Worthy sports forced backstage by overhyped ‘stars’

“Wait, we have a golf team? Since when?”

These are the words sophomore varsity golfer Cynthia Yang often hears when asked what sports she plays.

Golf is only one of many underhyped sports on campus, sharing the backstage with other sports like wrestling and lacrosse. Often overshadowed by the ever-present football, baseball or soccer, these unnoticed sports escape the recognition of announcements or accolades from classmates despite key wins and high records. 

Yang attributes the lack of attention for sports like golf to the absence of familiarity for many teens.

“Golf is one of those sports that isn’t played by as many people at our age,” Yang said. “I find that there are more people who play when they get older because it does not really have age restrictions.”

She points out sports like football receive more attention because of the publicity they get and the reputation they have on campus.

“[Football] is a sport that has become cultural to our country, and therefore people pay more attention to them,” Yang said. “Many people often find golf games less exciting to watch than football or basketball games.”

Though people don’t see golf as an “intense” sport, Yang believes people should give golfers more credit because of the equal commitment required.

“Just like any other sport, players work hard to excel at it so they should definitely be recognized more than they are now,” Yang said.

With golf’s league finals already secure on the shelf and the high possibility of CCS for individuals on the team, the golf team certainly should be given more acknowledgement.

Wrestling, which at this school has an even smaller team than most other schools and trails other sports in coverage, also lacks the recognition it deserves.

Senior Christian Murabito, a member of the wrestling team, compares the sport to football, but states that “[wrestling] isn’t considered a popular sport that popular kids play.”

Though Murabito says people should pay more attention to wrestling because of its challenging nature and the dedication it requires, he thinks part of the reason it lacks attention is the negative stereotype people have of the sport.

“A lot of people regard wrestling as a ‘weird’ sport, because it is not what they are used to,” Murabito adds. “[Because of this] our team is very small, only five or six people, and not many people come to watch.”

In general, sports that are regarded as less entertaining to watch are also typecast as easier to play. Tennis seems to have become one of those sports that has fallen into that category.

“People don’t know the rules so they don’t pay attention to sports like tennis,” freshman varsity player Stephanie Ren said. “Because few play them, people don’t really understand how much more the sport should be appreciated.”

These mindsets lead to a sharp contrast between so-called popular sports’ attendances and those of underhyped sports. For instance, a football game often attracts hundred of attendees and the entire band, color guard and cheer squad. During tennis matches, having just three spectators is a rarity.

Senior Arathi Sabada, the co-captain of the girls’ varsity tennis team, said, “It would be nice to have more people come to watch us against our league rivals because those are the tougher matches, and we could really use some support to help our team.”

These sports, even those that have the highest chances of making CCS, are generally unknown to the public and should be better recognized. So next time, create a little hype and stop by a golf, wrestling or  tennis match. You’ll be glad you did.