Dear Chadwick,
I get it. Some people are athletes. Some people gain skills and a sense of community from daily workouts. Some people look forward to those hours as the best part of their days. On the other hand, some people are me.
I’m not athletic; I never have been. I’ve come in last in every middle school swim race and missed half the balls thrown at me in every sport I’ve tried.
So, to put it simply, I have some issues with the Chadwick athletic requirement.
Most of my grievances, though, aren’t even exclusively mine. Our teams play at schools that always seem to be at least an hour away. Sports like volleyball routinely make it back to school at 10:00 p.m., even later for those like me who live a half-hour away on a light traffic day. With that, non-athletes might spend two hours or more warming the bench or standing on the sidelines at these games, not even getting the workout they’re promised. All considered, participation in varsity sports is a waste of time for anyone who doesn’t want to be there.
That said, having varsity sports isn’t the problem. The problem is requiring non-athletes to play. If those people weren’t required to pitch in hours of practice each day in preparation for games they’ll spend on the bench, then the system would be fine. But as someone who has experienced one too many seven-hour excursions without a minute of real playing time, I’ve seen the failure of our system firsthand.
In addition, I’ve dealt with severe anxiety since fourth grade. I avoid loud, crowded environments for my health, and being forced to endure these circumstances does me far more harm than it does benefit. Plus, I know from personal experience that forcing non-athletes to participate in team sports has the potential to exacerbate bullying and degrade student relationships, creating a clear dichotomy between the “good, committed players” and the “ones who can’t hold the ball.”
This isn’t to say that athletics on its own is bad. In fact, I would have been fine with the athletic requirement if it had stayed how it was in my freshman year. Fitness & Conditioning was a lot of fun. It took about half an hour per day and gave me a good workout. But the opportunity was taken away and replaced with an all four-year team sport requirement that sucked all enjoyment out of athletics for me and many others.
The Performing Arts department has undergone the same restriction of rights. The musical is by no means a trivial commitment, yet in the 2025-2026 school year, its athletic credit was revoked.
And let me say, I’ve pleaded my case. I’ve tried to get out of athletics with a series of non-trivial reasons: I’m busy with five advanced-level classes and two leadership positions, and I have no free period. I literally have a responsibility to care for two younger siblings at home. I don’t actually get a workout or improve my relationships by playing. But a requirement is a requirement, unless you have a sport outside of the school.
In my senior year, I took dance. For their part, the dance crew was incredibly welcoming to me, but it didn’t subtract from the fact that I still worked long hours to participate in a public performance I had no interest in doing. I don’t belong on the dance floor. I don’t belong anywhere near the athletic scene, honestly.
Chadwick, if you insist upon keeping the requirement how it is, consider this: Make us work out for three years, but at least give the seniors freedom, like the school has done for years before this. Chadwick Seniors arguably take on the most responsibilities, with leadership positions, college applications, AP classes, and APEX underscoring the whole year. And to add athletics on top of all that for people who weren’t interested in the first place (beginning with the class of 2026)? It really takes away from the whole enjoy your final year to which Chadwick claims to be so committed.
Sincerely,
A Pained Non-Athlete
