When Gabriela Guadalupe’s (28’) third block finishes, she decides to go to the Walton Center to look for a volleyball for the team to practice. She gets to the Walton Center and checks the back room but there are no volleyballs. She then asks Ms.Villalobos if she has any volleyballs, but she says she only has soccer balls. She thinks to herself, “Where else am I going to get a ball?”
Not only has the JV volleyball team struggled to search for volleyballs but so has the JV basketball team. Team members look for balls in the Walton Center or ask Ms.Villalobos for a ball to practice on the off season. Sometimes the volleyball girls and basketball boys can’t find a ball in the Walton Center until twenty or thirty minutes into the JV block, causing them to lose practice time. Other times Ms. Villalobos doesn’t have any balls for JV, only for other physical education classes. Mr. Mike and Ms. Zuli can’t give JV a ball because the equipment they have is specifically for lunch.
Preuss administration needs to know that we deserve to have a higher quantity of volleyballs and basketballs so we don’t waste our time during our physical education blocks.
The lack of balls also affects players’ skills. The JV volleyball girls are currently off season and the basketball boys are going to be off season by next week. Additionally, volleyball tryouts are coming up in two months, so only having one volleyball to practice during the block isn’t very convenient for the team. This is lowering their chances to make the team next year because players can not improve their skills with limited equipment.
Fortunately, the soccer team has never struggled with looking for a soccer ball, as there are always plenty. This should be the standard for all the sports. Lacrosse, on the other hand, is more of an individual sport,where lacrosse players have to bring their own equipment, such as a lacrosse stick, gloves, cleats, and sometimes shoulder pads. Although Preuss provides the lacrosse team lacrosse balls most of the time, they still have plenty to bring on their own.
Preuss administration should do more to help student athletes. They need to increase the number of volleyballs and basketballs so that student athletes are able to use their time productively during their sports block.
