Most children grow up playing sports, but as they get older, shifting interests take up time, and their increasing commitments often lead them to step away from athletics. Even though many value staying fit and love playing sports with their friends, busy schedules do not always allow for participation, until recently.
With the addition of new club sports at Emmaus High School, including Pickleball Club and Hacky Sack Club, many athletes and non-athletes alike now have the opportunity to enjoy sports in a low pressure environment without the all-consuming time commitment.
Pickleball Club developed last year as a club sport at EHS. President Harrison Jennett founded the club because he enjoyed participating in the sport after school and wanted to bring
it to EHS.
“I wanted to do something to get more involved in the school, and one of my hobbies that I picked up was pickleball. So I was like, let’s have a pickleball club,” Jennett said.
While initially the club was built from a love for the sport, it quickly grew to encompass a large number of students whose motives were different. These students were searching for a third space that catered to more laid-back athletics where the pressure was lower.
“To be a varsity player of a sport at EHS, you do have to be like the best of the best,” Jennett said. “Our club lets you be a lot more relaxed. Even if you don’t know how to play, just come and we’ll teach you.”
More club sports emerged in this school year with the creation of the Hacky Sack Club. What began initially as a ball passed around a few kids in one homeroom quickly transformed into multiple circles each week, uniting different students. Senior Chase Simmons was part of the founding members who first started playing in homeroom.
“We were looking for something to stay engaged in when we had downtime,” Simmons
said. “Another reason we created it was to involve different people to play together, and now, anyone can come out and play if they want. It’s really open to anyone.”
juggles a hacky sack. Photo by
Jessi Hahn.
Shortly after Hacky Sack’s transition into a legitimate club, senior Ryan Hummell joined for the same reason he was a member of Pickleball Club — he loved spending time with his friends while also being able to be competitive and active.
“Hacky Sack Club and Pickleball Club offer an out-of-EPC sport that is still competitive, but it’s also very fun,” Hummell said.
These simple but effective student-driven sports have changed the way EHS and its students approach athletics. These students see these club sports as appealing and look forward to participating in clubs more than ever before.
“I think Pickleball Club attracts people who want to play pickleball, but not as a school
sport, and Hacky Sack Club is just a fun hangout for everybody and anybody who wants to join,” Hummell said.
By allowing these spaces, where athletic competition is very approachable, the Pickleball Club and Hacky Sack Club have opened the doors for more students to stay active, socialize with friends, and rediscover their childhood interests of playing sports for the fun of it. As these clubs and others in the future begin to grow and expand, they signal a more welcoming, flexible athletic culture at EHS.
