Athletes compete against teams from other schools all season long, but their first competition of the year is often amongst themselves. One of the major goals for most high school athletes is making the varsity team. This goal is not always easy to achieve.

  Many athletes who don’t achieve varsity status keep a positive outlook about their sport by making goals for improvement.

  “I felt like I was going to be on varsity, so I felt pretty good,” sophomore football player Jessie Andrews said. Andrews later found out he was on the junior varsity team; he showed disappointment but said he was going to try harder next time.

  Athletes during the early weeks of practices try to give it their all to make the varsity spot on their teams.

 Sophomore Hannah Chapman is playing her first season as part of the varsity volleyball team after playing JV during her freshman season.

  “I felt really confident about making varsity because I give it my all at practices,” said Chapman. Chapman later found out she would be playing on the varsity volleyball team.

  Coaches have certain things that they look for in a varsity athlete.

   “I look for good fast times and how much effort the athletes put into practices, for new coming runners they need to start running early,” cross country coach Ehren Banfield said.

  Practices, teamwork and the games are where it all counts.

  “Junior varsity builds players up for varsity, so when they get to the varsity team they do well,” said junior varsity volleyball player Makayla Mais.

 Some sports only have varsity teams, such as softball and cheerleading, but there is still competition amongst the teammates.

  “Sometimes there is competition between the flyers,” senior cheer captain Alexis Riga said.

  These teams also discussed some of the things that they needed to work on.

   “We need to work on our friendships for sure; when our stunts do not go right we just have to be confident, keep our heads up and try again,” freshman cheerleader Chloe Lux said.