When entering high school, some students have a basic understanding of what they want to do in the future and what secondary education experiences they want to participate in. Colleges and universities have different requirements and skill levels so it’s important for students to consider what school is best for them and their capabilities. This can be figured out using a multitude of factors from GPA, SAT/ACT, personality, and extracurricular activities. Extracurriculars are considered by many as very important, if not equally as important, as a student’s academics when applying for colleges. To be specific, extracurriculars are clubs or various activities that students can participate in outside of school hours. There are a variety of aspects considered to be extracurricular activities that MHS has to offer and they can be broken down into two categories: Athletic and non-athletic.

MHS offers a wide array of athletic-related activities including:

• Football   
• Cheerleading     
• Soccer       
• Band     
• Cross Country  
• Basketball   
• Winter Track
• Wrestling   
• Track and Field   
• Baseball   
• Softball  

It is important to note that some sports may be seasonal and won’t be available during certain seasons like Cross Country (XC) is during  Fall or Softball takes place in the Spring.  Another thing to keep in mind is that if a student is new to athletics, they should visit the Manville High School athletics website and have a parent/guardian register an account; a guide to do so can be found here.

If a student already has an account, be sure to register for the sport of choice and submit the registration. While doing that, it’s also required that all athletes, every year, must complete a physical. This includes various steps such as filling out forms, making an appointment with either a doctor of choice, or going to the nurse’s office for an appointment physical. These are necessary measures the school takes, as well as on a larger scale, the state of New Jersey takes, to ensure safe participation during practice and competition.

When making a commitment to an athletic team, this extracurricular activity will require students to stay after school for practice. However, each sport has varying days of practice and certain unforeseen events might force practice to be canceled for that day. All athletics will also require students to be mobile and may travel to various locations, which are predominantly high schools where athletes compete against other schools. The majority of places athletes can expect to go are located in Somerset County, Hunterdon County, and Warren County which are all under the jurisdiction of the “Skyland Conference.”

Lastly, athletic activities are offered as an incentive for students to consider the sports industry as a full-time career. Participation in these activities can allow students to not only stay fit as they are doing exercise but as well as to develop a well-rounded interest in sports or maintain and increase the interest in sports for many. Overall, if students have an interest in sports, have a competitive mindset, and believe they have what it takes to help contribute to MHS’s various teams, as well as make new friends, then consider Athletics as an extracurricular for you! 

If students have any further questions about athletics overall refer to the MHS Athletic Website.  If students still have questions, they should reach out to returning team members or coaches. 

(This is part one of a two-part article series covering extracurriculars).