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Woodside’s boys’ varsity water polo team facing Carlmont in September

Woodside currently has 21 sports teams, ranging from boys’ water polo to girls’ golf. Is it time to add more?

With so many sports across the globe, could more be incorporated into Woodside? The problem is, many sports aren’t always easy to introduce.

“The Peninsula Athletic League is our kind of governing body, and they have all the official sports that the high schools can have and so the only [sport] we currently do not have here that is offered, that falls under the PAL is boys’ volleyball. Everything else we do,” Woodside athletic director Timothy Faulkner said.

With the PAL limiting Woodside sports options, new sports will be difficult to introduce. However, boys’ volleyball does seem likely to become a Woodside sport in the future.

“We don’t offer [boys’ volleyball] currently and we are working to offer it…, [but] we just need interest,” Faulkner said.

And interest does not seem to be lacking.

“Volleyball is a very fun and challenging sport…boys’ volleyball should be offered because boys’ volleyball can be played at the D1 level, which would provide a great opportunity for kids to get scholarships,” Woodside sophomore Max Mueller said.

While it appears that boys’ volleyball is the only sport Woodside can offer and doesn’t have, some students thought about introducing new sports, perhaps even as clubs.

“I think that if Woodside had a [rock climbing] team or maybe just a club, that would be really cool to… hang out there with other kids that rock climb,” said Woodside sophomore Tucker Gillbrand.

Clubs are one way to get around much of the effort of funding and creating a new sport. Opinions are varied on whether or not this is a necessary shortcut, however.

“I think the school has good resources and the ability to make new sports, like new programs for sports,” Woodside sophomore Jose Rebollar said.

Other sports may already have the resources and materials they need.

“We already have ping pong tables, we already have volleyball courts. All the school would need is to hire a few part time coaches and get a few shirts, which I’m sure they could manage,” Mueller said.

Some sports have certain constraints, such as sports facilities Woodside doesn’t currently have.

I’m not entirely sure [if woodside has the capabilities to offer new sports],” Gillbrand said. “If [Woodside] just wants to have a team that just goes to a gym or rock climbing gym every once in a while, that’d be cool.”

Other sports shared the same problem.

“I think it would be nice for them to offer [ice hockey], but it seems a little difficult for that to happen because we need an ice rink,” Woodside sophomore Sean Bratton said.