Being a student athlete, I think that all sports deserve the same amount of appreciation and recognition.

There is an obvious difference in the treatment some sports receive compared to others. I feel that it is unfair that some sports get more praise and priority than others.

In this instance, take football. The Waipahu High School football team had many games this season which were talked about, advertised through their own Instagram page and Waipahu High School’s Instagram page, and supported by many fans. But just because they did well this season doesn’t mean that they deserve any more or less support than another sport at this school.

Other sports that made it far in their division include Bowling (with students making it to States), Cross Country (in which four students made it to States), and Cheer, who won the OIA Western championships and made it to States as well. It is unfair that these accomplishments were not recognized as highly as other sports such as football. 

Students usually hear about accomplishments and games through each team’s players or social media, which makes them talk and engage about them more. But some sports teams do not have social media platforms or people who would run them. It’s not very difficult to get a page started, but it also takes time and effort to run the account. 

All sports should be recognized by the school, and the school shouldn’t assume which sports would capture the most interest. Instead, they should promote all sport events to inform students about everything.

A way that the school could help to promote and support all sports could be through the daily bulletin. We could organize a section that has game dates and times of the games going on that week for all sports in season. And to recognize athletic accomplishments, there could be a weekly section that provides updates on big accomplishments for a team. The school could also promote sports on the Waipahu High School Instagram page.

Whether they are state champions or the lowest ranked team on the island, every sport should be supported and appreciated. In the end, they are representing our school and community.