Everyone goes through high school knowing a varsity superstar. One who gets calls from all the division 1 athletic schools. The same person who gets all the attention on game days. The same person who has the most scouts and fans in the stands. The person that gets to date the hottest boy at school.
Everyone forgets about the fact that it’s not about being the best person at the game. It’s about having fun and being the best that you can be.
Be proud. You’re out there playing a sport that many probably don’t understand. You’re out there practicing all week, learning new skills day after day, learning how to be a team.
You’d be surprised how many students go through high school without playing a sport, without being part of a team.
Whether you’re playing junior varsity or varsity, you still have a support group. You still have the mentality of an athlete. You still go out there every day and have fun.
Some of my greatest school memories are from playing field hockey. When I started to play, I definitely was no where close to being one of the better players on my team. Most of the time, I just sat on the bench and cheered for my teammates and best friends out on the field. It was hard.
I remember going into high school with the mindset of just wanting to be on the team and get that "varsity" status. The status that would categorize me with the "best players."
I had to do everything I could to work my way up. I played at a local sports complex, keystones, and a futures developmental program. I swore that if I did all of these things they had to give me a spot, because all of the best do these things as well. Although, that was not the case. There is always going to be someone out there that is better than you.
With hard work and time, I eventually got to call myself a varsity athlete. Being able to call myself that though, did not give me any different social life, or athletic life than what I had being on the junior varsity team. It was still a team. We still did everything together. We were there for each other. We were a family.
