Athletes all around the country are known not only for the name on their back, but also for the numbers that they wear while playing.  

Nobody really knows the reason or significance behind the numbers athletes choose besides the players themselves.    

Senior Vanessa Caldwell plays soccer and track where she chooses the number eight. She says she chose that number because of her culture.  

“I chose number eight because I’m half Chinese and in Chinese culture eight is a very lucky number,” Caldwell said. “I picked it when I was 12 and for some reason it’s just been my favorite number for a long time. I just like that I get to incorporate a little bit of my culture with me when I play soccer.” 

Caldwell says she continues to stick with the number eight mostly for comfort.  

“It’s just kind of been there, it’s just kind of like a comfort thing… that number is kind of that thing that’s been with me for years and on my soccer jersey,” Caldwell said.  

Junior Jaylynn Lewis plays many different sports but is mainly known for her work on the bowling team. When she gets the chance, she chooses number eleven.  

“I used to wear this number when I played volleyball in junior high, and I had a lot of fun playing. I didn’t continue playing volleyball, but it was fun to just try something new and just to experience new things. And then I also had it last year when I played softball and that was really fun too,” Lewis said.  

Lewis says she does not know why she continues with her number but says that she just has a feeling about it.  

“I don’t really know; it’s just always the number I was kind of drawn to. It just feels like a lucky number at this point, so I just always pick it,” Lewis said.  

Fellow bowling teammate and junior, Abbey Nyberg, said she was drawn to number 13 because of the day: Friday 13th.  

“I like a lot of scary movies, Friday the 13th, it’s one of my favorite days so it just became my lucky number,” Nyberg said. “When I was in elementary [school], that always happened to be my number… so it just kind of became.”  

Nyberg said that bowling doesn’t really have numbers. 

“It’s more of the place you’re put in within your game,” Nyberg said.  

Nyberg says that the number on the back of an athlete’s jersey may or may not have significance. 

“I think for athletes it really, either it’s significant for them or they’re just left with it. Like in soccer, if you’re not first in line, you’re not going to get your favorite number,” Nyberg said.