Starting a new sport can feel intimidating, especially when it seems like everyone has been playing since middle school. However, starting a sport as a teenager – even in the later years of high school – is more common and less demanding than many realize. For some high school athletes, jumping into a sport later also presents numerous unique advantages.
Junior Emily Muller, center for the new girls’ flag football team, picked up the sport this year once it was introduced to Redwood.
“[As an upperclassman], you’re more open to sports, and you know more people. Once you start a sport, you kind of know what other sports will be like when you go into it,” Muller said.
Following Muller’s statement, it is clear that starting a sport as an upperclassman has many benefits that improve the experience of a sport. Similarly, senior Marisol Tramontozzi picked up water polo just after her freshman year while having no prior experience.
“I would say you really get to do something more for yourself rather than pursuing something for the future,” Tramontozzi said.
Another factor that plays into beginning a sport as a high schooler is the weight that sports carry. Sports push athletes both mentally and physically, especially those who have been playing them their entire lives. Starting a sport late relieves some of that pressure because it doesn’t come with the stress of a sport you have dedicated your life to; it is a fresh start and a less stressful one. Playing volleyball for around 7 years, Muller can relate to this feeling.
“Part of the reason I chose to do flag football was because I had no former attachments to it. It seemed like a fun, recreational part-time thing, and I came into it thinking it wasn’t going to be very serious,” Muller said.
A common belief is often the idea that starting a sport with little experience means you are at a disadvantage, and also that starting late qualifies the athlete as not as talented as the long-term players are. However, Tramontozzi sees it differently.
“There should be no stigma around starting too late, because truly, you’re not. Everyone has different starting points,” Tramontozzi said.
Tramontozzi stopped playing water polo after her junior year but remembers her time on the team fondly. She feels that starting sports in high school can be especially beneficial because older students have a better sense of their passions and goals. Starting late gives you the advantage of knowing yourself better and exploring real interests.
And while any sport can be started at any time with enough determination, some are easier to pick up than others. Sports like flag football, golf, field hockey and others often have more flexible skill expectations and are more accessible to beginners. Whether it’s for fun, friends, exercise, or passion, sports are always a source of community, and trying a new sport late in high school can be quite a rewarding experience.
