Newton’s and Orange Grove’s Middle School’s eighth grade visit on January 12, giving these eighth graders a grasp of “high school life” with many extracurriculars such as baseball and basketball as well as getting these eighth graders involved with a sport that can teach them valuable life skills. 

During these visits many of the booths displayed give the middle schoolers an opportunity to choose interests they may have during this visit, sports for example. 

Sophomore Diego Fonseca said, “My reason for playing baseball is to help me focus. Being on the field with my brothers just clears my mind and blocks out anything negative about life.” A student athlete who plays basketball learns how to deal with many life lessons. These life lessons may come into handy later in life, such as the importance of team work and the importance of detail. 

Baseball teaches its student athletes accountability, responsibility, leadership, and how to properly deal with the potential of failure. The importance of how to properly deal with failure is to show you that not only can someone fail and continue, but can help someone strive and gain the urge to reach their full potential. 

Sophomore Diego Fonseca said “Baseball has taught me brotherhood, ever since I’ve been part of this team we have all been brothers.” 

Sports can be seen as a safe space, giving younger kids a place where they don’t have to worry about problems. 

Junior Xavier Lopez Said “I’ve been playing basketball since I was young and I still talk to some kids that I played with when I first started, I really built a relationship with them ever since.”