Being a freshman on a varsity sports team can have many pros and cons. Although it can be stressful for freshmen to compete against stronger, older athletes, it can also be a fun and challenging chance to play with upperclassmen.
“The experience has been really good,” FHS freshman and varsity wrestler Lillian Fonceca said. “Everyone on the team [is] super nice and I love all my coaches and teammates.”
FHS freshman and varsity soccer player Emma Davalos agrees with Fonceca’s sentiment, highlighting how she enjoys the soccer community and how kind and welcoming her teammates and coaches have been. Playing with upperclassmen at a tougher level of competition can also help freshmen further develop their skills. According to the Next College Student Athlete, most freshmen are put on JV teams to develop as players. However, some students, like Davalos, get moved up during the season.
“Honestly because I started on JV, I wasn’t really expecting to get moved up [to varsity],” Davalos said.
Getting onto varsity can be an exhilarating experience, one that not many freshmen at FHS get to enjoy. Although the older players can push them to improve, it can also be anxiety-inducing at the outset, especially since the freshmen are new to the team and haven’t got a chance to bond with the players, who may have already been playing together for a few years. On the contrary, people like Fonceca can start to develop confidence throughout the tryout experience.
“In the beginning [I did not think I would perform well],” Fonceca said. “But once I kind of saw the level of wrestling, I kind of assumed that maybe I would be okay.”
For some, the stress continues even after making the team. Take Davalos, for example, who was promoted to varsity mid-season and now faces the challenge of adapting to a higher level of competition while meeting new expectations.
“[I] was nervous because I knew they were better than me,” Davalos said.
Being on varsity can have an impact on the mindset of freshmen, especially because it is more competitive than JV. Along with progressing players physically, it can also boost them mentally.
“[Being on varsity] honestly kind of makes me more confident in myself, and it pushes me to get better,” Davalos said.
Participating in school sports can be very time-consuming, however. According to Untapped Learning, high school athletes spend, on average, about 10-15 hours on their sport a week. Varsity athletes may put in even more time than that, as playing at the higher level can require more dedication, especially if the team goes as far as making playoffs. As a student athlete, it is important to balance one’s academic workload with sports.
“I feel like I’m really good with getting on top of all my stuff,” Davalos said.
Being a freshman on a varsity team provides both challenges and rewards, as the pressure to perform at a high level can be daunting yet offers valuable opportunities for growth and camaraderie with upperclassmen. Ultimately, while the transition may be stressful, it often boosts confidence and fosters lasting connections, making it a transformative experience for young athletes.
