Huge crowds pounding on the bleachers, sweaty players breathing heavily on the sidelines, and hundreds of eyes focused on the game. There’s no doubt about it, varsity teams require a lot of work, but the results from that work are indescribable for most.

Most people aim high when it comes to the things they love and enjoy doing, so being put on a team with other top competitors can be a relief, but the hard work and dedication doesn’t stop there.

“It takes hard work and talent along with the will to perform and play at your best at all times, but it definitely doesn’t come easy,” junior varsity football player Tank Rolan said.

But a month of practicing won’t get you on a varsity team, it takes much more time and energy to reach that point as an athlete.

“Every swimmer started somewhere, we didn’t all just automatically make the team,” swimmer junior Taylor Bhuiyan said, “It definitely can be hard at times to push through all the mental blocks and physical demands, but in the end it’s worth it.”

With practice taking up two to three hours of the day for weeks on end, being on a varsity team is a huge commitment

“We practice a lot, so a ton of sacrifices are made, but seeing all the positive results makes it all worth it,” Rolan said.

But even with all the time put into perfecting skills, varsity isn’t all about winning.

“My injury keeps me from physically competing but being apart of varsity is still a great place to be,” volleyball player sophomore Danielle Blackburn said. “Everyone has such a great attitude and it’s awesome to see so many people working so hard for a common goal.”

Whether it’s on the field or on the court, varsity is all about working towards success within relationships and the game.

“We all want to win and get as far as we can during playoffs this year, I’m excited to see what we will do,” senior basketball player Dylan Bell said.

For many winning really is what success means, but the first step to get to that point is putting trust into your teammates.

“The most important part about having a game run smoothly is being confident in both yourself and your teammates,” Rolan said.

With the high expectations of the coaches and other teammates a lot of players find that having a pre-game ritual or certain mindset can reduce stress.

“I focus on the possibility of a cross country scholarship and that motivates me to do my best under stress and high expectations,” junior cross country runner Seth Leifheit said.

Many fans end up believing the stigmas that follow the varsity players, but according to most, these stigmas are far from true.

“I think a lot of people think of varsity, and automatically think of the cheesy way we’re portrayed in movies and TV shows,” Bhuiyan said. “But in reality all of us have put in hours and hours to reach the level we are at.”

Throughout the season players are also expected to fund-raise to better their program.

“When the season first starts we all have to go out and sell football cards,” Rolan said. “We go door to door and try to sell these cards so that we have more money for new equipment.”

Almost all the equipment and new items the teams receive are a result of fundraising and donations.

“We got a new locker room this year and a lot of the money came from all the players working hard to fund-raise, knowing we reached our goal through hard work makes it that much better,” Blackburn said.

Goals set by players and teams are an extremely common trend.

“My main goal this year is to get my 5k time down to seventeen minutes and fifteen seconds, I think this will be achievable as long as I put my all into practices,” Leifheit said.

For all the sports, each teammate is earning points for the team through their individual efforts.

“Even though most of our races are solo, we are all working to earn points for the team, and ultimately win,” Bhuiyan said. “So it’s important to give it your all because your teammates are relying on you.”

This rank comes with a large amount of responsibilities, high expectations, and hard work.

“I have worked really hard to get to where I am, but it makes me so proud to see all the progress I have made through the years,” Bhuiyan said. “Being on varsity really is such an overall great experience to be apart of.”

When it comes down to it, varsity is a lot more complex than just winning and the trophies that come along with it.

“The relationships built, and memories made are just as important as the games we win,” Blackburn said.