There are many different sports at FHC, all of which come with their own ways of competing. Some may complete a game or match in an hour or two whiles others may need an entire afternoon to determine a winner. This causes specific teams to have to take time out of school to participate in their respective competitions. While this may seem like something most students would enjoy, the majority beg to differ.

The golf team is one of the teams that is forced to skip in order to complete tournaments. Playing golf instead of going to school is something that most kids dream of, but it’s a reality for people like junior Nico Notarnicola. Nico has played on the varsity all three years of his high school career and has missed his fair share of the school. When asked whether he liked skipping class for golf, Nico said, “Yes and no. I think it’s nice to get time off school to do something I like doing, but it’s hard because I fall behind a lot in classes and have to do a lot more work to catch up.” The length of the competitions causes the golf team to miss the most school out of all of the sports teams at FHC, which affects the players on it. The golfers fall behind on work, and it plays a detriment to their grades. However, in the end, they still get to play golf instead of going to school.

Although the golfers may miss the most school, they are not the only ones who do so. Recently, the Ranger hockey team had a long road trip and traveled to a showcase in Chelsea, Michigan. The team missed an entire day of school to play a Friday afternoon game. Skipping school was a one-time occasion for the hockey team which is very different than the golf team. This causes the student-athletes on the hockey team to have a different perspective on the matter. Junior Owen Barber is a three-year varsity hockey player and he shared his thoughts on skipping school. “I do enjoy skipping school for hockey because it’s nice to get to end the school day early and begin hockey early,” said Owen.

The athletes who miss one day of school makes skipping seem much better since it doesn’t happen often, but to the athletes who have the all-too-common absence, skipping becomes a routine that gets old quickly. Despite the number of school days missed, FHC student-athletes must remember one very important thing: Although sports may be fun, school will always be more important.