With constant competition in sports, having a friendly face to turn to can be comforting. At WHHS, friendships in sports are made every day. 

“You’re just with your guys and as you get older, you’re with them more and more,” Alex Conrad, ‘24, a player on the varsity baseball team said. “It’s a lot harder to get experiences like that outside of baseball.” 

Not knowing others can lessen a player’s experience rather than enhance it. 

“I’ve gone places where I play with people I don’t know versus when I play with a few I do know. It just makes it so much better and easier to have fun,” Conrad said. 

Junior high basketball players Sylvia Joo, ‘28, and Paris Prom, ‘28, bonded while watching the games together while resting on the bench. They started off discussing the game and players but then became fast friends.

“We talked through drills and warmups and on the bench together,” Prom said. 

Sometimes when thrown together in social situations, friendships follow, and being in the same place urges athletes to make the best of their situation. 

“We met sitting on the sidelines, we got along well and she [Paris] was just really easy to talk to,” Joo said. 

While playing with friends can be an enjoyable experience, sometimes drama can occur.

“You’re going to argue a bunch and you’re going to get into some fights, but that just makes a bond stronger,” Conrad said. 

Though there are some downsides, becoming close with your teammates can create friendships that last a lifetime.

“I’ve made a couple of friends I’ll probably have for life,” Conrad said.