Friendships can be formed in many ways. One way a friendship can be formed is through activities. People form special bonds with one another when they share certain experiences with each other. How people bond over activities and why they do so is an interesting phenomenon. Air Academy High School offers several fun and inclusive activities where wonderful friendships are right around the corner. 

Participating in sports is an activity where students can gain several special and close friendships. Together, teams share several very important moments. Between winning and losing, rest days and conditioning, teammates go through it all together.

“When I am at practice or a game I have so much support and it just makes me happy to be around the team,” freshman Taylor Hagins commented.

Not only does having friends around help people thrive, it also makes their respective activities more enjoyable.

“The people on the team definitely know how to keep our heads up,” Hagins added.

Student athletes have a lot on their plate; however, their teammates help them relieve the stress that comes with it all.

“As both a gymnast and a volleyball player I have many friends who I love to hang out with,” sophomore Rachel Limb explained.

Sometimes the ever changing routine of athletes is exhausting. Luckily, there are people that make this lifestyle worth it.

“I always look forward to gymnastics practice because I get to see them and talk to them about whatever is going on in my life,” Limb said.

Activities give people the opportunity to meet lifelong friends, but how exactly do people bond over sharing experiences and/or activities and why do they do so? 

“As social creatures, people tend to want to experience good times- and get through the tough times- in the presence of others, since it makes us feel more connected,” according to an article entitled “Sharing Experiences, Even from Afar, Can Bring People Closer” written by author Alice G. Walton.

Getting through the tough times can be difficult, but by knowing that someone else is going through or has gone through makes the experience easier to handle. 

“A desire to connect with other people drives the phenomenon,” Walton continued.

The bonds that people create at a young age are very important to a person’s well being and quality of life. The people they surround themselves with now will impact their lives in the present and in the future.

The people they meet through their respective activities are not only considered “activity friends.” These are people who can be considered as family. 

“I’m glad to be friends with the team outside of the sport,” Hagins stated.

These friends can inspire the individual to go out of their comfort zone in a safe and supportive environment. 

“Being friends with them has made me more outgoing and supportive in the rest of my life,” Limb described.

Bonds and connections people make are very important, but they are easy to create through activities and shared passions, inspirations, and events.