When you think of Louisville and its jersey colors, you often only think of two: white and purple. Well, now there have been changes in some programs with the addition of black jerseys. They have been added to the volleyball, girls' basketball, baseball, and football teams.
Now these jerseys come at a high cost, as they are not funded by the school and instead are funded by either private fundraising or donations. The girls' basketball team received a donation to fund their jerseys, and the boys' football team sold popcorn to fundraise for theirs.
In the baseball program, sophomore Tucker Abbott explained: “See, they’re really nice during nighttime or cooler games, but they can get super hot because they are black.”
A member the varsity volleyball team is freshman Natalie Perrings. “I honestly really like the black jerseys, I think the team looks more put together and tough.” As a part of the girls' basketball program, senior Allie Hiatt noted, “I believe that the jerseys are worth it. Looking good on the court translates to playing well, and in fact, we haven’t ever lost in our black jerseys.” Finally, in the football program is senior Mitch Shelsta. “Black jerseys give us something to fight for. My dad (Coach Shelsta) put so much work and effort into getting these jerseys, and it only feels right to play as hard as we can. It makes us come together as a team.”
As much as these jerseys are loved by athletes, there are some downsides. One thing about some programs is that the black jerseys are only enjoyed by the varsity athletes. This is true on the volleyball and football teams, but they can use that fact to motivate people to work harder to earn the black jerseys. Perrings also noted, “I think having to compete for a jersey makes our team better overall.” A bigger issue, though, is with Hudl's streaming and reporting system. They have a much harder time finding stats when the numbers are hard to find on the players' dark jerseys. This makes the stats come back much slower.
Overall, though, it seems that athletes, coaches, and spectators are all happy with the addition of black jerseys in Louisville High School.