Westview will host the annual Battle of the Classes: the Powderpuff game today in the stadium. The tradition features a game of flag football, with the senior and freshmen classes working together to face off against the sophomores and juniors.
Sarah Heyn (12) and Mya Omisore (12) have both been involved in the tradition for their entire high school career.
“The Powderpuff is a tradition here at Westview; it doesn’t matter what sport you play,” Heyn said. “It’s just something that happens every year, and it’s a great experience. [Everyone] will come out and watch as if it’s like a real football game.”
Omisore has been playing flag football since she was little, influencing her to join this year’s Powderpuff.
“I played flag football when I was younger, and it was always something that I enjoyed,” Omisore said. “I thought it would be a pretty cool experience to play with my friends and compete against other people as well.”
Omisore said that she also wanted to join Powderpuff in her last year as an opportunity to spend more time with her friends before graduating.
“I’m mostly looking forward to the practices, because I know this will be the last time I’ll get to do something like this with my friends before we all go to college,” Omisore said. “It’s fun going to practice, messing around, and just kind of hanging out.”
Heyn said that she was influenced by her love for flag football when it came to participating in the event this year. She said that she was particularly excited about being on a team with all girls.
“The feeling of playing a male-dominated sport is just something that speaks to me,” Heyn said. “It makes me want to prove that I can do anything that a guy can do too. Everyone looks forward to Friday night lights, but I think this is like an opportunity for girls to have that same feeling of ‘everyone’s going to come and watch us on the field.’”
Lindsey Stefanick (11) has played in the Powderpuff for the past two years. This year, Stefanick said that she looks forward to getting to know people she wouldn’t normally meet.
“Last year, it was really fun because I knew a majority of [the junior class], and it was fun to get to know new people,” Stefanick said. “This year I’ve only met a few new people, but it’s still fun to get to know a bunch of [the underclassmen], because I don’t know the sophomore class quite as well.”
The event isn’t only about playing football but also about helping foster connections between grades. Due to the way teams are structured, Heyn said that students of different grades are given the opportunity to work together and build relationships with people they don’t normally meet during school.
“Being a senior, you don’t really talk to freshmen and vice versa,” Heyn said. “It’s really an opportunity to meet new people at your school that you don’t [typically] talk to because of your grades. I think Powderpuff is such a good way to keep that going, because every year you can meet someone new.”
Omisore said that the environment gives students an opportunity to grow more comfortable with one another.
“I think the bond between people and sports just brings you closer,” she said. “Not as many people signed up this year, which is unfortunate, but getting to know some of the freshmen is always fun. They always give a different perspective on things. It’s fun to see them come out of their shell and become more confident as the weeks move on.”
Being a senior this year, Heyn said that she aspires to be someone that her fellow teammates can look up to, especially the underclassmen.
“I definitely try to be very social because I know that [the underclassmen] might be scared,” Heyn said. “When I was in their shoes, I was scared to talk to the coaches and if I was gonna get playing time. I try to make friends with all of [my teammates] and let them know that this is not something to stress about at all. It’s just for fun, so you should enjoy it.”
