The The Social Social Benefit Benefit By: Felicia Wagner 2023
D
uring a brisk winter night, a soft smile presents the crowd, with her long brown hair that falls perfectly upon her varsity gymnastics windbreaker. While hugging familiar faces, Julie Bortolato has crept into the first 15 minutes of her brother’s game. It’s a Tuesday night at Mountain View High School and teens and parents have gathered to watch varsity soccer compete against various teams. After the crowd celebrates, and the whistle gets blown a prideful smile comes running from the other side of the field. Just trying to catch his breath while drops of sweat fly behind him, Luc Bortolato thanks the crowd for supporting him and acknowledges the presence of his twin sister by a gentle side hug. Although, The Bortolato Twins emit successful stability, Becoming a young adult is not a simple task. During high school, millions of developing brains are maintaining their lives everyday – driving to school, being able to independently do homework, and even making lunch. While all of these seem like trivial tasks, high schoolers often forget the importance of tending to their mental health and wellness. Although, there is a large group of students whose every day routines do not make time for a break: student athletes. Constantly competing to be the best can take up more time than you think, especially when you consider that after school practices often end after the sun goes down and homework isn’t usually finished until the clock strikes midnight. With every school year getting more advanced, and every sports season getting more competitive,