When stepping into high school as a freshman, the worries are endless. Being a Varsity athlete as a freshman creates more expectations and worries, but also, endless opportunities.
Avian Thomas, now a Junior at Rock Island, started his high school football career as a freshman on Varsity.
“Some challenges I had to face was being the young kid starting on the team, which also put pressure on being precise with everything I do,” he says.
The pressure of not letting down your team, while also performing to the highest level there is, is tough, and ultimately stressful. Though when faced with this adversity, Thomas knew how to keep his composure, and continued to persevere.
“The very first game I started the Homecoming game, and there were so many thoughts going through my head to be perfect but, at the same time, mistakes happened, and I didn’t affect the team crucially,” he remembers. That year, Rock Island played Moline in the Homecoming game, one of the biggest rivalries in Rock Island’s history. Although stakes were high, Thomas kept his composure.
“Not everyone is perfect and doing everything to the best I can because as long as I give it my best, everything is going to be okay,” he explains.
Thomas takes pride in football, and has had that same pride since he was younger.
“I played it (football) since I was a little kid, and I fell in love with it. I also like to watch football, and find it exciting. Also, being involved with it being a contact sport, which shows true character and toughness.”
Thomas shows his pride for Rock Island, even from an early age. The determination and ethical lessons that are taught while playing football can carry over into adulthood, and will definitely help him in the near future.
Similarly, Madison Carroll, now a Senior at Rock Island, has been a 4 year Varsity starter for the Rock Island Softball team. Carroll is a pitcher and infielder for the Lady Rocks.
Carroll looked up to the upperclassmen, which included Taylor Pannell, now a softball player at the University of Tennessee, and her older sister, Alexis Carroll, now playing at the University of Illinois-Springfield.
Now that she’s a senior, Maddie reflects on the nerves and jitters she experienced when first making the team as a freshman, and stepping onto the field among 8 other seniors. She responds with “I love it. I’ve played it my whole life, and it is a safe space.”
Carroll says, “When I made Varsity as a freshman, I was very honored, and I was a little bit nervous, too,” she continues. “I can’t disappoint these older girls, and Coach Allison. He expected a lot.”
Chris Allison, former softball coach, had a State Championship and 5 Conference titles under his belt.
“I felt like I wasn’t ready, but I guess he thought I was,” Carroll said.
She was quick to remind herself that the weight of the game wasn’t on her, much like Avian had said. Carroll says to her freshman self, “Take a deep breath, everything will work out.” She says, “I look forward to being that senior to one of the freshmen, like they were to me, and having fun with my favorite people ever.”
Adjusting to high school can be difficult, and filled with hardships, but with the right mindset, determination can help you succeed. Being a varsity athlete as a freshman is often something to panic about, but being given the opportunity, you learn plentiful life lessons and quickly learn how important it is to take in those moments.
