A rarity to most varsity programs, freshmen are scarcely found on the team’s roster, let alone confidently patrolling the courts on game day. However, this became a common sight on the varsity girls’ basketball team. Freshmen Bryn Aydt, Jazanae Billings and Kristian Eanes have all earned substantial amounts of playing time and often starting positions, contributing heavily to the team’s 16-9 season record.
“It is unusual to have that many [freshmen] get the minutes that they are getting,” head coach Cameron Vernon said. “We have had one freshman play [like this] before, but to have three is unusual and unique.”
Many of the older players on the team acknowledge that the freshmen have earned their spots.
“If you work hard and you’re good enough, [you] deserve the playing time that [you] get,” junior Eboni Watson said.
According to Eanes, a guard who averages 11 points per game, being a freshman on varsity is a privilege and it can come with a lot of pressure to do well.
“As a freshman, I need to work harder because I don’t want people to be like, ‘Oh look, that’s the freshman.’ I don’t want people to be able to tell that I’m a freshman,” Eanes said.
Just the mention of a freshman on varsity can generate doubt and criticism from others.
“They’re freshmen. People don’t expect them to be good. People don’t expect them to get as much playing time as they do. They have a lot to [overcome],” senior Tyeshia Baldwin said.
Joining the varsity team straight out of middle school is often a big adjustment for freshmen.
“Last year in middle school, I never got yelled at for making a mistake,” Eanes said. “We didn’t really have a lot of competition, so there weren’t a lot of mistakes to make. This year, I came in and realized that I make mistakes.”
Aydt, a shooting guard who shoots 41 percent from the field, agreed and said that it took a while to get used to.
“Eighth grade was just run-and-gun for us, but now we have to learn plays and settle down, actually move the ball. We can’t just pass it down the court and do layups,” Aydt said.
The transition from starting in middle school to starting in varsity games was difficult.
“[The first time I started], it was scary,” said Billings, a point guard who shoots 39 percent from the three point line and averages 6.9 points per game. “I was nervous and didn’t want to mess up because I play point guard. Being able to step up for [injured player] Shontai [Totten] was exciting, but was also scary because I wanted to run all the plays correctly and just play well.”
Being new to high school athletics can be an obstacle for many freshmen, and because of this, coaches and players may treat them differently.
“I treat them differently because I know that they don’t know a lot of things about high school basketball that the older girls do,” Vernon said. “At the same time, I have expectations for them and I think that they can play at this level.”
According to some, age may be a factor in how one plays and practices.
“Their maturity level is not where it should be. At [age] 14 and 15 you don’t have the maturity level of 17 and 18 year olds,” senior Briana Green said.
Though they haven’t had much experience playing high school basketball, expectations are still high for the young players.
“They definitely don’t understand the game like a junior or senior would,” Vernon said. “They make some silly mistakes, but that is going to happen with young kids playing varsity basketball. Hopefully, over time, it will improve and make our team better.”
—Becca Heilman