Whether they have been playing for their whole life or just started recently, these two freshmen have found a way to achieve a varsity spot. Natalie Banton has played soccer for most of her life. She was very excited to find out she made the varsity girls soccer team. Grant Means has been playing basketball for three years now. He was also thrilled to find out he had locked a spot on varsity.
Natalie Banton – Girls Varsity Soccer
Banton feels that being on varsity her freshman year is very important and she is excited for the season to continue. She is in the starting lineup and plays defensive mid.
“When I tried out for soccer, I was going into it with an open mind, but I was hoping for varsity,” Banton said.
Banton has been playing soccer for nine years. She first started playing in preschool and has continued to play ever since. Banton seems very hopeful about her future in this sport.
“The plan is to keep playing after high school, but we’ll see how it goes,” Banton said.
The varsity environment was very welcoming toward her and she also felt the support of her coaches tremendously. She feels that she wasn’t treated any differently as a player, but had to do little simple tasks like getting water or fetching the balls after practice. She loves being on this team and she can’t wait to continue playing in the future.
Grant Means – Boys Varsity Basketball
When point-guard Grant Means first joined the team, it came with ease and he was welcomed with nothing but support from everyone.
“It is like a family environment and it was easy to get to know everybody on the team,” Means said.
He has been playing basketball for three and a half years and also plays for North Bay Basketball Academy over the summer. Means has benefited from this program by learning how to be a team player and leader while also building skill.
“After I saw it and believed in myself, I believed I could make it on varsity,” Means said.
At first he was unsure if he wanted to play, but he decided to try out anyways. Means feels the support of his teammates and coach hugely, but sometimes he does feel the pressure. Although only having started to play basketball recently, he has already accomplished a lot in the sport.
