I joined the Carver Center Girls JV soccer team as a sophomore, and I was pleasantly surprised by the strength and competitiveness of the team, and I honestly wasn’t expecting it. This experience got me wondering, why did I have such low expectations for these teams? Why did I think we were going to suffer every game? We didn’t. I think that it shows the ideas people have about students at Carver are often misinformed. The JV Girls Soccer team won four games, tied one, and lost one and we improved a lot throughout that time. I’ve made so many good friends on this team, both sophomore and freshman, and they will continue to be my friends even though the season is over. I have been playing soccer since I was 5, but I’ve never found a team with as much energy and support as this team has.
(pictured: GWCCAT JV Girls Soccer Team)
Before I even came to Carver Center there were unsupportive sentiments surrounding the students who went to this school and sports. Most of them had to do with stereotypes around art and technology students. One that I specifically remember is “students here are only focused and good at their one prime”. So, I suppose many came to assume that the sports at Carver were bad and students didn’t have the skills to excel in those areas. I think my experience on Carver’s sports teams has proven that stereotype wrong.
In the 2023 regular field hockey season our girl’s team was undefeated, which you can read about in the article “Teamwork and Triumph” by Julia Murawski. I was surprised by their winning streak, but I shouldn’t have been. I spoke with one of my friends on the team, and she feels as though people underestimate the team, until they actually see them play. When speaking with people on the team, they explained that “the Carver Field Hockey team has actually been very good for a while, so we went into this season knowing our strengths but also understanding that there were lots of things to work on.”
Although many stereotypes I’ve come across are false, the stereotype that is actually true about Carver is that the students here work extremely hard and are seriously dedicated. I’ve heard from many friends about the challenging demands of other primes, including the amount of time and energy they have to put into their work. That time and energy shows, the student work produced by this school is incredible. All the primes produce amazing things and it’s through that special dedication and passion. Everyone at Carver wants to be here, we all worked hard to get here and are going to work hard for this school. The sports here are played with that Carver student energy, and the field hockey team’s success shows that.
Throughout my time on the team I’ve experienced the determination that Carver students have to do their best, I think this differs from other high school students. The sports at this school shouldn’t be looked down upon because it’s a high school for arts and technology: Rather, because of the passion and dedication, our sports actually do really well.
As the fall sports season comes to a close, I encourage you to support the Carver students who are representing the school in sports. They are proving that art and technology students can be really good at sports, and they’re doing it in a fun and supportive manner. The support I’ve seen other students give each other on various teams is really amazing and shows that unmatched Carver spirit.
