Back to school for seventh graders means a whole new experience: athletics. Being in athletics for the first time can be exciting and challenging, students say but the best part is that they can all grow throughout the experience. They work on their fitness and team work while improving their individual skills and results.

“Being in athletics is like a club where you get to work hard and hangout with friends,” said Noelani Ajel,  7th grader.

Ajel thinks that athletics is a place where you work hard, but also have some fun. Ajel is planning on playing almost all the sports here at Dobie Jr High, like Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, and Track. That is what Ajel is looking forward to, but on the other hand she is not looking forward to boot camp that much. “ I… I like it, but the girls are late,” said Ajel.

Boot camp isn’t really hard to her, but it is hard  to get it over with when others don’t do what’s expected of them. “ Oh, I’m excited!” she said about lifting. She seems to be really looking forward to growing in muscle and in strength.

Ajel said the coaches are all fair and good coaches, but if she had to choose, she would choose Coach Adams, because “she’s pretty chill and nice but also pushes us to be great!”

Many athletes have good attitudes.

“Tiring, lots of work, but at the end of the day it’s all worth it,” said Brayden Thompson,  7th grader.

Thompson is looking forward to football, track and basketball. He says that sports is one of the things that he is really looking forward to in athletics. “Light work, nothing new at all,” he said about lifting. Others would say as “cocky” but he’s just feeling good about himself. Thompson has been lifting weights, but i guess he’s ready to show others how much he can lift.

Thompson thinks of the coaches as parents, but he respects them so much. He thinks so highly of the coaches here at Dobie Jr High. Thompson said it was hard to choose his favorite coach, but he chose Coach Burton.

Damarion Collins, 7th grader, said he is good with athletics because he is ready to play one of his favorite sports. “I mean it’s fun because of football,” he said.

He said that he likes athletics because of football. He is also looking forward to playing other sports like basketball, because he really wants to make A team, and be ready to work hard. He thinks that weight lifting is going to be good because he feels that at the end of the day, that will make him a better athlete.

Collins said he thinks that all of the coaches are good, but if he had to pick one he would chose Coach Harper, because if they mess up he tells them how they can fix it. 

Nikki Houston is a 7th grader who said she is on a mission to: “Be the best athlete you can be!” 

She thinks athletics is good because you get in better shape and it is good for your body over all. She is looking forward to basketball this year because she it is something that she enjoys a lot. Also the fact that she gets to play with other females and have fun too.  She said she liked all of the coaches but, she said her favorite coach was Coach Niblett because whenever she sees someone slacking she comes over and helps them.