Homecoming Dilemma
By Bella Beachler, Staff Writer
This fall, the homecoming dance for Cody High School is set for September 27, 2025. The only problem: CHS tennis state is scheduled in Gillette for the same week. The players leave Thursday and return Saturday, the night of the dance. Homecoming week is arguably the best part of the school year, but this overlap means that members of the tennis team will miss much of Spirit Week, the football game, and may not even make it to the school dance in time to attend. Problems like this raise questions about how schools balance athletics and student events when planning their calendar.
Although many tennis players are upset by this decision, the challenge of organizing events around academics, athletics, and clubs is significant. An overlap between activities may be inevitable, but school leaders say they try to make decisions with students in mind. When picking dates, the school considers sports schedules, community events, and availability in facilities. This becomes challenging due to the numerous activities scheduled for students. “Cody High School offers so many opportunities for students, which is a great thing, but it also means our calendar fills up fast,” Activities Director Matt McFadden remarks. “With so much happening, there are times when two important events end up on the same weekend, even with careful planning.” As simple as it seems, organizing events to please everyone is surprisingly challenging and requires careful consideration.
High school is a limited time in a person's life. Four years fly by faster than one thinks, which means high schoolers only experience four homecomings; the most memorable of these being a student’s first and last. “I was most looking forward to the student skits and the homecoming football game,” Freshman Beau Beachler states. This would have been his first homecoming season at the high school. Unfortunately, he will miss both of these events while he competes in Gillette for the tennis team. He hopes to make it back to Cody in time to attend the dance, as it is one of the three school dances that freshmen are allowed to participate in. “I was definitely disappointed because I love school dances a lot,” Brenna Foote, a senior at CHS, says. “The fact that it is my senior hoco [homecoming] is a bummer, and it will be sad to miss out on.” This is true for all eight seniors on the tennis team who will miss out on their last-ever dress-up days, skits, parade, and homecoming football game as students at Cody High School.
The excitement of homecoming is near, yet it is dampened by its coinciding schedule with the tennis state. This clash of timing forces student-athletes to be torn between two major high school experiences. Whether it is their last-ever homecoming traditions or their first opportunity to experience school spirit, these students will miss out. Even with immense consideration, there is bound to be disappointment, but students cannot help but wonder what else could have been done to resolve this issue.
Abbey Edwards competes against the Thunder Basin tennis team.