Lunchtime: 38 minutes during the school day dedicated to socializing with classmates and eating lunch. However, Sage Creek has implemented a new activity for the students to enjoy: lunch volleyball. Since 2014, lunch volleyball has been a key component of Sage Creek, providing a space for students to hang out with friends inside and practice their volleyball skills.
David Savage, Sage Creek PE teacher, and boys Varsity Volleyball coach was given the opportunity to utilize the gym during lunch in his second year teaching at Sage Creek. Lunch Volleyball allows students to expand their volleyball knowledge outside of PE and school volleyball teams.
Savage explains the importance of Lunch Volleyball and the community it creates.
“Volleyball is one of those sports that’s kind of underrated because a lot of people have never played it, so to give them the opportunity to play it and to try something new is really fun and enjoyable,” Savage said, “It’s also pretty important because face it, you’re kind of just bored just sitting around, doing nothing and kind of being unhealthy so it’s nice having something physical to do,“
Savage has created a fun and positive environment for the students of Sage Creek. However, the positivity does not stop at the students.
“My favorite part about hosting lunch volleyball would be the students. Being able to see them every day, playing with them occasionally, and watching them be joyful every day, watching them play sports and be healthy is just a really laid back, fun thing to do at lunch,“ Savage said.
Freshman Elijah Cruz, a newcomer to the lunch volleyball scene, started attending the lunch volleyball sessions just this month. He utilizes the learning environment to try new things and build on his newfound skills.
“I started going to lunch volleyball because I wanted to see if I liked playing the sport but I didn’t want to jump right into the commitment of a team,” Cruz stated.
Cruz discovered he enjoys volleyball and took it upon himself to improve his skills in the sport. However, he not only found joy in the sport, but he has also fostered new relationships with fellow volleyball players.
“Now that I have been in the gym more at lunch, I have made a ton of new friends that share the same interest in volleyball as me. A lot of the players that are a part of lunch volleyball are really good so sometimes they give me tips that help me improve too,” Cruz said.
However, the gym is not only open to students who strive to improve their volleyball skills. It also provides an environment for students to sit and hang out with their friends on the bleachers.
Luke Norton, a freshman at Sage Creek, utilizes lunch volleyball not to play volleyball, but to catch up with his friends out of the sun.
“I first went into the gym with my friends when it was raining because we didn’t want to be stuck outside. We ended up really liking it there and we just kept on going,” Norton said.
Overall, lunch volleyball is the perfect setting for Bobcats to build upon their skills and interests as well as have fun and socialize with friends and classmates alike.