This school year marks South’s 60 year anniversary, and sports-wise, things have changed drastically. In 1965, the only sports offered were boys sports: football, cross country, track, golf, basketball, wrestling, swimming, baseball, and tennis. It wasn’t until 1974 that girls track, swimming, and basketball were introduced. 

“I always thought there were not enough lockers in the girls’ locker room for all in-season athletes,” Ms. Howard, an athlete at South from 1983-1987, said. 

Today, girls sports have been given much more importance. Most boys sports have a girls equivalence. The recent addition of girls flag football exemplifies this, as football has always been a male-dominated sport. 

“The level of competition continues to rise. When I was in school, we were always the highest athletic class in IHSA; as we have gotten smaller, we have been able to compete against schools more similar to our population size,” Ms. Howard said when asked what the biggest difference from her time as an athlete to today is. 

The school population at South has fluctuated a lot over the years, with it starting around 600 and reaching a peak of 2000 around the early 2000’s. School size affects what IHSA class athletes compete in with higher classes signifying larger student bodies. 

Another change from 1965 is the athletic facilities. When South opened, there was the pool, gym, stadium, baseball and softball fields, but the weight room and field house weren’t built until the 1992-1993 school year. Many of the facilities have been renovated, including the pool, which was redone a few years ago. 

The support from families and the community is one thing that hasn’t changed at South. Sports continue to be a big part of student life and they raise school spirit, especially during homecoming.