Many kids don’t realize how special high school sports are until they can never play them again. There's nothing like playing sports with all of your close buddies from elementary school. Many of the people that I talked to had the same thing to say.

Playing sports in high school for a small town like Potosi is unbeatable. You know everyone and everyone knows you. You develop close relationships with many teammates along with all of the coaches. I have heard from several college athletes that it's a whole different story from that perspective because you hardly know anyone and you are pretty much on your own until you meet some new people and start to get along with them. Once you are on the team for a while then it obviously gets better.

Growing up, most kids want to go on and play college sports. Many start to veer off from going down that path. Some kids try it out for a bit. Very few kids actually stick with it all four years of college. So, why is that? Cassville graduate Robby Roe, who plays for the UW Platteville football team, said, “It's just not the same as high school; the environment is completely different, and you're not playing for your hometown.” He added, “Nothing beats playing with your friends that you grew up with.” 

Another huge difference between high school and college sports is the dedication it takes. High school takes dedication, but you have plenty of time for it so it's not as hard. College sports take pretty much all free time away. Between going to class, studying, and doing all your homework, and then going to practice, team meetings, and games, you are left with almost no time. Future college baseball player Ethan Kerkhoff said, “I'm prepared to dedicate all my time to baseball at UWP because I know that's what I’ll have to do.” He also added, “I'm very excited to play at the college level but I know it won’t be the same as high school ball.”

I think everyone agrees that high school sports are the best and most memorable times. College sports are fun too, but nothing beats playing with your close friends and sharing memories and success with them. Every high school sports season passes by in the blink of an eye. When you finally become a senior and you start to experience all of the lasts’ in everything you realize how special high school sports are.