Since Yutan is a 7-12 building, the transition from junior high to high school may not seem like much for the students since they are still in the same classrooms with the same teachers. However, the transition to high school athletics is another story.

“High school sports are a lot different than junior high sports,” said freshman Jersey Siske, who plays softball. “Everyone is older than me. In junior high, you had girls on your team who were all the same age as you, and you played against girls the same age as you. Now I have to go against girls older than me, and it’s a lot more competitive.”
Even though the freshmen are now playing with older athletes, that can also be an advantage because of the leadership and experience the upperclassmen bring.
“The upperclassmen make it easier to play,” said freshman Morgan Long, who plays volleyball. “If I mess up, I’m never judged for my mistakes. I used to be terrified of upperclassmen. Getting to become closer with them through sports helped me not to be so scared.”
The skill level of the upperclassmen also challenges the freshmen to become better athletes.
“People hit harder. They challenge me more,” Long said. “I get to get better these next four years than what I had through the junior high years.”
Besides the added competition, there’s a lot more time that goes into high school sports than in junior high sports.
“High school sports are a lot more competitive and you see better competition,” said freshman Addi Jones, who plays softball. “There’s also a lot more games, you practice more, and the season’s a lot longer than in junior high.”

This change can be easy and difficult to manage.
“I adjusted pretty quickly just because the practices are at the same times and around the same lengths as my club practices, but the games go a lot longer, which can be hard to get homework done,” Siske said.
Despite the differences, the freshmen are excited to be able to play their sport at the next level.
“I like high school sports better because you get to go against kids bigger than you,” said freshman Kale Hoffer, who plays football. “You get the chance to improve and prove to people what you got.”
Not only are the freshmen ready to improve, but they are also eager to build stronger connections with the older athletes.
“I like high school sports more just because there’s a variety of girls on the team,” Jones said. “You can make more friends, and sports are more fun in high school because they mean more.”