Flying into next week
The skies are clear, not a cloud in sight. The sun shimmering on the skin in the bright light. When out of nowhere, swoosh, an object flies by the head in the blink of an eye. Looking around, a metal net sits in the park with discs in its basket. The realization occurred that the flying object was actually a frisbee and somehow had been walking between the net and the frisbee, barely coming out unscathed.
Disc golf at Nixa High School is an intramural sport. Intramural sports are those that are organized by recreational or school leagues, and offer friendly games in a casual atmosphere. Intramurals is categorized as a sport that is very inclusive to the general public as well as not being competition heavy. The sports that are considered at the high school would be pickleball and disc golf to name some. Intramurals do not just exist within a school setting but also within church groups, recreational settings, and even clubs. After the idea was pitched a few years ago to the Nixa board, STEM teacher at John Thomas School of Discovery, Joseph Shaughnessy, took up the position as head coach of Disc golf at both the high school and JTSD.
“In college, that was just something I was able to do,” Shaughnessy said. “It’s free, it’s outdoorsy. So being outside and playing with friends was a way that I got kind of connected into the sport. And then at JTSD, I started our first disc golf club over there for fifth and sixth graders with our art teacher, Mr. Barker.”
Sophomore Luke Willoughby started playing disc golf even before the high school team was formed, joining in at JTSD.
“I kind of just try to make a schedule,” Willoughby said. “Every Tuesday I do my school work as soon as I get home, and then go back to my Tuesday league at Ozark and just play there with some pros, so I play with them and get better every day.”
Basketball and Worship Merge
Upward, a non-profit sports organization, prioritizes learning about Christianity through sports. Junior Jason Moreno has been a part of Upward for two years.“We [do] like Bible studies beforehand, like practices and more after practices, like 15 to 20 minutes, and we go out and practice for an hour, dribbling drills, shooting drills [and] team drills,” Moreno said. “We have games every Friday and we have one on Thursday. It’s very fun, and I like to do it with all my buddies.”
Unlike Nixa High School’s basketball program, Upward is casual and less competitive and allows everyone to play.
“Everyone gets playing time, so no one will sit on the bench for too long,” Moreno said. “Everyone’s going to get subbed out in rotations. So, I mean, a lot of team chemistry that gets both: to know a lot of good people and meet new people, and obviously playing team basketball.”
Junior Marcus Stahler said Upward is a great way to explore his faith while enjoying his hobbies.
“If you’re ever wanting to play basketball, but you don’t play with a school team, or you don’t want to do something super competitive … Just want to play with a team and have fun,” Stahler said. “I feel like that’d be a good way to do it, especially if you’re Christian … it’s very easy to enjoy.”
Pickleball Players Pair Up
NHS’s intramural pickleball involves a low net and lower stakes as any students is free to join and play against peers instead of other schools.
Physical education teacher Andrew Boyce has been coaching intramural pickleball for the three years the school has offered it.
“It’s a little bit more laid back. Overall, though, I feel like the past couple years we’ve had it, the kids really enjoy it. They seem to have fun, and a lot of them you see them kind of catching on because, you know, they may invite their friends. … Pickleball is one of those sports, I don’t know if you’re aware, but it’s really taken off the past couple years. And intramurals, as far as that goes, kind of has as well,” Boyce said.
Although intramurals don’t compete with other schools the coaches still try to incorporate a competitive aspect.
“Usually the first day or two we’ll let them pick their team or their partner or whoever they’re going to verse or whatever it may be, But the last couple of days, what we like doing is more of a bracket style where they’ll actually play out and they’ll verse each other. And so you may be versing someone different and kind of play out and kind of makes it a little bit more competitive to an extent,” Boyce said.
Seniors Paige Morris and Emily Peterson are both tennis players who double as pickleball partners.
“My doubles partner, Emily Peterson, and I heard about it I think our sophomore year, and it was really fun because they had doubles and we’re like, why not do this together? Because we’ve been in tennis together for so long,” Morris said.
