This year’s spring sports will be coming on the heels of a very successful winter season that saw Franklin athletes excelling across a variety of sports, with several of the school’s teams moving on to compete at the state level. Franklin students who participate in spring sports are more than ready for another season of comradery and competition. The spring season includes sports such as baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, and golf. These teams have already begun pre-season training, hosting conditioning after school and occasionally on weekends.
After the long, cold, and dreary winter months, getting out in the warmer weather to try a new sport, or return to one that you’ve played for years, is a great way to engage in community and take care of your mental and physical health. With the wide variety of varsity and junior varsity teams offered at Franklin for nearly every sport, it is easy and accessible to engage regardless of skill level or past experience. The goal of Franklin athletics is to provide an opportunity for social and athletic growth to all who are interested.
Grace Joy, a senior at Franklin, is an active member of the women’s tennis team. She joined the team during her sophomore year, and was inspired by the team environment to pursue a sport she grew up playing in a casual setting. “The environment is by far the best part of tennis,” Joy says. “Playing an individual sport can be really stressful and force a lot of pressure on yourself, but everyone on the women’s tennis team is incredibly supportive.” This kind of supportive environment is commonplace across many of Franklin’s sports teams. Instead of removing competitive aspects of the environment, their team-oriented approach works in tandem with a positive competitive atmosphere to create an experience that is deeply rewarding for participating students. During her final season at Franklin, Joy is most excited “to see some new and old faces!”
Philip Nguyen, a senior on the Franklin men’s golf team, echoed many of the things that Joy mentioned. Nguyen says his favorite moments on the team are “going to practice with my teammates and having fun while getting better at golf.” Nguyen began playing golf at a young age. “I was 4 or 5 and I would just follow my dad around the course hitting a plastic ball. I truly started when I was 10 and I could hit the ball far enough.” Like Joy, Nguyen is excited to return to the team for another year and to “get to know newcomers from our team and from other schools.” This is a sentiment shared by many upperclassmen on these teams, another testament to the welcoming environment and strong sense of community.
Spring sports provide a wonderful environment for student-athletes of all experience levels. With such a wide variety of options offered by Franklin, there is bound to be something for everyone. Especially as we transition out of the drearier winter season into what will hopefully be more sun and warmth, now is the ideal time to get out there, build community, and take the initiative to grow as an athlete!
