It’s America’s favorite past time, filled with home-runs, stolen bases and fly-balls. All of these things can point to only one thing: baseball.
Baseball has made its way back to BRF for another season, and many people are excited for its appearance. But a controversy occurs for our high school ball players: should they play on the school team in the spring or wait for the summer and play in the Legion team?
“I think Legion ball is more fun,” said junior Adam Arneson, who has played baseball since middle school. “It’s in the summer, so you don’t have to worry about school work or anything like that.”
Last year was Arneson’s first year playing on the Legion team and he took a liking to it right away. Arneson has been all over the field when it comes to the positions he plays, but in addition to baseball Arneson has joined the Tiger golf team for the ’10 spring season. It is reasons like this that many BRF students have chosen to join the Legion baseball team.
There are multiple spring sports available for high school boys (like boys tennis, track and golf) and sometimes they have trouble deciding which sport they want to participate in. An opportunity like summer baseball could help athletes with this decision.
While some people prefer to be in Legion baseball, other students have stuck with school baseball teams. Sophomore Devin Casper, who started playing T-ball when he was in kindergarten, is one of those students. Casper wanted to be on a team with more of his fellow classmates, but he also needed to find the right season to play.
“I haven’t had a chance to play in Legion,” admitted Casper. “I’ve been too busy during the summer.”
Which may be the case for many other students. Activities like summer jobs and family vacations can take up a lot of a teenager’s time. Others simply want to enjoy their time off of school without having to worry about practices and games.
Casper currently plays pitcher, center field and third base for the Tigers Varsity baseball team. Casper plans to continue his baseball career after he has finished high school and feels that being a part of the Tiger baseball team has helped him become “more of a team player.” He also thinks that the practices everyday after school help unify the team in a way that having practice once a week like Legion ball cannot achieve.
But whether you’re staying after school or enjoying a summer afternoon, it’s all about the love of the game. Although they differ on their team choices, both Casper and Arneson agreed on their favorite moments in baseball; a diving catch. They don’t come around very often and when they do, it’s a moment that won’t be forgotten.