ComedySportz, a style of competitive improv, usually functions to generate laughs. For the five seniors on the ComedySportz team here at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, however, it also serves as a way of life that has guided them through high school and their transition to adulthood.

Though improv doesn’t immediately translate to improved academics, several of the seniors praised ComedySportz for boosting their capabilities in the classroom during their time at FSHA.

“I am so much better at presenting,” said ComedySportz senior Riley Piken ‘25, “Sometimes I neglect to write a script for a presentation in school, but with the help of ComedySportz, if I know enough about the topic I can go pretty much off the cuff.”

Seniors also commented that ComedySportz gave them an advantage as they entered the workforce.

“[ComedySportz] taught me to be a really fast thinker which [was] so helpful for job interviews,” said ComedySportz team member Piper Scherbert ‘25.

Lindsay Harahan ‘25, meanwhile, a ComedySportz team member since her freshman year, spoke earnestly about how the experience benefited her emotional development in high school.

“ComedySportz has taught me how to adapt to new situations and move on quickly from my mistakes,” Harahan said, “When a joke doesn’t hit, dwelling on it only harms you.”

Where the seniors will take what they learned from ComedySportz remains to be seen. Piken plans to join an improv troupe when she attends college in the fall. Scherbert is aiming even higher.

“I want to try doing some stand up as a side job in college,” she said. “I… would love to make people laugh for a living but we’ll see how that goes…”

Harahan, still deciding how she will continue her comedy career, is instead looking back, focusing on her favorite memories from her time on ComedySportz.

“I [received] a black eye at the end of a match my junior year… [A teammate’s] knee flew into my face,” said Harahan, adding excitedly, “And it was caught on video!”