I go to a large public high school. There are few Jewish students, and only a handful of them observe anything Jewish. I keep kosher. Lately, unkosher chicken wings are being served at our sports team gatherings. I don't want to be left out of the group. My teammates refuse to skip eating the chicken, claiming it is important for team bonding and ridiculing me when I don't join them. How can I get over this and still keep kosher without being left out?
There is only one simple answer and that is not allow yourself to be cowed into doing something that you do not want to do. I know that it will be hard at the beginning but you will feel much stronger and more committed if you stand by your own beliefs. I have a brother who was a serious sportsman for a while when he was younger. He did not like alcohol and he had no desire to drink it but after matches the team would go out together for a drink. They all ordered pints of beer and lager and my brother ordered a pint of...milk! Yes, they made terrible fun of him at the beginning but after a short while they actually became quite proud of his "drinking problem".
May God grant you the strength to continue growing in Torah knowledge and observance.
