Changes in Sports
Katelyn Maxwell
As we go about our daily lives at Lincolnwood, we tend to overlook the fact that our school has so much history. Since 1962, our school has evolved in a number of ways. It’s hard to tell what is behind the positives and negatives we have seen. Despite the obstacles any school our size faces, our community has always been behind us with support and sportsmanship. Lincolnwood has always valued its extracurricular activities, especially sports. Students and community members have left a great number of sports memories behind. But, what has evolved as Lincolnwood grew older?
In 1962, the communities of Raymond, Harvel, Waggoner, and Farmersville were undergoing some major changes. Parents, teachers, and students were adjusting to the newly consolidated school. That year, it isn’t surprising that LHS only offered a few sports due to the fact everyone was adjusting to the advancement. Baseball, basketball, and cheerleading were the start of Lincolnwood sports and their history. As everyone became fonder of Lincolnwood, they also became fonder of different sports. Only two years later, our school had a track team and a dance team, which became known as the “Lancerettes” in 1967. By this time, everyone was filled with school spirit and the number of students participating in sports grew.
As time went on, LHS continued to take pride in its sports. In 1975, another sport was added to our community. Volleyball became popular with a good number of Lincolnwood girls. Unfortunately, just two years later, the “Lancerettes” were no longer a part of our school. Even though LHS faced a loss of one of its teams, our school continued to take pride in its other sports. We continued to have a great number of students take part in sports and in school spirit.
Once again, as Lincolnwood continued to evolve, so did sports. Uniforms changed style, new people became part of LHS and its teams, and new sports continued to become part of our community. Lincolnwood acknowledged the desire for girls basketball in 1981 when the first team was created. Unfortunately, the team was short-lived and ended after the 1985 season.
Lincolnwood participated in the same sports throughout the 1980s. It wasn’t until 1990 that LHS experienced some change again. In 1990, our school was able to make two additional sports available to our student body. Softball and golf turned out to be popular sports that year, and remains popular to this day. Unfortunately, a year later, Lincolnwood lost track but quickly made up for it by adding soccer the following year. Since 1992, LHS has held onto the same sports and had pride in each one of them.
LHS has provided the opportunity to play sports that our school can no longer provide. In 1994, Lincolnwood created a co-op with Nokomis for girls basketball. In the 2006-2007 school year, LHS boys were able to play football for Girard High School. Also in that school year, Nokomis boys and girls began playing for the Lincolnwood soccer team. Not long after, in the 2009-2010 school year, the boys began to play football in another co-op with the Nokomis Redskins.
Every sport surely has its own reason of being added or dropped. But, no matter the reason our school and our community has always supported every player and every activity. Whether it’s basketball, volleyball, or cheerleading, think of the history of the gym you are sitting in. There is no doubt that Lincolnwood will only continue to evolve. Who knows what will happen next? No matter the change, our classmates and our community will always be our biggest fans encouraging us along the way.