Whether it’s on the field, court, or in the pool, athletes are fueled by the connections they make and the motivation they crave from others. Air Academy High School sports teams find great importance in team bonding and are able to build a community within the highs and lows of the sport. This involves all walks of life at Air Academy: football, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading, track, basketball, etc. Ultimately, connections that an athlete makes along the way will improve their sportsmanship, performance, and overall athletic experience.

During the midst of the winter sports season, and the spring sports season approaching, athletes are practicing dozens of hours a week to improve their skills. But most importantly, they are learning about their team members and how to improve with them. Especially with the Covid 19 virus, it’s important for air academy athletes to understand teammates’ strengths and weaknesses so there is progression as a unit.

“Team bonding is so fun, but this is also really important for sports. I’m on the Soccer team here at AAHS, and I’ve noticed team bonding activities help us collaborate outside of the sport so we can work together best in tough games,” junior Carly Ballard explained.

“As a member of the cheerleading team, we tend to participate in the most team bonding, because that’s a lot of what cheer is about. It keeps the sport fun and enjoyable, and helps us trust each other in cheerleading stunts!” junior Abby Garcia Exclaimed.

Practicing passes, running, or scoring are good skills to have for an athlete’s sport. But attaining good cooperation is even more vital. Team bonding activities separate the athlete from the sport and allow them to grow in other ways with their team. This ultimately guides a team to a positive and winning season. Team bonding also gives teammates an opportunity to make lifelong friendships. Every sports team at AAHS comes with the opportunity to get involved with people at school and make friends.

“I have made some really good friends throughout my time playing lacrosse that I entered the high school team with. This makes the sport much more enjoyable when you get to play with familiar faces,” sophomore Jeremiah Day mentioned. 

While sports are a fun way to stay involved with school and be active, they can be really difficult to manage for a high school student. Team bonding actually keeps athletes more focused and helps them understand the importance of communicating with their team.

“I play basketball here, and it is a demanding and competitive sport which can create drama within the team sometimes. Certain cooperative drills, time with teammates outside of school, and team discussions make us play a lot stronger as a unit,” junior Ember Loerzel stated.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated, for example playing games during conditioning or grabbing some ice cream after practice is a very beneficial way to bond a sports team. When teammates have strong connections and understand each other’s personality types, they simply perform better in their sport and will their team. Collaboration both on and off of the field, court, or pool is highly important and is the key to a team’s success.