INCOMING freshman who want to show off their athletic abilities have just the chance to do so here at Granger High. It will be a little nerve racking at times, but it will be some of the most fun they’ve ever had, too.

Being an up-and-coming athlete is cool and all, but it takes a lot of responsibility. To be a student athlete, a kid has to be a real student first. That means going to class, getting decent grades, and respecting teachers and coaches. If a person expects to be a star athlete and later move on to a higher league such as college, they need to have the grades to academically get there. Excelling academically will help teachers and coaches know that someone is serious about wanting to achieve athletically.

Some additional advice is to attend school. School may not always be the most fun, but fines for sluffing are much worse: five dollars for every absence and one dollar for every tardy. “It will get hard going to school, especially at the end of the year, but the satisfaction of finishing is a lot better than going to summer school or doing packets,” Kara Cano (‘18) said.

Learn to like the experiences that happen in high school. “It goes by superfast. People will hear stories from others, but I remember coming in as a freshman being afraid to talk to everyone, and it was scary. Then I started meeting people and joined a sport. Then school became like my family away from home,” Irany Gonzalez (‘18) said.

When coming into high school, focus on being successful and don’t let anyone drag others down. If a student dreams of going to college or more than that, he or she has to stand out of the crowd- especially at Granger.

A huge thing to focus on while coming into Granger High School is to be unique. “There’s no point to try and be someone you’re not when you can just be yourself and find friends that respect you for being you,” Sanah Alkaswan (‘18) said. When a person comes into high school and no one knows them, the best thing they could be is themselves.

Freshmen are encouraged to give all sports a shot. Granger has a wide variety of sports and clubs. Granger’s clubs are awesome, kids just have to find what interests them. Also, if there is something they are interested in and can get enough people to join, a teacher can help anyone create a new club. All freshmen need to do is talk to their Freshman 101 teacher and they will help with everything needed to make it happen.

Being a new freshman isn’t necessarily the easiest, but as they get into the swing of things, it gets better. Try new things and get out there.