Running, jumping, kicking, and swimming: it’s the start of the winter sports season. For many freshman, athletic experiences this year are very different than the one they had last year at the middle school.

9th graders are already very involved. During the fall sports season, over 100 students participated in sports such as crew, soccer, field hockey, and cross country, and many plan to participate in the upcoming winter and spring seasons. The class of 2013 is clearly not a class of couch potatoes.

“I like high school sports better because they help you know more people [upperclassmen] around the school. They help you with the transition to the high school,” said Emily van Mulbregt.

One of the major differences between the high school and the middle school is the fact that the high school sports have freshman teams. These teams give most athletes, if not everybody, a chance to play, even if they don’t make the junior varsity or varsity teams. This is different from the middle school, where you either made it or you didn’t. The new opportunity is well-liked by the class of 2013.

“I feel less nervous because freshman teams are something to fall back on. They make me feel more confident,” said Kruti Vora, a player on the freshman volleyball team.

Another difference between middle and high school athletics is the variety of teams offered. “There are more sports and more people can participate,” said Caroline Ayanian.

At the middle school, only soccer, cross country, field hockey, basketball, ice hockey, baseball, and softball are offered to students. For students who didn’t necessarily click with these sports, many different options open up at the high school. These include crew, volleyball, football, cheerleading, golf, swimming/diving, wrestling, indoor track, ski team, lacrosse, and tennis.

Intensity level is another big difference for 9th graders compared to last year. “I feel a little bit more scared, I think [sports] are taken a lot more seriously at the high school,” said Charlotte Smith. Fellow freshman atheletes Jesse Potts and Jake Adelman both agreed that high school sports were more competitive.

Once they arrive at high school, a student’s athletic experience changes dramatically. Whether they play at Varsity, JV, or freshman level, the new intensity provides many new challenges. No matter if an athlete sticks to their own sport, or branches out to try something knew, they know it will be nothing like the middle school.