You finally come home from varsity tryouts feeling confident that your hard work will get you a position on the team. Remembering all the work that’s been put in over the summer, you feel proud until your head drops when you receive the results: you’ve been cut. You’re confused to see that most of the roster is made of seniors who haven’t even played since the previous season. You can’t help asking yourself, “How could this happen?”  Although leadership and experience are important, relying too much on seniority sets back the development of younger players and the team.

Seniors tend to make varsity since it is their last year at the school, and coaches don’t weigh in their skillsets as much as underclassmen. A senior’s comprehension of pressure situations, team communication and strategies are essential for a team’s success, and while they play a crucial role in providing a good example and guiding underclassmen, younger athletes may not reach their full potential under a varsity cut. When coaches prioritize seniors, underclassmen lose the motivation to work harder and deprive the chance to better themselves.

It is both a struggle and an honor to be an underclassman and get a spot on the a varsity team. It’s a thrilling experience to compete at the highest level and learn from upperclassmen players. Many JV athletes can relate to the feelings of disappointment and embarrassment when their friends ask, , “Did you make varsity?” knowing that they too had the skill and dedication but lost a spot in favor for a senior. For younger athletes who may normally thrive with more practice and exposure, this can result in a lack of development due to the deficiency of more intensive varsity practices and games.