Do you know what an impressive feat is? Being a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old  playing on the same level of sports as legal adults. At Apex and mostly all high schools, we have underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) who can not leave campus for lunch but show out on the highest levels of athletics high schools have to offer. Almost every team here at Apex has younger standouts who are necessities to have on varsity instead of the normal JV. Read on to find out about first-hand experience  from the athletes at the Peak who have experienced it. 

The first athlete interviewed was Cate Cnare; Cate is a sophomore at Apex who played varsity girls lacrosse her freshman year. Cate was asked about the pressure of being an underclassmen on varsity, if she enjoys being a younger player on varsity, and if she would rather  be on JV if it meant more playing time. “There is pressure with being an underclassman because you have to be just as good as the people who have been playing longer than you. I would not rather be on JV because being on varsity pushes me more. Yes, I enjoy being a younger athlete on varsity because the older people make it like a family, and I have made a lot of friends.”

Next the article will feature sophomore Avion Perry, who played varsity football this past fall. Avion went through a few questions about the experience as well; he started playing in eighth grade and never played outside of school. He was not on varsity as a freshman and believes that the biggest difference between the two levels is the intensity and competition. 

The final interview was with Wynter Davenport; she is another sophomore at Apex who has been a part of varsity cheer her first two years here. “I have been cheering since sixth grade and used to cheer outside of school but not anymore.” After Wynter let us in on her experience in her sport, we asked her favorite parts of varsity: “The best part for sure is being friends with the older girls, along with our team dinners together.”

Different players can have similar and different thoughts on their role on the team as underclassmen. Opinions from the athletes can differentiate on sport, playing time, and their teammates. It is a rare occasion for students to be placed into this casting position as there are only about two-eight  per team depending on size. The pressure is the main focus point of our talks with the athletes. Different players said that there is no difference in pressure while others said they threw up before their first start. So despite playing at the same varsity level with the same adversity, athletes like all humans vary and handle their surroundings differently.