Fall is a season filled with football, soccer and the comforting fact that the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, are just around the corner.

To some students, fall is their favorite time of year, but for different reasons than the average person. For those people, it’s the sport of hunting and fishing and the thrill of being in the beautiful outdoors that make fall the best time of the year.

Junior Ben Mejia is an avid fisherman.  “The sport of fishing in the ocean is release from school and gives me a chance to relax,” he said. Last spring break Mejia had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii and do some fishing, and he was successful in catching two ono, a fish commonly found in the Hawaiian Islands. “Fishing gives me a chance to relax and spend time with my family that I don’t get to see as much as I like to.”

Outdoor sports give people the chance to get away from the grind and stress that living in cities puts on them.

Another aspect of the outdoor life is hunting. Along with me, a good number of my friends on and off the football team, get excited for opening day in October for deer and duck season. We all say the same thing: hunting gives us the chance to get out with our dads and grandpas, spending valuable time in nature, participating in a tradition that has gone on since the dawn of man.

If you do not participate in these activities, there are multiple clubs you can join to get started. For example, the Vista fishing club is brand new to the Vista campus. It’s a great opportunity to fish with friends and compete in some of biggest fishing competitions in the state of California for high school-age students. Interested parties can contact club president Luke Johns for more information. There are also many hunting and shooting clubs to join around the community that are professional and a great way to have fun.