Written By Hadleigh Johnson and Adaley Henigner

There is a mountain load of work put into Field Day that many people seem to miss. Ever wondered how it is set up? Questioned who puts it together? Considered how others feel as they prepare for the largest ThunderRidge rivalry all year? We took the time to go and investigate the emotions, work, and preparations put into the legacy that we call Field Day.

The teachers’ side of the story gets overlooked often. The seminar society here at ThunderRidge puts in the effort to make Field Day run smoothly. Mrs. Holland commented on how early the committee starts planning. “We started doing stuff in the summer. Actually we started doing stuff in May.” Some of the things that cause problems were the shirts. “There is so much work… like ordering the shirt amounts and making sure that those shirts are in stock,” Mrs. Holland explained.. Another struggle that is often overlooked is fitting everyone in the gym. After enduring the pandemic the ability to have Field Day dwindled. Mrs. Holland commented, “Covid was the ultimate problem. There was a point last year when we were doing it still in the gym before we moved to Shea when people were just really nervous about being in a space. Then we were like let's collect vaccination or negative covid tests’,... Covid was the worst problem.” Luckily this year Field Day was able to be planned and executed. After asking about her opinion on the gym she said, “I’m always a fan of the gym, only because while Shea was awesome it took a lot more work to set it up since it wasn’t here in the school.” Having the teachers put together Field Day helps them stay involved with the school, but also creates pride as the daunting task is finished.

Not only is the teacher's perspective important, but hearing the opinions and experiences of the students is also important to the build up of Field Day. In two of the most entertaining weekly events, Powder Puff and Ruff n’ Tuff, many of the students expressed their favorite part of preparing for the games.

 “My favorite part has been all of us getting together and making friends,” Lily Ray (12) said. Complimenting that expression, Bella Thron said her favorite part was “bonding with some of the girls.” One of the constant favorites was going to practice while being with the others, even though it was early in the morning. For Cooper Paul (10) having his friends join the Ruff n’Tuff team was the main reason that he decided to join. Other students such as Luke Christiansen (10), Emmi Sulivan (12), and Lily Ray (12) had participated in the events in past years and were excited to do it again along side their friends. “Well I did it last year and it was really fun,” Emmi Sulivan (12) said, “I think everybody gets really competitive and it kinda creates a fun environment.”

Inquiring about their odds was another addition to the excitement. The build up of anxiety over the want to win hovered over their heads as they prepared for the competition. Braydon Robertson (9) said, “I hope we win. I hope we don’t get crushed.” Just like Braydon, Luke Christiansen (10) said, “I think we should win y'know, that's the best outlook we can get.”

Getting together to practice improved each team's chances of winning more than the last. Each team hoped that the other grade had not practiced enough to beat them. Early morning practices helped unite the teams through being sleep deprived yet excited for the upcoming game. Compared to the Freshman’s experience with practice, the Sophomore, Cooper Paul commented hopefully, “We practice. We practiced actually this morning, it went okay, but the Freshman are definitely not practicing. I definitely like our chances.”

 Excited to win, most students do not feel the nerves that others feel down on the gym floor. The fear of losing keeps both the Sophomores and the Seniors worried while the Freshman and Juniors keep putting on the pressure. Along with the help of the students the teachers help prepare ThunderRidge for one of the best Field Days they can. Yet at the end of the day, whether the player, planner, or supporter, everyone can come together under one name, the ThunderRidge Grizzlies for Field Day.