Recognizing the underdog
Taking a look at the lives of Junior Varsity and freshmen athletes
Kinzie Lewis
JV Volleyball player junior Courtney Harris (center) watches a match against McCluer North from the varsity bench. Harris plays both JV and Varsity games. Seniors Selena Murrilo (2) and Madison Brand (19) also watch, as Coaches Ellen Kim and Michael Loyd guide their team.
October 22, 2013
Many teams at Ritenour High school have a Junior Varsity (JV) and Freshman team. However, these teams often do not receive the same recognition as their varsity counterparts.
Despite underrepresentation, some JV and Freshman teams at Ritenour end their season with better records than Varsity.
People later on in life rarely talk about a championship they won on JV during their sophomore year of high school. JV and Freshman teams are not all about playoffs and state championships.
These teams are created for practice; they are the “minor league” teams of high school sports. It is fair to say that the impact of these teams is beneficial to both the school and the students.
On these teams, students learn how to win together as a team. One problem is getting students to fully commit and give it their all while staying on the lower prestige teams.
Freshman football standout Jeremy Swann hopes more kids choose to stick with the sport they love, regardless of the team they make.
“This year has taught us how to act as a team. It was not a year wasted; I know I gained a lot from it,” Swann said.
Most basketball fans look to Michael Jordan as one of the best basketball players of all time. Like many student athletes, he was not a Varsity superstar for all four years of high school. He was placed on the JV team his sophomore year, and through well-documented hard work and dedication, he became a basketball legend.
Besides helping their teams win, JV athletes push Varsity ath- letes to work as hard as possible. Often times, coaches have the chance to use JV players as moti- vation for Varsity playersn urgin them to play better. In addition, JV players can be called up during the seasons in case an injury occurs, or they progress enough to help the team.
Junior Courtney Harris, who plays on both JV and Varsity Girl’s Volleyball, feels that being a mem- ber of both teams motives her to improve.
“I have to work hard to prove that I belong there [on varsity],” Harris said.
Swann believes JV teams are the place to achieve perfection.
“JV is not the place to slack off just because you might not be on a big stage. Freshman and Junior Varsity are places to push yourself to earn a spot on a varsity team,” Swann said.
JV teams also teach winning habits and team camaraderie before players move up to Varsity.
Freshman NyLah Bowling, a member of the JV Girl’s Volleyball team believes that in order to succeed at the next level, she needs to put in maximum effort for a chance to make Varsity.
“We have all come together this year on JV. We are learning how to win together. Starting off undefeated for a while was good for our team bonding; for a while, we felt unstoppable,” Bowling said.
As most high school sports coverage revolves around Varsity teams, it is safe to say that Fresh- man and JV teams do not always get the attention they deserve.
“We have talent on this team. This year, people are actually noticing it,” Bowling said.
