Soccer-playing girls choose JV over varsity

Sophomores Charlotte Beam and Saia Ghelichkhani had a tough choice to make this year: to be on the varsity team but not play in any games or to be on JV and have a leading role.

Sophomores Charlotte Beam and Saia Ghelichkhani had a tough choice to make this year: to be on the varsity team but not play in any games or to be on JV and have a leading role.Both chose to play JV, and they're now the team's captains. “I’d rather play every second and be on JV than be on varsity but not play a minute,” Ghelichkani said.

Beam agrees that playing time is the best part and having to sit out every game is not fun.

“I get to improve my play a lot more than I would on varsity because game experience is the best kind of training there is,” Ghelichkhani said.

Ghelichkhani believes that by playing more during games, she will improve much faster than the girls who ride the bench on varsity. Since she was already offered a spot as a training player on varsity, she will have a spot on varsity next year, when she hopes to earn a starting spot through her fast improvement on JV.

“It is much more fun, and there is no pressure. On JV I’m more confident and won’t get as nervous as I would on varsity,” Beam said.

Both Ghelichkhani and Beam agree that they play their best when they are comfortable and relaxed. As captains, they both agree that the team is working hard and improving.

“Even though our team isn’t the best right now, I can see that everyone is improving every day, and I think it will be a great season,” Beam said.

In addition to getting more playing time, Beam and Ghelichkhani both made new friends.

“I have met more people, and I have gotten to know people that I had thought I would never talk to,” Beam said.

Another upside to choosing JV is that Beam and Ghelichkhani get to be captains this season.

“It is really fun to be able to lead the team and be a role model for the freshmen,” Ghelichkhani said.

Beam and Ghelichkani are also best friends.

“The best part of being on JV is being captain with my best friend and playing next to her which makes things 200 times more fun, and we wouldn’t get an experience like this on varsity,” Beam said.