Sports, Clubs, and Other Extracurriculars at Nogales High School since 1919
Therese Peralta, University of Arizona
Key Concepts
- Nogales High School first opened its doors in 1915. Since this time, various changes have occurred in the number of students, clubs, and sports opportunities for students.
- The clubs and sports available at NHS throughout history are representative of the larger social changes occurring in that time. These include the inclusion of Hispanic culture at U.S. public schools to match changing demographics, an increase girls in sports, and even growing environmentalism.
Key Terms
- Title IX: a law that protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.
- Interscholastic: occurring between two or more schools, typically of sports, events, or competitions.
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Program: a program of techniques, methodology, and special curriculum designed to teach English language learner students English language skills.
- Home economics: a subject or class that teaches skills such as cooking or sewing, which are used in the home.
- Chicano Movement: a 1960s-1970s social and political civil rights movement in the United States that aimed to empower Mexican Americans.
RESEARCH ARTICLE
C-4. Special Focus A: Young People and School Life
Sports, Clubs, and Other Extracurriculars at Nogales High School since 1919
Therese Peralta, University of Arizona
Introduction
Figure 1: A newspaper clipping of a Nogales High School student in 1938, dissatisfied after his final examinations[1]
For many, the teen years are marked by growth spurts, puberty, and their high school experience. Many high school students express the desire to make it to graduation, which, like 1938 graduate Robert Berrelez, often meant just making it through grueling final examinations and all the academic work that graduation requires. At Nogales High School, this relationship between young people and school life is ever present, dating back to when the school first opened in 1915. As Nogales, Arizona started to grow in population, so did Nogales High School: with a senior class size of just four students in 1915, and only 30 students around a decade later in 1926[2], to a senior class size of around 372 over a century later in 2022.[3]
The immense growth in the number of students attending NHS has had a significant impact on the way students have interacted with each other and with academics. Confronting issues such as drunk driving and teen pregnancy are demonstrations of how the student body has responded to the times. The development of cultural clubs, academic programs, sports, and more, has evolved since Nogales High School opened its doors. These seemingly trivial aspects of a high school experience can tell us a lot about history: not only the history of Nogales, Arizona, but the broader perspectives and changes happening across the country. Border changes, a persistent topic today, the treatment of students without English as a first language, girls in sports– and more broadly– women’s rights, and even the growing appreciation for the environment is represented in the programs and clubs offered at Nogales High School.
Popular Sports for Young People in Nogales High School Since 1919
October 18, 1919, marked the first football game played by Nogales High School. Football, one of the most popular high school sports, was just getting started. The first game of the season was played in Nogales and was against Tucson High. The excitement of the first ever football game for Nogales High School brought in “a large crowd of excited rooters”.[4] The team lost with a final score of 51-0, but nonetheless, students were eager to have a new sport. The year 1919 also marked the creation of concrete tennis courts at NHS. Basketball was popular, with boys and girls teams for the sport. Baseball was in its infancy at Nogales High School, as games were only inter-class. Coached by Mr. Abernathy, NHS successfully defeated the NHS Aviators, a town baseball team. However, hope was on the horizon that students would soon be playing against other schools.
Looking at yearbooks, by the 1949-1950 school year, sports do not appear to have changed too much. Basketball was still popular, but at this point, there was no girls’ team. This marks a stark contrast to the basketball team of 1920, which had both a girls and boys team. This is one representation of the gender dynamics in sports in the 1950s, where girls were not allowed or given the opportunity to play certain sports.
Figure 2: NHS Apaches basketball team for the 1950 school year pose for their group picture[5]
Flashing forward to 1979, this was a big year demonstrating the significant changes in how sports was impacting young people in Nogales. The Apaches varsity basketball team had an incredibly successful season. They ranked #2 in the Double A South, and even went to the state competition where they competed against Corona del Sol High School in the Phoenix area. In addition to this accomplishment, the Nogales Apachesgals, the girls basketball team, was newly formed. This academic year provided more opportunities for girls in sports in general. This is most likely a result of the higher number of students at NHS and the passing of Title IX in 1972, a law protecting against discrimination on the basis of sex in education.
Figure 3: The 1979-1980 Apache Gals team pose for their group picture.[6]
By 1992, the sports opportunities for both girls and boys had grown tremendously. Football, volleyball, cross country, golf, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, wrestling, cheerleading, pom-pons, and ensignias– the flag bearers, were all options.[7] Cross country now had a boys and girls team, with both qualifying for state competition. Soccer and tennis also had girls and boys teams, a development from a decade prior. The cheer team had a very successful season. The girls attended nationals and received three superior ribbons for their performance.
Figure 4: Nogales High School Varsity Cheerleaders pose after receiving their superior ribbons.[8]
Overall, sports played an important role in bringing students together and creating school spirit. Not only did the number and types of sports teams change, but the presence of girls in sports did too. As time progressed past the 1950s, there were more opportunities for girls in sports. As Nogales High School grew in its number of students and as society’s attitudes towards girls in sports started to shift, there were more opportunities and options for playing sports.[9]
Clubs at Nogales High School Since 1919
Since 1919, clubs have presented opportunities for students to create bonds. There were a few popular clubs in the beginning of NHS’s history. These include the Mask and Bauble Society, a drama club organized in 1919, the Student Body Association, and the Hi-Y Club, which organized school events. This was the first year for the Hi-Y club at Nogales High School, as after selected delegates Howard Trovea, John Phillips, and Oliver Foore attended a “Y” conference in Phoenix, “they became convinced of having such an organization in our own school”.[10] As well, there were two “rival” literary clubs; the Daniel Webster Literary Society and the Henry Clay Literary Society, that sought to encourage interest in literature, music, and debate. Finally, March 12, 1920 was the first debate competition held by Nogales High School. Although the two competing students lost the debate against Douglas, it marked the beginning of inter-scholastic competition.[11]
By 1949, clubs had begun to represent the events and societal standards of the period. The Future Homemakers of America, now called the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, was an all-girls organization with the intention of teaching teen girls how to take care of their future husbands and homes. This organization utilized education known as home economics to teach young women culinary arts, child development, sewing, and more.[12] This is not shocking as the gender relations of the 1950s were characterized by “traditional” gender roles, where women were expected to take care of the home and men were expected to work outside the home.
Figure 5: Members of the Future Homemakers of America pose with their sponsor, Mrs. Bess Smith[13]
In contrast to the FHA, the Girl’s Athletic Association was growing at Nogales High School. Sponsored by Miss Opal Wendlick, this association had the goal of fostering physical activity among teenage girls, allowing them to participate in many sports that they would not otherwise be able to participate in.[14] This association was a stepping stone in allowing women to participate in sports by showing they were willing and capable of doing so. Prior to the passing of Title IX, the law that protects people from discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs or any activity receiving federal funding, women were not allowed to play certain sports or partake in certain activities.[15] This club in the context of the 1950s, when at Nogales High School there were few girls teams in sports, shows that gender dynamics in Nogales echoed those across the nation as women began to fight for the right to play sports.
By the 1980s, STEM education was becoming more important across the country and at NHS. Science Club was a co-ed club with the purpose of stimulating the students’ interest in science and offering opportunities to explore the world around them. This included trips to Madera Canyon Hike, Lake Powell, Havasupai Falls, and more. Learning and appreciating the natural landscapes allowed students to better understand natural phenomena, and even aided in the elementary school science fair.
At the start of 1980, we begin to see the development of the first cultural clubs at NHS. Spanish club was a co-ed organization created to promote Hispanic culture. This was done by selling Mexican candies and holding celebrations that pertained to Hispanic culture. Chicos Unidos was a new club that hosted activities such as painting a mural, writing letters of thanks, and helping at the Special Olympics, a sports organization for young people with intellectual disabilities.[16] Both of these clubs are clear demonstrations of the cultural changes occurring in Nogales at the start of the 1980s, as more Mexican students were coming together to celebrate their culture and heritage. The year 1975 marked the peak of the Chicano movement, a civil rights movement aimed at empowering Chicano and Chicana people, so it is no surprise that in 1979 we can see the impacts it had on the border community of Nogales.[17]
Figure 6: Spanish Club group picture with their sponsor, Mr. Dombrowski.[18]
In the early 1990s, the clubs offered at NHS had expanded immensely. In 1992, The Chess Club was growing, and offered an opportunity for both girls and boys of any skill level in chess to have fun and learn. Sportsmen Club was a way for students to learn to appreciate nature through hiking and camping. Similar to Science Club, which had started seed collection, tree planting community service events, and highway adoptions, both aimed to get students involved with the environment. At the same time nationally, the first climate change report had been published. Concern about the environment started in the 1960s, but by the 1990s, it was a large concern for the majority of Americans. The 90s marked a time where climate change was a concern, much like it is today, and ideas were forming on how to move towards a more sustainable world. Nogales High School students who participated in these organizations learned more about what they could do to help and understand the environment, particularly in their own city– a city rich in biodiversity and scenic landscapes.
Figure 7: Students in Science club build small dams on their field trip.[19]
With the demographic shifts of the 1990s, the two major cultural clubs were the Amigos Club, an advancement of Spanish Club, and French Club. Amigos Club was founded December 12, 1991, but was formally established as the Culture Club on January 16, 1992. The purpose of this club was to inform students about Mexican culture through Mexican dances, cultural exhibitions, theater, and other forms of expression. It was also established to help non-English speaking students from Mexico perform better in their ESL programs. A struggle that still persists today, as Rafael states, “growing up in Nogales with a dominant hispanic background impacted my ability to communicate in the English language because of the lack of practice”.[20] The French Club, on the other hand, was started by Spanish-speaking students who decided to challenge themselves to take French as their mandatory language class. A common phenomenon growing up in a border town is that students opt to take Spanish because it is the language they feel they will not have to “try as hard” in. However, these students not only wanted to become trilingual, but also wanted to learn more about French culture.[21]
The 90s also marked a time of raising awareness of growing issues. Students Against Drunk Driving was a student organization started in the 1980s to raise awareness about the growing issue of drunk driving. At NHS, this student organization even had a page in the 1992-1993 yearbook encouraging students not to drink and drive, offering alternatives and support to students. Unfortunately, this problem continues to persist. Rafael states, “I personally knew classmates that were arrested and charged with a DUI.”[22] Strive was a different program created in response to the rise of teen pregnancy. It often involved teen moms talking to classes about the responsibilities and benefits of waiting to have a child.[23] A contrast to the 1950s Future Homemakers of America, where “settling down” and starting a family were considered the ultimate goals.
There have been many popular clubs since Nogales High School opened. These clubs shifted to represent the times and the students’ desires. Whether this was practicing music or theater, learning more about a different culture, playing games, raising awareness of issues on campus, or learning more about science, for many students, clubs provided an outlet for socializing and an opportunity to advance in community service and involvement. At the same time, these clubs and organizations became representative of shifting social norms and movements.
Conclusion
Throughout history, both recent and decades ago, teenagers have often been overlooked. At Nogales High School, the teens who have attended since it first opened its doors in 1915 were unknowingly making history. Clubs and sports not only provide outlets for students to get involved and pursue their interests, but are also representative of social change. The creation of various clubs, from literary societies to Hispanic cultural clubs, the change in sports opportunities for young women, and the different academic opportunities that have arisen throughout time display that these extracurriculars were products of the social changes happening at different moments in time. Changing border dynamics, women’s rights, environmentalism, and much more are present.
Primary Documents
Document 1:
“Future Nogales High School Site”, Nogales International, September 9, 1980
Document 2:
“Play for Supper”, Nogales International, April 23, 1977.
The NHS Band plays at the dedication of the original McDonalds location in Nogales on Crawford Street.
Document 3:
Nogales High School, The Adobe, (Nogales, AZ: 1980), 68, Pimeria Alta Museum
About the Author
Therese Peralta is a native El Pasoan, who has been shaped by growing up in a border community. She is currently a second-year student at the University of Arizona, pursuing a degree in accounting with minors in history and Spanish.
Bibliography
“AZ School Report Cards: School Information.” AZ School Report Cards. Accessed April 20, 2024. https://azreportcards.azed.gov/schools/detail/5962.
“Background on the Chicano Movement.” Facing History & Ourselves, April 16, 2020. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/background-chicano-movement#:~:text=The%20Chicano%20Movement%20was%20the,Why%20begin%20in%201965%3F.
“History.” About, 2019. Accessed May 4, 2024. Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. https://fcclainc.org/about/history.
Nogales High School. The Adobe. Nogales, AZ:1926. Arizona Memory Project. https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/143803. Accessed on April 3, 2024.
Nogales High School. The Adobe. Nogales, AZ: 1920, 1950, 1980, 1993. Pimeria Alta Museum Archives.
Southeast Messenger. “The GAA Gave Girls an Athletic Outlet .” Columbus Messenger, December 27, 2007. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.columbusmessenger.com/the-gaa-gave-girls-an-athletic-outlet.html
U.S. Department of Education. “Title IX and Sex Discrimination.” U.S. Department of Education, August 20, 2021. Accessed May 4, 2024. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html.
ARTICLE WORD COUNT (excluding front matter, sources): 2231
Primary Documents:
[1] Newspaper Clipping, undated, unidentified publication, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[2] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1926), 19-25, Arizona Memory Project.
[3] “AZ School Report Cards: School Information,” AZ School Report Cards | School Information, accessed April 20, 2024, https://azreportcards.azed.gov/schools/detail/5962.
[4] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1926), 48, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[5] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1950), 49, Pimeria Alta Museum..
[6] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1980), 32, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[7] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1992), 28-40, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[8]Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1992), 30, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[9] Rafael Garcia, e-mail survey to author, April 20, 2024.
[10] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1920), 56, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[11] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1920), 55-58, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[12] “History,” About, 2019, https://fcclainc.org/about/history.
[13] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1950), 35, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[14] “The GAA gave girls an athletic outlet”, Southeast Messenger, December 27, 2007, https://www.columbusmessenger.com/the-gaa-gave-girls-an-athletic-outlet.html.
[15] “Title IX and Sex Discrimination,” Title IX and Sex Discrimination , August 20, 2021, https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html.
[16] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1980), 64-65, Pimeria Alta Museum
[17] “Background on the Chicano Movement,” Facing History & Ourselves, April 16, 2020, https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/background-chicano-movement#:~:text=The%20Chicano%20Movement%20was%20the,Why%20begin%20in%201965%3F.
[18]Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1980), 64, Pimeria Alta Museum
[19] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1993), 95, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[20] Rafael Garcia, e-mail survey to author, April 20, 2024
[21] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1993), 99-100, Pimeria Alta Museum.
[22] Rafael Garcia, e-mail survey to author, April 20, 2024.
[23] Nogales High School, The Adobe (Nogales, AZ: 1993), 9, 115, Pimeria Alta Museum.