Skyline lacks a large number of sports available for students to participate in.

The first thing most people see when driving up to Skyline College is our wonderful sports facilities. We have an athletic field, a baseball field, and tennis courts. But, unfortunately, out of those facilities, we only have two sports teams, baseball, and soccer even though we clearly have the facilities to house more sports.

For example, the athletic field itself could house two sports on its own, that being track and field and cross country, those two basically going hand in hand with one another.

That goes for the tennis courts as well. We have tennis classes but no competitive teams?

I understand certain sports like water polo where that requires the construction of a facility on top of hiring out coaches and purchasing new equipment. However, we are already two-thirds of the way there in terms of tennis. The only thing missing is the ACTUAL TEAM.

Speaking of things being done halfway, why don’t we have a cheer team?

If anything, opening up more sports might just be a way to lead more students to Skyline.

Let us not forget that we are in a community college, many students see this place as merely a stepping stone to achieving an even higher education at a 4-year college. Ambition like that costs money, but lucky for those athletically inclined America loves an underdog and many 4-years offer scholarships to those with talent and drive.

That being said, with the current situation, Skyline athletes have to spread themselves thin, applying to other community colleges to participate in sports that we don’t have. With this comes the major inconvenience of commuting, which can lead to burnout or worse for Skyline, a decision made by the athlete to switch schools entirely out of convenience.

This is not a matter of having sports at our school just to have more sports at our school. These programs offer students the opportunity to not only get the experience of working with others as a team for a common goal but can also lead to better opportunities for students to get a better education at a college of their choice.

Moving forward and constantly improving is always the goal, but it seems that Skyline is not ready to present students with that opportunity.

It’s not only a matter of having these programs just to have them. Sports and being a part of a team really teach life lessons to players. They teach you about responsibility and what it’s like to work for a common goal with a team.

Things that shape people into decent human beings. So it’s not just about having these programs just because it’s about Skyline College providing education beyond just a degree. It’s about creating memories and truly shaping outstanding citizens for our community.