What do JV players wish the Varsity understood about their gameplay or problems they have that the varsity doesn’t, and how does it affect the players?
By: Jonathan Flores
“Do they even know what it’s like to fight for every point?” one of the JV players pondered aloud, breaking the silence. And in that moment, as the twilight deepened around them, a firm resolve began to take shape.
Photo J.Flores/Gigantea
Fabian Juardo, ’27, is a catcher and center fielder for the Redwood JV Baseball team. He said that a unique challenge he faces that varsity overlooks is “sometimes I forget to have fun and I am too hard on myself.”
The key message that Juardo and his team want to communicate to the varsity team is “that we understand each other and that we are mature.” The trait that Jurado admires with varsity is “how well they play and how well they understand the game.”
A time Jurado was proud to be on the JV team was, his “probably my first game, because I realized that the game isn’t so serious that I can have fun.” What he as a JV player wishes that varsity player understood is, “probably how hard we practice.”
Ethan Backlund, ’27, is someone who can relate to Juardo’s efforts. He is a pitcher and plays second base. A unique challenge varsity players overlook is that it is stressful and gives off pressure because you know that varsity coaches are watching you, too.
And the key message Backlund wants to communicate to the varsity team is “we are ready and we are doing our best to get to varsity level.”
Also, the trait Backlund admires in varsity play is their “confidence and their ability to have adversity even if they have challenges they push through it and play well.”
A moment that Backlund was proud to be on the JV team is when one of their players caught a fly ball and the team showed their sportsmanship by celebrating because it was a great catch.
Finally what Backlund wishes varsity players understood was, “that honestly JV is more difficult then varsity, in a way, because there is just a little bit more stress.”
Jonathan Flores
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