Diversity is defined to be a state where a variety of options and ideas are available. The word often applies to ancestry, race, sexuality, but an essential subject is often left out:teen sports. 

When asked to name highschool sports, subjects often spit out generic games like baseball, basketball, or American football but cricket is rarely mentioned. The problem with the lack of awareness in sports connects to a growing issue with cultural awareness and diversity. 

Cricket is predicted to have been created in the early 16th century but is evident to have some activity as early as the 13th century. The game of cricket only began thoroughly embedding its roots around the globe between the 16th and18th century amid England’s period of imperialism, and from then on, the game continues to develop its influence in politics and multiculturalism on an international scale. 

The line between cricket and the importance of diversity in high school sports lies in contrast to the magnitude of which generic sports are played and the lack of concern placed on variety in sports. While internationally, 100 countries have a national basketball team and 80 countries play American football – there are 105 cricket teams, outnumbering both American football and basketball – both a staple of teen sports in our nation. Even baseball, which is agreed to be the cornerstone of American sports, is modeled heavily after cricket of the 16th century. 

With schools around the nation having a predominantly cuacasian populous, the need for a solution to soften and build diversity will continue to compromise public schools’ quality and exposure with the international community. 

“They are just playing a sport and having fun which will most likely divert their minds from thinking about people’s race and more on the game itself” Anonymous cricket player.

Sports diversity comes into play as an effective solution because of the dynamics that apply. In sports, the GPA you earn or the ethnicity you come from doesn’t matter, instead, the more important factors are how much you play, and how effective you do. cricket is able to come into play as a necessity for this issue because of the broad range of students the sport resonates with. The large scale international community around cricket will better allow students of different cultural backgrounds to assimilate themselves into the school and sports community as they continue to build trust and relations around fellow teammates

“Diversity in sports reduces the likelihood of subconscious stereotypes as events like powderpuff games further enhance the likelihood of people believing that stereotype.” States Cupertino High Junior, Amrutha Vaidyam.

Cricket should not, however, be a simple one-step solution. Instead, cricket should act as a centerpiece for sports diversity. Sports such as competitive bowling or the celebrated German pastime, Headis, should be included in order to allow students stemming from a variety of backgrounds to better find inclusion in public schools around the nation.

Although Cupertino High has done its part incorporating sports such as golf and diving into their options, we should continue to explore more sports options to help students find their friends and passion – overall building a better school environment for all.