Getting onto varsity can be tough, but it sure can be done with a few helpful tips and tricks from fellow varsity players.  Many of the outstanding athletes that are put onto the Varsity team are never put there just because they showed up to the try-outs, they had to put months of practice into their sport before they were even considered for a Varsity position.

As athletes, we must “work harder than everyone else”, as it was simply stated by Cameron Kyle, a Varsity Men’s Volleyball player.  If we don’t work harder than others, then it is impossible to be able to achieve greater than everyone else unless we put forth time and effort towards our desired sport.  That’s all it takes.  You just have to be willing to put more time into your sport to be able to succeed in it.

Putting more time into your sport doesn’t necessarily mean physically practicing your sport,  it can also mean to mentally prepare your self for your sport.  As Ryan Jalabi, a Varsity player for the Men’s Wrestling team, states, “Watch the varsity practices and watch what they do and you can pick up on small habits and skills that will make you better”.  This is a recurring theme throughout numerous player’s success’, picking up on small habits.  There are many reasons why certain players do not make it onto the varsity team and many of them can relate to having formed bad habits while still learning how to play the sport.  The problem is not particularly forming bad habits, but rather reinforcing those bad habits rather than fixing them.  I myself, along with others, were put off of the Varsity Men’s Volleyball team last year because of the small habits that we had formed but hadn’t broken by the time try-outs came around.  On the other hand, those that did break those habits did make it onto the varsity team.

Mental habits clearly make a huge difference upon the chances of a student trying to make the varsity team.  George Abdallah, a Varsity player for the  Men’s Wrestling team, further clarifies,”When trying to make varsity, it’s not just the physical strength the coaches look at, it’s the mental strength you possess.  It’s your ability to push yourself to the breaking point, and then some.  It’s when you know your chance to win is slim to nothing, but you still give it your all”.  Pushing yourself past your breaking point is a huge aspect that coaches look at while choosing the Varsity team.  They look for the students that really want it, and are willing to move out of there comfort zone to be able to find new success.  These are the students that coaches need, the one’s that will fight for their spot on a Varsity team, not just those that assume that they have a spot because they might have a sibling on the Varsity team or that they kiss up to the coach.

Making the Varsity team of any sport is obviously much more than just showing up to the try-outs, so work hard and even you can make the Varsity team.