Although it’s freshman multi-sport athlete Damir Hooker’s first year playing tackle football, he already has some significant accomplishments. Despite not being the starting running back, Hooker had eight rushing touchdowns in eight games this season.

     This year, more than others in recent Shorecrest sports history, freshmen athletes have had a major impact on Chargers teams. Last year, seven out of eight offensive starters on the football team were seniors and all but one of the varsity boys basketball players were seniors. This year, however, there were only four senior football players and two senior boys basketball players. As a result, many freshmen have needed to step into starting roles for varsity teams this year.

     Despite a significant age difference with many of his competitors, Hooker stays determined to have an impact on the field. He said the keys to his success in football are “mainly just being a team player, communicating with everybody and making sure I know the plays because it’s my freshman year and my first year playing this sport.”    

     Going from Middle School to varsity sports is a major jump for anyone, but for freshman flag football and softball player Paige Conroy, the change was greater than she expected.

     “Going from Middle School sports to varsity sports was a big change because in Middle School, [it] is more recreational, but on varsity, I recognized how important the team was, and how actually doing good and succeeding is like nothing else,” Conroy said.

     Even though many high school athletes don’t start playing varsity until they are upperclassmen, freshman Hayden Zielinski has been making an impact on the varsity volleyball team since seventh grade. She currently has 185 kills and 1071 assists as a varsity player. 

     “It all kind of started when my coach, Coach Draper, picked me out of PE class in seventh grade,” she said. “So, my first year was definitely more nerve-racking and I kind of relied on my upperclassmen to teach me the way of the program and getting prepared at such a high level because I was not used to playing with 18-year-olds —especially when you’re 12.”

     Most athletes have goals, but for some freshmen, they might not involve being the star player. 

     “The goals I have set for myself by the end of each of my seasons is that I’ve helped my team improve no matter the circumstances that we are given,” freshman varsity girls soccer player Ashlyn Beltran said.

     Freshman multi-sport athlete Billy Francis credits his self-confidence as the main factor driving his success in his varsity career.

     “I try to have as much confidence as possible in myself because I know the climax of how incredible I can be,” he said. “When kicking in football or shooting in soccer, if my shot feels good during a game, it will go in.”

     Athletes at any level of sports have a crew to support them, and this support may be even more important for younger players. For freshman golfer Dov Schulman, the people by his side are what pushes him to continue playing.

     “My parents and my siblings have helped me through high school sports and academics more than I could ever ask for. Of course, whilst golfing, my golf coach and history teacher Mr. Asad definitely helped me as well. He’s just a great guy on and off the course,” Schulman said.

     When older teammates view freshmen as equally integral to the team, it carries meaning. For Zielinski, it made her feel truly valued.

     “I have always been one of the younger players on a team, so when the upperclassmen and the stars of the team get awards, and I do also, it’s like a confidence boost because it shows that others also view you as a young or a freshman star,” she said.