• Skip to content

MIPA: A Cut Above

The best in student media from the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

  • About
    • Archive
    • Copyright & Use
  • News Writing
    • Breaking News Coverage
    • News Story
    • Follow-Up News Coverage
    • News Brief
    • News Analysis
    • Staff Editorial
    • Bylined Opinion Article
    • Review
    • Feature Columnist
    • Pro-Con Opinion Columns
    • In-Depth Feature
    • Informative Feature
    • Human Interest Feature
    • Personal Narrative
    • Personality Profile
    • Diversity Coverage
    • Environmental, Health or Science
    • Alternative Story Form
    • Sports Feature Story
    • Sports Columnist
    • Sports News Story
    • Discontinued News Writing Categories
  • News Design
    • Information Graphic
    • Interactive Graphic
    • Advertising Layout
    • Front Page/Magazine Style
    • Front Page/Newspaper Style
    • Story Package
    • Editorial Opinion Page/Spread
    • Feature Page/Spread
    • News Page or Spread
    • Entertainment Page/Spread
    • Photo Story (design)
    • Professionally Published Page
    • Sports Page or Spread
    • Discontinued News Design Categories
  • News Photography
    • Sports Action Photo
    • Sports Feature Photo
    • News or Feature Photograph
    • Environmental Portrait
    • Photo Story
  • Art & Illustration
    • Editorial Cartoon
    • Comic Strip
    • Illustration
  • Digital Media
    • Breaking News Social Media Coverage
    • News or Feature Social Media Coverage
    • Personality Profile Social Media Coverage
    • Sports News Social Media Coverage
    • Social Media Video
    • Audio News Feature Story
    • Audio Interview
    • Podcast
    • Video Interview
    • Multimedia Story Package
    • Discontinued Digital Media Categories
  • Yearbook
    • Yearbook Verbal
      • Feature Writing – Student Life
      • Feature Writing – Academics
      • Feature Writing – Organizations
      • Feature Writing – Sports
      • Personality Profile
      • Headline Writing
      • Caption Writing
      • Discontinued Yearbook-Verbal Categories
    • Yearbook Visual
      • Student Life Spread
      • Sports Spread
      • Academics Spread
      • Organization Spread
      • People Spread
      • Business Advertisements
      • Proud Parent Advertisements
      • Graphics
      • Sports Action Photo
      • Sports Feature Photo
      • Portrait or Personality Photo
      • Photo Illustration
      • Academics Photo
      • Organization, Club or Performance Photo
      • School Spirit Photo
      • Discontinued Yearbook Visual Categories
    • Yearbook Visual-Verbal
      • Alternative Story Form Presentation
      • Mod or Sidebar Coverage
      • Feature Presentation – Mini-Mag, Special Section or Supplement
      • Feature Presentation – Individual Spread
      • Theme Development
      • Cover
      • Endsheet
      • Opening and Closing
      • Division Pages
      • Colophon
      • Index
      • Discontinued Yearbook Verbal-Visual Categories
  • Video
    • Video Journalism
      • News Story or Package
      • Localized News Analysis
      • Informative Feature
      • Personality Profile Feature
      • Sports News Story or Package
      • Sports Feature Story or Package
      • Environmental, Health or Science
      • Diversity Coverage
      • Newscast
      • Discontinued Video Journalism Categories
    • Video Production
      • Commercial
      • Public Service Annoucement
      • Health Public Service Announcement
      • Non-animated Opener
      • Animated Opener
      • Live Sports or Event Coverage
      • Short Film–Fiction
      • Short Film–Documentary
      • Music Video
      • Humor
      • School Promo
      • Discontinued Video Production Categories
    • Video Talent
      • Anchor
      • Field Reporter
      • Live Sports Announcer
      • Discontinued Video Talent Categories

Persevere

Feature Writing - Sports, Yearbook, Yearbook Verbal / June 27, 2016 by Kelsey Parkinson

By Hannah Maze
Warrior
Utica HS
Division 3, Yearbook
Sports Feature Writing

The burning in their chests, the shortness of breath, and the passion for the game engulfed the junior varsity girls soccer team during their season. After a series of injuries, the team was left with only eleven eligible players for the season. With any fewer players, the team would have been forced to forfeit.
Of the injured girls, junior Haley Walker was one of them who had to sit out.
“I had a concussion and two sprained ankles,” Walker said, “so I couldn’t play the whole rest of the season.”
For this team, the end of the season included districts.
“I was kind of happy that districts were at the end of the season,” Walker said, “but it was upsetting because I couldn’t play.”
On the other side of the spectrum, the eleven able-bodied players had to give everything they had during the fast paced games. With only the minimum amount of players available, no team member was left on the sideline.
The girls had to work with what they had, and there was not a single person to spare.
“It was tiring during the last halves of the games,” sophomore Elizabeth Balaj said. “We all slowed down and were not as energetic.”
The stamina needed to play a whole game of soccer is imperative. The strength to push forward is crucial. Starting out strong and active is easy; keeping up the pace for the second half is the hard part. Without alternates able to come in for tired players, the girls on the field never got to rest, making the game stretch out even further.
“We had to push to keep going,” Balaj said.
It seems as if the JV boys’ soccer and JV volleyball teams were more fortunate with respect to injuries. Both teams were injury free, and had all their players ready to go. With a full team, it made the boys team successful against rival Eisenhower.
“We were more successful because this year we tied Ike,” sophomore Filippo Giambanco said. Last year, the boys team lost to Ike, 0-8. This year, the team pulled together to deliver a score of 1-1. Although it’s more promising to have a healthy team, downfalls are still possible. Unlike the girls team, the junior varsity boys soccer team had to share play-time at some points.
“I think people did lose out on playing time since everyone could play the whole season,” sophomore Zachary Arafat said.
Kicking a soccer ball uses leg muscle, so the players need to be cautious to not strain themselves. Hyperextending a knee can cause a game altering injury.
“Pulled muscles in the thighs and groin are very common injuries people get from playing soccer,” Arafat said, though the junior varsity boys soccer team were fortunate enough to not experience any this season.
Similar to the junior varsity boys soccer team, the junior varsity volleyball team also played a season without any serious injuries. In volleyball, you have to be well conditioned in order to avoid getting hurt. Staying hydrated while practicing is beneficial to muscles. Volleyball players need strong bones to reduce the risk of injury.
“Shoulder problems, back problems, and knee injuries are common injuries,” sophomore Ava Hann said. Sophomore Brittany Stack was also aware of possible injuries. “Other common volleyball injuries,” Stack said, “are rolled wrists and bruises.”

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

View winners by year or division

2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 Division 1 Division 1-2 Division 1-3 Division 1-4 Division 1-5 Division 1-MS Division 1A Division 1B Division 2 Division 2-3 Division 3 Division 3-4 Division 3-5 Division 3-MS Division 4 Division 4-MS Division 4/MS Division 5/MS Division MS Divison 1A Divison 1B Divison 2 Divison MS

Copyright © 2025 · Michigan Interscholastic Press Association