Most varsity teams consist of juniors, seniors and sometimes sophomores. Every once in a while, there’s a freshman who earns the opportunity to shine on varsity. This year, there are numerous freshmen who have made varsity for the first time, many of whom are thriving.

Poms has one freshman on the team who has made quite a statement. It might seem as though the upperclassmen wouldn’t be very welcoming yet the reality is quite different.

“On poms there isn’t really an age, it is more like we all just dance to dance without age having a play,” freshman Henry Stokes said.

The transition over to high school from middle school can be challenging. With the undertaking of school work and varsity commitment things get even harder.

“School will definitely be hard to manage as I am also doing studio dancing so I won’t have much free time,” Stokes said. “I’m happy about that though because I would rather be dancing than sitting in my bed.”

With the stress of being on varsity, there are things that need to be done to keep yourself composed. Stokes uses certain techniques to keep himself calm.

“I practice a lot before I go on, take a deep breath before I go and try my best,” Stokes said.

In girls volleyball, the freshmen are very excited for the opportunity to play with varsity. Many freshmen think it’s a good change from past competitive experiences.

“The upperclassmen are all really nice and amazing to me. I’m looking forward to playing against different schools and growing closer with all my teammates,” freshman Emilia Zhang said.

Even the upperclassmen think that having freshmen on varsity teams can create such a great opportunity.

“I think it’s great. I was a freshman on varsity and I think it’s such a good way to feel like you’re part of the school, especially when you don’t really know anyone yet it’s such a great way to meet people,” senior Alexa Steinberg said. “I also think it’s [a bonding experience] when you’re a lower classman on a sport like that because you just get to know everyone so well and you can relate to each other.”

Many seniors have seen benefits of having older teammates to look up to, as it allows them to learn and adapt alongside everyone else. The pros of being on varsity as a freshman are endless.

“I think it’s good. It helps them get acclimated with the team early so even if they don’t play a lot freshman year, the speed of play is a lot faster than JV and by sophomore year it’ll be much more comfortable and it’s less of an adjustment,” senior Federica Gavelli said.