Arriving to a new school filled with strangers can be nerve-wracking enough, yet some freshmen add to that stress by trying out for a sports team. Freshmen Sofia Charvel and Sabrina Sanchez did just that, and to their luck, not only made the golf team but jumped all the way to varsity.

Charvel has been golfing for only a little over two years and she also runs track and field and plays tennis as a hobby. However, she puts most of her effort into golfing.

“I’ve put lots of effort into golfing during these two years so I plan on playing golf as long as I can,” Charvel said. “I am hoping to get a scholarship and if not I’ll just keep playing as a hobby.”

Sanchez has been golfing since 6th grade, so she has a few more years of experience than Charvel, however she was still surprised when she found out she made the team.

“I was kind of surprised because I did not expect to be on varsity,” Sanchez said. “I had my hopes, of course, but it was still surprising when I found out.”

When she first started, Sanchez didn’t enjoy the sport, but as she kept playing, it began to grow on her.

“In the beginning, my mom kind of forced me because I originally played softball and they’re both swinging sports so she just thought I should try it,” Sanchez said. “I didn’t really like it at first, but I learned to enjoy it.”

For some teams, it is unusual for freshmen to make varsity and that decision is up to the coach. The girls’ coach, Coach Howie Sonkin, explains how the freshmen are living up to the expectations despite being the youngest players.

“I’ve coached boys a lot more than girls, and for the boys team it was usually one, maybe two [freshmen] at the most each season, so it’s not usual and they’re doing well considering,” Coach Howie said.

Coach Howie looks for basic skills when deciding whether or not one will make the team. According to him, the two girls showed good skill-set for golf, which helped him make the decision of putting them on the team.

“They were able to make contact with the ball, get it airborne, and it looked like they had a good basic skill-set that if we work on it they’d be strong enough to play varsity and it’s coming around that way,” Coach Howie said.

Playing on a varsity team can be difficult for someone of any age or grade level, but having support from teammates and coaches can lift spirits and inspire each other to do better. Players must do their best and work hard while out on the course. Charvel and Sanchez are just two of the many freshmen who are expected to grow and be their very best.

“I absolutely expect everyone to play their best every day and not to let the funny shots bother them and to move onto the next one after it’s done,” Coach Howie said. “That’s what we expect of everyone and that’s how they’ll play their best.”