Freshman athletes are vital to San Luis Obispo High School sports programs because they are the foundation for our future teams. It’s time that the hardworking underdogs of SLOHS have a turn to shine in the spotlight.

Our school has a variety of sports, which creates a variety of athletes. Some ambitious freshmen play three sports, like Annie Overland and Max Soltero, who are both playing basketball this winter. Overland played volleyball while Soltero played football, and both athletes plan to run for track this spring. Freshman Kayla Craft plays volleyball and basketball. Moises Hernandez, a freshman soccer player, instead devotes his time to just one sport.

The transition between middle school and high school is one of the most difficult obstacles freshmen have to face. Freshman athletes face this struggle in both school and the sports they participate in. Most of these athletes, however, can say only positive things about high school sports versus middle school sports.

“They are much more organized,” said Soltero.

“I feel that the coaching is better,” added Craft.

The athletes also all agreed that the athletic atmosphere was more competitive at SLOHS than at their last schools.

These newcomers to the high school athletic scene have much to look forward to this season; Overland and Craft eagerly await winning league.

In a reflective perspective, Hernandez recounts one of his favorite memories of the team from the season so far: “There were rats in our locker room, and we were all trying to tackle them. [Senior] Grayson Stewart got scared and ran away.”

Overall, the athletes of the class of 2020 are hard workers and hold the future of athletics at our school in their hands. They deserve way more recognition than they are currently receiving, so go out and support our freshman athletes at all levels.