For some, playing against a team that he or she used to be a part of might seem intimidating. However, this is not the case for junior Collin Watt. “It's like not having any enemies on one field... almost like playing with a bunch of your friends in the backyard,” Watt said. Watt attended AC Reynolds last year but now plays baseball for Roberson. He has already had a chance to play Reynolds this year. Watt said that even though Reynolds hit a homerun and scored the first run during the game, TC did not give up. The Rams soon after answered with a string of five singles in a row and finished by defeating Reynolds 7-2. Players are not the only ones who have switched schools. Nearly all current coaches at Roberson have worked with other teams at another school at one point in their careers. This year alone, TC has three new coaches; Jason Dinwiddie and Chad Inman transferred from North Henderson, and Adrian Clark transferred from Enka. JV girls basketball assistant coach and CTE teacher Jessica Seager attended Erwin High School but now coaches at TC. For some coaches, as it was for Seager, it can be intimidating to play against the school where s/he used to play. However, Seager said she really enjoys the encounters. “Well of course you always want to win, especially when playing your old school. I was nervous (playing Erwin), but it was a fun place to be--brought back a lot of memories,” Seager said. Seager said she had a very positive experience while attending Erwin, where she played basketball for the Warriors. “Looking back, I was very close to the girls that I played with. It was like a family,” Seager said. “I never had a negative experience in the gym.” Although Seager loves helping out as assistant coach, she misses aspects of the Erwin community that she hasn’t seen as much at Roberson. “At Erwin, there is a lot of school support. The gym is always filled to the brim. Here at TC, there is definitely a lesser crowd, usually.” Seager has found that some students change schools for sports due to the reputation at certain schools. “Roberson is known for baseball, so lots of kids come here to play,” Seager said. Junior Imanol Yepez Frias, who attended Veritas and played soccer there, now attends TC. He believes that many reasons exist for why student athletes come to a new school. Yepez Frias said athletes switch schools because different schools offer other opportunities on and off the field. Coaching had more to do with Watt’s switch. Changing schools for new style of coaching is attractive to many, according to him. While both Yepez Frias and Watt have made many new friends at Roberson, they admit to missing some of their old team mates. “If there is one thing I miss the most, it’s (Reynolds’) players and coaches and the experience I built with them,” Watt said. Boys’ varsity soccer played Veritas in a scrimmage last fall, and Yepez Frias went head-to-head with one of his good friends. “My least favorite part was going up against my best friend--I was a afraid I would hurt him. But, in the end, you get over that because a game is a game,” Yepez Frias said. As with Watt, who switched to a rival school, loyalties often change. He roots for the Rams now. “I do cheer against Reynolds because I’m going to fight for whoever is fighting for me,” Watt said.