Comparing JV and Varsity Games

This week’s submission comes from Jake Hansen. Jake is a junior and is playing his first season on the Varsity. In addition, Jake is a pitcher for the Mustang baseball team in the Spring.

Comparing junior varsity (JV) basketball games to varsity basketball games is not a hard task to do because of the many differences between them. First, the most noticeable difference is the crowd and amount of people. During JV games, the crowd was not large. Our biggest and loudest fans were our parents. We were lucky if we had a couple friends come out and support us for a big Novi game, and even that was rare. On the other hand, varsity games attract a lot more fans. On Tuesday nights, the crowd usually has a decent amount of people (depending on the opponent), but Friday nights are when the gym gets pretty rowdy. The stands are almost always packed and a lot of students come to support. With all of the people, nerves definitely kick in.

Another large difference between JV games and varsity games is the amount of playing time and consistency of playing time as well. As a junior, you are used to having always played significant minutes, but there is a big adjustment when you factor in the multiple classes that comprise a varsity team. Coming into my first varsity season, I was not expecting to play too much. There have been games when I do not play a minute and other games where I play more than I expected. Though it sometimes seems random and inconsistent, it is important to always be focused and ready because you never when you might be the one getting the call!

Overall, there are many differences between last year’s JV games and this season’s varsity games. From the crowd and the fans, to the game speed and playing time, there are many changes and it is sometimes difficult, but a manageable transition between levels.