Social Media Director Manisha Ratakonda writes her opinion on various sports issues, both globally and at Hockaday.

“Come to our game tonight! There will be food and boys,” reads almost every Facebook event created for a Hockaday sporting event. The RSVP “yes” list for the event looks somewhat promising, reaching the double digits. That is, until you realize the RSVPs are from the teammates themselves.

What exactly accounts for the lack of game attendance? The answer is simple: homework.

Weeknights for Hockaday students consist of finishing our calculus homework, writing DBQs and waiting for Haiku to come back up. We barely have time to sleep, let alone attend a mid-week sporting event. Not to mention that most students have sporting events of their own to attend.

Sometimes, the lack of attendance can even be due to students not understanding the game. I’m Manisha, I’m 17 years old and I still don’t understand how to play lacrosse. The balls are tiny and extremely hard to see when they’re trapped in the net contraptions. I find it amazing that the players are able to see with their intense goggles on. I can never even tell who has the ball, so I usually just look for the person who is being chased by the other players.

If you’re like me, some sports are harder to understand than others, but this shouldn’t stop us from attending games. The trick is to cheer when everyone else cheers (just make sure you’re cheering for the right team). Posters and noisemakers are recommended but not required. Suggested attire consists of T-shirt and shorts or even your school uniform. It really is that simple.

As crazy and stressful as our lives might be, it would mean a lot if students, and even other athletes, could attend just one game a semester. Even if that means finishing your homework early, you will never regret coming to a Hockaday sporting event. Even if sports aren’t for you, you should still come. Because after all, who wouldn’t have fun watching some of their best friends kick butt?