*Thud, thud, thud…* *Thud, thud, thud…*

“Back! Back!”

“Here!”

*Thud, thud, thud, thud…*

A tsunami of footsteps swells up, and then silence.

Swoosh. Back to the other end of the court…

Every school day during third lunch, a group of students meet in the small auxiliary gym to play Basketball. For the first few minutes, several hang out, just casually shooting hoops. As more arrive, teams are made and an audience fills up to watch the impromptu game.

Joe Rogers ‘18 has been a part of the group since early October, and he rarely misses a day. “Someone just brought a ball so we just started playing and we do it everyday,” Rogers said. “I’ve met a bunch of people.”

From a parent’s perspective, playing Basketball during lunch every day is a great way to get exercise while doing something enjoyable. After all, many of their peers spend lunch on their phones, texting or playing games.

Another regular is Mark Lunde ‘16. “It was in the morning originally, and then we found out that we have the same lunch,” Lunde said. He says that he is also a football fanatic, but he enjoys being able to be active and compete indoors during the school year when the weather isn’t favorable.

Aside from being a great way to stay active, this informal Basketball club has allowed lots of underclassmen to meet new friends and find a spot in the school where they can enjoy themselves rather than worry about fitting in.