This past fall sports season, just like most seasons, Wilde Lake girls’ sports have struggled to get enough players for their teams. For example, the soccer team had a nearly empty bench, leaving some of the girls on the team running for 90 minutes straight with no time to rest. In my experience, it can be very draining to play against a school that can sub in their whole team while Wilde Lake, on average, has approximately two subs.

The field hockey team faces the same issue. Head Coach Kincaid explains, “our girls are known for being well prepared and very skillful.  In most games we are competitive for a half to three quarters of the game but break down in the later part of the game because we get worn down. It is next to impossible to compete with squads numbering 2

5 players when we have a squad of 14.” Having a small roster creates a huge disadvantage for our teams in terms of winning and endurance during games.

Why do Wilde Lakes sports face low involvement in the first place? Coach Tee, Wilde Lake’s Athletic Director, explains that “since 2020, we have seen a large drop in participation among girls sports. At Wilde Lake, we have struggled with having enough female student-athletes to fill the JV teams for field hockey, girls soccer, girls basketball, and softball.” These sports have to recruit girls vigorously to have enough players for a JV team; if not, they only have a varsity team. Coach Tee believes that “during COVID, students found other things that interested them, like jobs, friends, and technology, which have kept them from participating in athletics.” These other activities have kept students from even trying new sports. If students only focus on non-athletic activities, they’ll never be able to discover the love or passion they might have for a sport.

While Wilde Lake isn’t the only Howard County school that faces this problem, many other schools do not. Glenelg, Howard, and River Hill are able to fill most of their girls’ sports teams from top to bottom. While this can be attributed to the fact that these schools have more students than Wilde Lake, it is not the only reason why we have smaller girls’ sports teams. Dr. Brandon Lauer, the Howard Athletic Director, used to be the Athletic Director here at Wilde Lake. He notes a key difference between the two schools, other than their populations. He says that “Howard has a very strong athletic tradition and reputation. For many students, playing sports here is something they’ve thought about since middle school; it’s part of how they picture high school. At Wilde Lake, there is also tradition and pride. Still, I worked more intentionally to grow participation and show students that there was a place for them.” Dr. Lauer further explains that at Wilde Lake, more active recruiting has to happen, while Howard has a higher initial interest rate in most sports. Many students throughout the county can agree that Wilde Lake does not have a strong athletic reputation. There’s no hiding the fact that students at other Howard County schools have been playing their main sports since they were little kids. Having a kid enrolled into a club sport and continuing it throughout childhood can have a hefty cost, a privilege many families at Wilde Lake do not have. Yet, that shouldn’t discourage students at Wilde Lake from picking up a high school sport.

Here at Wilde Lake, everyone is invited to play a sport. Lake Pride is something very important to Coach Tee. It symbolizes that people should be proud to be a student at Wilde Lake. Student Maggie Shidle, who has played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse can attest to the fact that all sports are very welcoming. Many of the sports teams are like tight knit families. Coaches make a strong attempt to create a positive environment for their athletes. Coach Kincaid is “committed to developing the best field hockey players at Wilde Lake that [she] possibly can.” Furthermore, she says “that [the coaches] work very hard to make Wilde Lake Field Hockey a very positive experience for [their] members and their families. [She] takes great pride in that.” In addition to working with the current field hockey team, Coach Kincaid also coaches middle school students to prepare them for high school.

If you look for them, there are many opportunities to start playing sports. Teams can do well even if their rosters have lots of newcomers. Sports can be extremely beneficial to all students. Dr. Lauer says that “a team gives students a place to belong. That alone can change someone’s high school experience. For many students, their teammates and coaches become their support system.” If you’re not currently enrolled in a sport, I encourage you to join one. No matter if you have never played the sport before. No matter how good you are at the sport. A team cannot win if there is no team. As Dr. Lauer said, “When students are involved in sports, they aren’t just collecting wins and losses; they’re building a foundation for who they’ll be as adults.”