Freshman year is full of angst and pressure. This is especially true at Staples High School, where the academic and athletic competition is often pushed beyond the norm.
For many freshmen, joining a sport is an important part of the high school experience. And for those who excel in their particular sport, earning a varsity spot can help ease the transition. Support from upperclassmen, both on and off the field, helps soften the stress of high school. At Staples, most varsity teams foster a welcoming environment through the coaches’ guidance and team camaraderie.
“I didn’t feel intimidated joining varsity hockey,” Ava Pattinson ’29 said.
As one of three freshmen on the varsity field hockey team, Pattinson is thankful to her older teammates for helping her confidence on and off the court.
“My captains are the best,” Pattinson said, “[They] are always there even when mistakes are made, [they’re always] building me back up.”
For boys’ basketball coach David Goldshore, a welcoming environment for freshmen is one of his top priorities. This is done through encouraging leadership from older team members.
“Throughout the season, we encourage leadership from our older players and give freshmen meaningful opportunities to contribute so they feel like part of the team right away,” Goldshore said.
Gameplay can be affected by how comfortable freshmen feel within the team and in their level. Varsity head volleyball coach Jonathan Shepro notices a shift in game performance as freshmen become more comfortable.
“As they play more and get more comfortable with their teammates, their play improves,” Shepro said.
Throughout the years, varsity teams have to deal with losing and gaining new players. For one of the sophomores on the girls’ soccer team, Addie Talbott ’28, some of the biggest transitions derived from forming a new chemistry on the team.
“We lost some really valuable and key players and that hurt us,” Talbott said, “but yet again, we are trying to find the new chemistry with the new teammates that make the team in future years.”
