High school is full of stereotypes. In the famous, and hilariously inaccurate, words of the usually politically incorrect Mean Girls, “You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, J.V. jocks, Asian nerds, cool Asians, varsity jocks, unfriendly black hotties, girls who eat their feelings, girls who don’t eat anything, desperate wannabes, burnouts…,” and so on and so forth. People like being a part of something, and stereotypes are an easy way to feel like you belong.

One of the most prevalent stereotypes that exists is the, “jock,” stereotype. The classic jock in all of the cheesy high school chick flicks is first of all, extraordinarily hot. They come in all shapes and sizes, from soccer players to the starting quarterback to homerun hitters.  They’re normally not the sharpest tool in the shed, and to put it lightly, are jerks. The, “jocks,” that allegedly fit this stereotype the best are the members of the school football team.

Walking into high school, that’s what every sophomore expects from the football team. First glances appear to support the jock stereotype (and second and third and fourth glances) but how accurate is the rest of the label?

Truthfully? Not very. Every player on the Bingham football team must maintain a 2.0 to stay on the Bingham football team, and dozens of kids on the team are involved in honors and AP classes. There are no fewer students in AP classes and on the football team than there are involved in drama or orchestra or any extracurricular activity.

Not to mention that the football team is one of the most supportive groups at Bingham. There is not a more close-knit group of students in the school. Anyone who could see them during their pre-game ritual could not deny that football players are all genuinely good-hearted.

Apparently the stereotype against, “jocks,” at Bingham High School isn’t very accurate. When put under examination, really no sports stereotype holds up. Turns out people are not simply the accumulation of their surroundings and their hobbies, despite society’s best efforts to confirm that. In the wise words of Albus Dumbledore, “It is out choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”