The start of a new season brings many things: different weather, produce, popular colors and, most importantly, a new set of sports we get to support. Track and field, lacrosse, golf, girls’ flag football, baseball, softball and tennis are all sports that Tualatin High School offers during the spring. Students can support our school and our athletes by showing up and giving equal amounts of encouragement to each of the sports.
Sophomore Kye Leenders, who plays first base and pitches for varsity baseball, said the TuHS baseball team has been working hard to have a successful season this year.
“We did a lot of practicing throughout the fall, and starting in January, we practiced four times a day until the season started,” Leenders said.
Inspired by his dad, Leenders started playing baseball when he was 8, and it’s been his sport ever since.
“What I love most about baseball is hitting and talking to people, like talking to the umpire and talking in the dugout.”
As a team, Leenders says that senior Isaac Pfeifer inspires them all.
“He’s got what a leader does, and he just supports us,” Leenders said.
Leenders says he believes the team can make it to at least the public semi-finals this year, and he hopes “to win it all.”
Another beloved spring sport/club is lacrosse.
“Everyone on lacrosse is very sweet and welcoming, and it’s just a fun sport to play,” said Ella Yee, sophomore on JV lacrosse.
“I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to better myself as a player and to make other people feel welcome the same way they did for me,” Yee added.
The team just recently came back from their annual Bend trip, which is loved by all. Ava Gray, a sophomore on varsity lacrosse, calls the trip her most “memorable moment.”
Alongside all the highs of playing the sport, Gray adds one thing that could make it even better.
“I think it would be really encouraging if more people came to support. Especially our home games, I think it would be a lot more fun,” she added.
One thing that all student athletes want is to be supported. There are so many spring sports and so many opportunities to catch a game or two. Another option for that is tennis.
Junior Chloe Tija-Boediawan spoke on the lack of support for the tennis matches.
“I feel like people really don’t know about the matches or when they are or where, so we don’t get very much support unless we ask.”
This is Tija-Boediawan’s third year playing tennis, and her goal for this season is to win all her matches and just enjoy spending time with her team and bonding with them.
From dugout to the court, every sport deserves our encouragement, so get out and support your fellow Timberwolves!
