To many student-athletes, making a varsity team is an immense milestone and representation of their commitment towards their sport. All athletes’ journeys with high school sports are different, however, many share similar aspirations.

Freshman Ryder Olson made the varsity boy’s lacrosse team after playing for only three years. Making any high level team is difficult, but his recruitment is especially notable after only a few years of playing before highschool.

“My coach had me play defense [and] helped me through that first season,” Olson said. “Then over the past few club seasons, I’ve been working with coaches who told me that I had a chance of making varsity.”

While making the highest level team is a significant achievement, not all athletes see it as a goal. Sophomore Belen Chavez shares her take on making the varsity girl’s indoor volleyball team.

“For me, [making varsity] is just a step in playing the sport,” Chavez said. “I mean, you always want to do things to the best of your ability, and for me, varsity was that thing.”

To some athletes, however, making varsity is their main objective. To achieve these goals, though, they have to put in the work. Freshman Connor Marshall shares his perspective on making the varsity boys’ water polo team as a freshman.

“[Making varsity] was 100% a goal for me,” Marshall said. “That is what I had been striving for in practice all those years before.”

Varsity athletics come with many challenges, especially for new high school athletes. The level of competition is often higher than JV and club teams, and to succeed, athletes must adjust and find ways to become the competition.

“Making [varsity] was a lot harder than I expected,” Marshall said. “The level of competition was a lot higher than I had ever played against, which was definitely fun, but it also meant a lot of [athletic and personal development] had to happen during the season.”

Especially in a more competitive level, balancing academics and athletics is often a recurring struggle for student athletes. There is no right answer for student athletes: they must find what works for them. Marshall shares how this effected him.

“It was really hard to keep my grades where I needed them to be throughout the season,” Marshall said. “I just kept showing up every day and tried to get better at everything because it’s a constant grind. But I definitely got better as the season progressed.”

While playing a varsity sport is difficult, being on a high level team make it worth the opportunities available to varsity athletes. Olson leaves his advice for becoming the best player one can be.

“Just continue to play,” Olson said. “You’ve got to practice by yourself because it’s not all just going to happen with coaches at practice.”