Over the years, sports have become a large part of Arlington High School and the Arlington community. Lately, however, the numbers of student athletes trying out for sports teams has drastically dwindled in the past few years. One of the big reasons for this the busyness of students these days. Many students have jobs, and sometimes, depending on the job, they aren’t able to be flexible enough with those hours to be able to practice and play games throughout a week. Both sports and jobs are big commitments, and often times students can’t meet them halfway.Another reason for shortage of athletes is running start. Because the school district has been pushing starting college early, many students have dropped their passions for athletics and decided to take on college in high school. Another big reason for students not trying out for sports is the amount of competition in our school’s sports. For some teams, like the freshman boys basketball team, 24 students tried out, and over 10 of those students got cut. In some cases it’s not always the lack of participation, it’s the level of participation that sports demand. To be able to make varsity for a sport, you can’t just pick it up and randomly try out. In most cases you have to have years of experience to be in a good position on a high school level team. Some AHS students find alternative ways to play sports. Many decide to participate in Boys and Girls Club leagues because they want to have more fun and be less serious. Participating in sports outside of school sports can sometimes be a lot easier and stressful for students.