By Halsey Quinn
Every year there are a few seventh and eighth graders who step up to play for a varsity team. This fall season, this varsity tennis team alone has brought up two middle school students. Josephine Pinnock and Grace McNamara, two eighth graders, are competing alongside the high school students on the tennis team.
Pinnock, who was the manager of the tennis team as a seventh grader, has been playing tennis since she was about eight years old, and she plans to continue through high school.
“It is a lot harder than I expected, but it is a lot of fun,” says Pinnock. Tennis isn’t the only sport Pinnock plays. She plays volleyball, golf, swims competitively, and runs track and field. Like most students who compete on school teams, Pinnock occasionally finds it hard to keep up with academics while participating in sports.
Along with Pinnock, McNamara is also playing on the varsity team. Her mother got her playing tennis when McNamara was just two years old. She took lessons at her house until she was eleven, and plans to continue tennis through high school.
This year, as an eighth grader, McNamara is excited to be a part of the school team. “Matches are long, but I can get everything in school done no problem,” she says. In other seasons, like Pinnock, she is on the school volleyball team, and the track and field team. Outside of school, she also swims and dances competitively.
Being on a varsity team is a big commitment, and is much more serious than any middle school team. McNamara isn’t bothered by the fact that there isn’t a 7th/8th grade option for her, as she enjoys being on varsity. While Pinnock has fun playing on the varsity tennis team, she would still prefer a middle school team, or just a junior varsity team. One thing they both agree on is that playing for the varsity team is fun and exciting, and they both hope to have a good season.
No comments:
Post a Comment