A team is like a body and each player makes up an important part of that body. Even if they are a bench warmer or a varsity starter each player has a different role they have to accomplish in order for a team to achieve their goals. If you are missing a part of your body it isn’t going to function as well, and that’s just like a team. All the players have to work together to create something amazing.
Freshman Clara Kennedy said, “I love being a part of something bigger than myself.” She said her role on the team can be challenging at times because she got a lot of playing time in middle school, and with her transition into high school sports, she hasn’t gotten as much playing time as she used to. She said it’s hard “to sit back and watch from the sidelines.” But this has created a lot of patience, and perseverance, strengthened her character development, and taught her not to let it ruin my love for the sport. Her role has also taught her the importance of teamwork and supporting her teammates.
Kennedy said that bench warmers play a crucial role in sports. In the case that another player gets injured, sick, or any other reason for absence, there has to be someone to step up and fill in. Benchwarmers also create a competitive environment during practices and scrimmages, which strengthens the whole team. She said that without benchwarmers and underclassmen, there would be a team after the upperclassmen graduate, she said that bench warmers also play a crucial part in cheering on the team and giving the starters their support. She said, “There’s more that goes into a sport and team than stats and playing time.”
Hudson Mclaren has had to take on a huge role on the team this year. He said his role is the “effort kind of guy.” He’s stays in most of the game and has to give effort the whole time. Since their “best scorer” graduated last year he has had to take a lot more shots. HE said that next year he hopes to see the scoring improve and wants to see the team work together better. He siad that even the players that don’t get a lot of playing still help out the team a ton. Mclaren said, “they give us starters a run for our money.” The benchwarmers push them to get better everyday.
Grant Petty had to take on the role of a starter this year. He said that has helped him to become a better teammate and leader. He said that as the season is winding down he hopes that things “will start to click better,” he hopes that the team will continue to work hard and improve during the off season. Petty said that ones of the biggest supporters on the team are the bench warmers. He saids they bring the energy for the other guys and “bring a crowd for the away games.” he said that are always working as hard as they can to push the starters to do better. “They are always competing and never giving up.”
Benchwarmers are a huge asset to the team. They are at practices day in and day out and put in just as much effort as starters, if not more to prove themselves. They are the biggest support group during the games and never stop cheering there teammates on. Even if the don’t get a lot of playing time, they don’t let it stop them because they are going to keep working hard to get better, and pushing their teammates to do better.
Dalene Davis • Jan 31, 2025 at 6:51 am
Great article about benchwarmers! I had a long high school career as a basketball starter and had good friends on the basketball team who were both starters and benchwarmers. I still have great respect for Jan Orr who was a benchwarmers who worked so hard at practice every single day, month after month. Jan always had a smile on her face and supported the whole team with her positive attitude and cheering from the sidelines. I still remember her big contribution to our team and valuable role she played on our team and that was 50 years ago.![😊](https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/1f60a.svg)