There are many activities at North Augusta High School, and some would say that most could be considered an athletic program at North Augusta. Our North Augusta NJROTC is a class that many students participate in. The NJROTC class does count as a PE credit, but does that necessarily make it a sport? Two North Augusta students, Caitlyn Sykes and Ashleigh Ponder, were asked questions on their opinions on NJROTC.
Caitlyn Sykes states that she would not consider NJROTC a sport at North Augusta because they only do physical activity twice a week. Sykes explains that a day in NJROTC is not necessarily the same every day. One thing that is consistent every day is that they say the Cadet Creed before doing anything else. On Wednesdays, they are required to dress up in uniform. During class on those days, they go through an inspection to make sure everything is correct. Sykes says they also have academic days where Master Guns or Commander Beck will teach them a lesson. Sykes says that in a normal year, they have about 80 workouts. She says that every Tuesday or Thursday they have some type of workout. Sykes believes that the people in NJROTC work just as hard as the athletes if not harder. Sykes says, “it takes discipline and hard work to be successful in NJ.” Sykes compared preparing for NJROTC like an athlete preparing for a championship. There are teams under the NJROTC unit that participate in competitions and the work required can be closely related to the work required of an athlete before a big game. Each year the NJROTC goes through a yearly inspection ceremony. Sykes says this requires a lot of work and preparation. The new cadets work hard trying to rank up and earn ribbons. Each department must make sure what they are doing is perfect and goes smoothly with the rest of the ceremony. Sykes says preparation begins at the beginning of each year. Although not everything is direct preparation, she says everything you do in NJROTC is for the bigger purpose of doing good at the yearly inspection.
Ashleigh Ponder also does not think NJROTC should be considered a sport at North Augusta. Her normal class consists of learning about leadership and they talk of their plans for the future. Ponder says that “there are so many workouts, almost too many.” Ponder says she is unsure if they work as hard as football, just because of how high-paced football is and how many practices they have. Ponder does say, however, that she believes they work as hard as the sports like golf or tennis. Ponder says the preparation for the yearly inspection begins at least three months ahead of time.
These student interviews from NJROTC students at North Augusta High School can better the general understanding of the North Augusta NJROTC, as well as how the members of the program feel about the work done within it.
Photo Credit: Katie Beth Cannon
Pictured: NAHS NJROTC
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