Germans Defeat French, Maintains 10-Year Kickball Win Streak
Senior Ivanna Gonzalez, a French student, holds up a sign during the kickball game against the German students on May 9. The sign was signed by most of the French students on the back during the game.
May 15, 2023
The French and German clubs took the field for the annual kickball game between the two clubs, which have held a long-standing rivalry against each other for many years.
Waving their respective flags that could be seen from across the grass fields next Tiger Country on May 9, the German students fought against the French to keep their win streak intact.
“No matter how competitive both sides were, we were all good sports,” senior Ivanna Gonzalez, a French 3 student, said. “Everyone was cheering on their teams as loud as they could. It was a very friendly and fun match.”
The German Club held their now nine-year win streak after defeating the French 8-7.
“I would say that the smaller group makes it so that we have more of a tight-knit roster,” German teacher Levi Antrim said, “so if you have only the crème of the crop, then you automatically win.
The game was officiated by juniors Judith Herbrechtsmeyer, who is in both German and French classes, and Owen Anderson, who is in French.
“I mostly just thought it was funny and I didn’t care who won,” Herbrechtsmeyer said. “[German teacher Mrs. Christina House] asked me if I wanted to, and it sounded like it would be fun.”
The friendly rivalry between French and German clubs has been going for a while. While not a serious rivalry, it has gone on longer than the foreign languages teachers can remember.
“I think it’s just simply two different languages and you tend to be more partial to your own group and we make fun of the Germans, and they make fun of us,” French teacher Christel Schwarz said. “I have historical reasons to be weary of the Germans, but basically it’s all in good fun.”
While Mr. Antrim says if the Germans lose next year “it would be the end of an era,” Mrs. Schwarz remains optimistic to reclaim the trophy after nine years of Germans reign.
“We’re not going to give up hope. We’re going to keep trying,” Mrs. Schwarz said. “There’s definitely, I think, a different approach on both sides. We’re a bigger club, so we give anybody the opportunity who wants to play to play. It’s more about including people and enjoying ourselves as a club.”
