I am an Arapahoe Warrior, but I wear Heritage colors. Some people have stared daggers at me in the hallways without knowing why I wear Heritage gear. 

The reason for this is because of sports. I have played hockey for Heritage High School on a combined team for about five months. 

Hockey is a difficult to learn sport and it’s not too popular in Colorado. That’s why LPS has to combine schools to make a singular hockey organization, which plays under Heritage high school.  

Arapahoe used to have a hockey team, but it only resulted in fights on and off the ice which caused Arapahoe to stop supporting a hockey team.   

I have worn Heritage gear and gotten many death stares from people I don’t know in the hallway. I have been asked why I’m wearing a Heritage jacket in some ways that are not the most tasteful.  More than half of the hockey team goes to Arapahoe, yet many people don’t know about the hockey team.

I think that all the Arapahoe students who play hockey still have school spirit, we just put aside our rivalry and focus on the game that we all love to play. I am still a Warrior, I just wear the wrong colors.  

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I know many other players have this issue but they endure it to get to play for a high school team. They want to represent our school and they do that through playing a sport that they enjoy. Here are some of their thoughts. 

Why did you choose to play high school hockey instead of club hockey?   

“I feel I am playing for something when I play high school hockey, instead of just playing for a community in club, I am playing for my peers and school for high school hockey. High school hockey also feels like a whole new level, like it’s faster, and more competitive, it is way more intense”.- AHS hockey player   

“The experience of representing the entire district and not just a single high school or a club nobody know much about,” -Jacob Zier 

How do you feel playing for the Heritage hockey team as an Arapahoe student? 

“I just want more representation and support, I feel the way kids are blinded to seeing Heritage as our rivals conflicts on how we can’t get as much support.” -AHS hockey player 

“I wish people at Arapahoe would understand that we are still students at Arapahoe and we didn’t have a choice of playing for Arapahoe or Heritage,”- Jonah Rowlison