The bowler sprints at you like a raging bull, hurling a tiny sphere at your awaiting stance. Sweat drips down your face as you stand nervously, gripping the bat harder and harder until your knuckles are white, trying to conquer the seemingly impossible task of keeping your eye on the ball.
Welcome to the world of cricket. Sophomore Mashhood Salahuddin is from Pakistan and grew up around the sport, which he began playing when he was 9 years old.
Cricket is played in an open field with one dry base with two players on offense at a time, while 11 play defense, Salahuddin explained.
The pitcher then throws a pitch while running at the batsman, who then swings a rectangular wooden paddle in an attempt to hit the ball past the players on defense, Salahuddin added.
Currently, Salahuddin plays batsman and fielder on the right side for his hometown club team, Karachi FC, Salahuddin said.
Every summer, Salahuddin returns to Pakistan to join his team for the month and a half long season. The team, made up of mostly 15 and 16-year-olds, tours all throughout Pakistan and Saudi Arabia playing games sometimes lasting as long as five days, Salahuddin said.
Senior Chance Brodsky also plays a sport not available at Bexley.
Brodsky said that he began to play squash when he was a freshman at Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York.
“All of my friends played,” Brodsky said. “Squash is a really quick game, and I think it requires a lot more skill and hand eye coordination than any other racquet sport,” Brodsky said.
Squash is played on an indoor court with small black balls that don’t have much bounce, while players use racquets similar to but smaller than a tennis racquet, Brodsky explained.
However, since moving to Bexley last summer, Brodsky said he has not had the opportunity to play.
“I have nowhere to play here because squash is typically a northeastern sport,” Brodsky said.
Although the school does not have a team, Brodsky said he still enjoys playing when he can.
Senior Taylor Freese also participates in an alternative sport.
Five times a week, Freese, along with fellow Bexley students freshman Caroline Sams and freshman Iliana Rodriguez, attends rowing practice as part of her participation in Dublin crew.
Freese said she started rowing at the beginning of her sophomore year of high school.
“I got a postcard in the mail, and I thought it looked like fun,” Freese said.
There is no try-out to qualify for Dublin crew, which offers high school students two competitive levels of rowing, novice and varsity and is available in the spring, summer and fall seasons, Freese explained.
“In order to make varsity, you have to be a part of the squad for an entire calendar year,” Freese said.
Crew consists of one, two, four or eight teammates simultaneously rowing in a canoe shaped boat with a “coxswain,” who steers the team through a designated course, Freese said.
The Dublin crew participates in tournaments all over Ohio and also travels to competitions in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, Freese said.
Freese added that she has fully enjoyed her two years in the program and still has a positive outlook on her sport and her team.
“It’s not like ‘Oh my gosh, I have to go to practice today,’” Freese said. “I really look forward to going every day.”
Dublin crew is currently focusing on winter conditioning where the rowers work on getting in shape for the upcoming spring season, Freese said.
“I would encourage people to go try something that they haven’t before,” Freese said. “You get to meet people that you would have never gotten to meet otherwise.”
Published November 2007. Digitized 2025.