The Life of a Student Athlete: Tickets, tickets, tickets

By LYDIA PLAHN/For The Herald — Most high school events these days are capped at a certain amount of spectators. Whether 50, 200 or any number in between, a spectator often needs a ticket or name on a list to watch a sporting event.

While I see the need for these tickets, every space has a capped number of people allowed, and this number needs to be regulated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some days the competition for these tickets makes me chuckle.

When people around town ask about tickets and you have to pick who you want to watch you play, I think to myself, “Is this still a 2A volleyball game we are fighting over tickets for?”

Then I think about the void these events might fill in the lives of some people. We are just beginning to have concerts, fairs and large events on our calendars. Instead of the usual buying a ticket to a large-scale event, most of us only have these small games where we crowd inside a gym and watch high school events.

And as any sports fan will tell you, “Nothing beats live sports.”

So, some days I laugh when I can’t get into a game because I am ticketless, or someone asks me for a ticket I can’t give them.

Other days I realize that after a year of sitting at home, having a ticket with my name on it is worth a lot.

Lydia Plahn, a sophomore at Lowell High School, writes about her experiences while participating as a member of the volleyball, softball and basketball teams.