Many people on school sports teams get along, but do any of the teammates really talk to each other outside of practice, games, and performances? It is more likely to see people being good friends outside of their sport if it is a recreational sport. In context,everyone gets along and believes to be friends with everyone, but then they do not really talk to their team outside of the sport unless they have known their teammates for a while.

Oftentimes, the members of the team bond over that sport but don’t have much in common outside of it so they do not have much to talk about.

“Honestly, now that this question is brought up I really don’t hang out with them that much, which is weird because it seems like during the practice or games all we do is talk to each other and laugh,” multi-sport athlete Brandon Truong(21) said. “During games/matches we’re always around each other and are inseparable. Maybe it’s just me, but my sport friends differentiate from my “hangout” friends.”

After the topic was mentioned, students started realizing they aren’t as close to their teammates as they thought. 

“Usually, if I just run into them in the hallway or something, it’s usually a quick “hi”, but I don’t talk to too many people for very long too often,” track sprinter Ian Nobel(22) said.

Either way, athletes talk to their team members at least and can grow huge bonds with them. Some people have known their team for so long that they’re almost like family. They trust each other with everything and are always talking to their team friends. Maybe their team friends are their main friend group too.

“I’m very close with my team. We hang out outside of practice all the time and they’re all my best friends,” dancer Adirah Heppermann(24) said. With dance competitions, she and her team can grow very close.

With different sports come different friends. A lot of students who play more than one sport only have a designated friend group or close friends in one or two of those sports depending on the amount they play.

“Well, I am super close with most of the girls on my school basketball team and when I used to play competitive basketball, me and my teammates were super close. However, I only talk to like two people from my volleyball team outside of school,” multi-sport athlete, Mya Robinson(21) said.

It’s pretty surprising to see athletes realizing that they may not be as close to their team as they believed to be. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t start talking and grow an amazing friendship. Those that are friends, can become even closer as well.