot of recognition from the school you play for because you don’t go there,” Kelley said.
Regardless, if a student athlete plays a sport for a different high school, the student should get a letter transferred over to their high school for it. It is important that students get a letter that has their school’s colors because that student is still representing their school even if they are playing the sport at a different one.
Brandon DeMatto, the new Athletics and Activities Director/Assistant Principal this year, is open to the idea of working with the student athletes to get the credit they deserve including getting letters and recognition at award ceremonies to express his pride in them. “When our students that have to play in other places get an opportunity to go do that, the expectation is still very high for them, but we have been unbelievably proud of the work that they have done, and we are happy to see that they have a chance to continue to pursue their passion,” DeMatto said.
As a student athlete that goes to MSHS and plays softball for Woodland Park High School, I do think that athletes that play for other schools deserve more credit and recognition for the efforts that they put into it.
I have played softball at WPHS for the past two years and have lettered for varsity both years. Given this, I think it would be beneficial for MSHS to give one of the Manitou letters to the athlete so they do not have to have a letter with another school’s letters and colors on it. When student athletes are awarded their own school’s letter, it gives them the chance to wear the colors of their own school proudly.
Especially with student athletes that have achieved great things in their sport like an all-conference, an honor that recognizes high school athletes for being among the best in their sport within a specific athletic conference, it is important for them to be recognized in big events and assemblies where other athletes that play at the school get recognized for the same achievement.
I also think that making an easier process for sending over grades and GPA’s would have a significant effect as well. As a student athlete that experiences having to send over my grades personally to the other schools’ athletic department every week, I feel having an easier process for this would make getting credit for keeping up good grades while playing a sport much easier.
Overall, if we can’t offer all the sports because of our small size, we should go out of our way to ensure that students have the opportunity to play as well as the recognition in front of their peers and teachers that they deserve.
