McNicholas offers 23 OHSAA varsity sports that compete in either Division II or Division III tournaments. McNick is a member of the GCL Coed Division, which is recognized as one of the strongest leagues in Ohio. Even though McNick offers many sports teams that please both the students and the spectators, maybe it is time to add some more squads.
A survey sent to the entire school yielded responses from 326 of 617 students. Out of the 121 male students who answered, 51% of them said that they would participate in ultimate Frisbee if it was offered. Coming in second was sand volleyball at 38% and in third place was archery with 29% response. Other choices included badminton, rugby, canoe/kayak, and fencing.
Junior Cameron Adams said he would like to participate in field hockey and ultimate Frisbee. Because he lives out of state in Kentucky, Adams is not able to patriate in varsity level sports at McNick. “I love throwing around a Frisbee, and my dad played when he was in college,” Adams said. He would prefer the sports to be at a recreational level, and meet two or three times a week for practices.
Of the 205 female students who answered the survey, 76% said they would participate in sand volleyball. In second place was football with 31%, with canoe/kayak and archery tied for third place. Ultimate Frisbee, badminton, and fencing followed as other options.
Senior Annie Kautz wishes that McNick had recreational gymnastics, canoe/kayak, and sand volleyball. “The cheer squad did gymnastics last year, and everybody liked it,” Kautz said. “As for canoeing or kayaking, we have the Little Miami River readily available. Sports teams already do it for team bonding,” Kautz said.
Even though sophomore Emily Potter is already a member of the swim team, she would like to see a field hockey team added to McNick’s list of varsity sports. “Field hockey looks fun and a lot of other schools have a team,” Potter said.
Senior Kyrsten Payne agreed with Potter that there should be a field hockey team. She also would enjoy an all girls’ football team. “Powderpuff was a lot of fun, so I would like a league like that where we have practices and games a few times a year,” Payne said.
The competitive atmosphere at McNicholas is something that most people want to be a part of. More students could become involved in it with the addition of more varsity and recreational sports, especially with the success of the addition of intramurals.
The McNicholas Milestone 