Sports and the various athletes who participate in them are a huge part of high school culture and spirit. Especially at a place like Libertyville High School, where various projects such as high-quality facilities and top-tier programs are regularly undertaken, the new pool and weight room being prime examples, varsity athletics receive a significant amount of attention and care from faculty and students alike. But not all varsity athletics consist of upperclassmen filling the rosters. In fact, especially at LHS, there seem to be more and more talented, capable freshmen athletes joining the ranks of varsity programs. It’s time to recognize those who are ahead of the game: The freshmen athletes on varsity for the 2022-23 seasons.

From the most well-known athletics including the annual football season, to equally-important but lesser-attended sports such as swimming and cross country, freshmen athletes, especially over the course of the ongoing year, are doing their part to secure success for their teams. One example of this is freshman Blaise LaVista. LaVista has been a part of the varsity football team this year, as a wide receiver, and is now playing in the position of shooting guard for the varsity basketball team. This year, the football team finished another season with a winning record that included a redemption win over the Lake Forest Scouts. The team also secured, despite a final loss to the Stevenson Patriots, a respectable playoff seeding, and went down fighting in the first round during their last game of the season in total, against the Yorkville Foxes. 

Meanwhile, LaVista’s other team, that being varsity basketball, is also currently sporting a winning record, including wins over the Lake Zurich Bears, the Carmel Corsairs and the Warren Blue Devils.

LaVista, who has been playing football since he was born and basketball since fourth grade, described his experiences on the team, including one of the challenges he faces as being new to a team that includes many more upperclassmen. LaVista said that perhaps the biggest challenge that he’s seen from playing a varsity sport is, “going against older and more experienced and developed players.” LaVista’s sentiment is likely very common, but he also expressed the importance of grit and perseverance. “There’s a lot of times where you’re pushed to the ground,” LaVista said, “but getting back up makes you way better than before.”

It’s not just players who experience the results of these sports, but the coaches as well. Mr. Mike Jones is a teacher of mathematics and the head football coach for Libertyville’s varsity program. Similar to LaVista, Jones has his thoughts on what both the strengths and drawbacks of having a varsity athlete at a younger age are. “The strength is you know you will have a varsity athlete on your team for more than two years,” Jones said. “The drawbacks are that they lack experience and may not be as physically developed as their opponents.” Jones is not wrong in this regard, as pure talent and even hard work can only get a freshman athlete so far on a varsity program. The rest of it may very well be up to how they’re built and their stature. For an athlete like LaVista, who’s listed on the varsity football roster as being 6’3” and 185 pounds, genetics and stature are certainly hard at work.

Another player who is learning the strengths and weaknesses of playing varsity at such a young age is freshman Olivia Vinas, a varsity swimmer this year. Vinas, who has been swimming for seven years, spoke highly of the team culture surrounding her being a freshman, saying that her experiences include, “having many upperclassmen as big sisters and friends, and competing and practicing at a higher level.” 

However, like LaVista, Vinas also stressed the importance of perseverance and hard work, saying that the biggest challenge she’s seen from playing a varsity sport is, “the higher level of commitment and effort you have to put in.” 

Her teammate, freshman Sarah Barbee, who has been swimming for ten years, also spoke on the importance of community and the challenging training regimen associated with the girls’ varsity swim program. Describing some of the experiences of being on varsity for her freshman year, Barbee said that they included, “lots of team bonding moments that made the team very fun, like singing on the bus, eating together, and talking before practice.” 

It’s not all fun and games, however, as Barbee noted that the team practiced nine times a week, including before school.

Another player who is learning the strengths and weaknesses of playing varsity at such a young age is freshman Olivia Vinas, a varsity swimmer this year. Vinas, who has been swimming for seven years, spoke highly of the team culture surrounding her being a freshman, saying that her experiences include, “having many upperclassmen as big sisters and friends, and competing and practicing at a higher level.” 

However, like LaVista, Vinas also stressed the importance of perseverance and hard work, saying that the biggest challenge she’s seen from playing a varsity sport is, “the higher level of commitment and effort you have to put in.” 

Her teammate, freshman Sarah Barbee, who has been swimming for ten years, also spoke on the importance of community and the challenging training regimen associated with the girls’ varsity swim program. Describing some of the experiences of being on varsity for her freshman year, Barbee said that they included, “lots of team bonding moments that made the team very fun, like singing on the bus, eating together, and talking before practice.” 

It’s not all fun and games, however, as Barbee noted that the team practiced nine times a week, including before school.

One final athlete learning the ropes at the varsity level is Jackson Kern, a freshman who practiced with the varsity soccer team towards the end of the season, and who will be playing varsity volleyball in this year’s upcoming season. 

In a statement mirroring that of Jones, Vinas, Barbee and LaVista, Kern spoke on the challenges associated with physicality at the varsity level, saying that, “the biggest challenge from playing at the varsity level as a freshman is being able to compete with others that are just more physically mature than you.

Overall, the path to victory at the varsity level is no easy feat for any athlete. With Libertyville being a reputable school for athletic talent, and demonstrating significant prowess in training its athletes early through such programs as Lady Cats and summer camps, it’s clear that any athlete competing for the school must take several hurdles in stride and push themselves to be the best they can be. It’s because of this that one must truly respect the grit and perseverance displayed by this new wave of young athletes, the freshmen on varsity for the 2022-23 school year