Close your eyes for a second. Think about what makes your high school experience so memorable and what's important to you right now. Chances are if you're reading this blog post, a good chunk of your high school experience has or is being shaped by your involvement in sports.

High school athletics are an enormous part of your four years before graduation. They help build friendships, grow talent and even might help you land a college scholarship. Even if you aren't on a team, games are an event, going out with your friends and cheering on your school is part of a long-standing traidition.

But, as schools continue face more drastic cuts to state aid, some of these traditions are facing a major change. In some cases, that change even means the total disintegration of certain teams.

So, where am I going with this?

I want to know what you guys think about the possible cuts to athletic programs. How will that affect the way you view school as a whole? If you were younger and saw that there was no modified or JV program in a certain sport, would it change whether or not you'd decide to even join? How important has sports been to you throughout your high school career and if you hadn't been able to play sports what do you think you would have missed out on?

I want to know what you guys - the athletes - think about budget cuts and what you'd be willing to do to save your sport if it was facing cuts. Now, if you're a Watervliet, Lansingburgh, Averill Park or Cohoes athlete I REALLY WANT YOUR OPINION because I'm focusing my story on your schools. But if you're from a different school, do not hesitate to share your thoughts. I want to know how much playing sports at a high school level has meant to you, no matter where you're from.

You can send your answers to lamato@troyrecord.com or tweet me @LauraAmato. Ready, set, share.