Dear Freshmen Volleyballers:
Speaking to you now, I am a senior. The last three years of my high school career have been full of ups and downs, curves, and learning experiences. I am here today to share with you some tips and tricks on what not to do for your first year of high school ball, as someone that was once a freshman herself.
1. THERE IS NO NEED TO WEAR MAKEUP FOR GAMES
I understand some people wear makeup on a daily basis and sometimes just show up to a game with makeup on from the school day. This can be one exception. However, the amount of times I have been on a bus with the team for a weekend of games and seen freshman girls pull out a whole bag full of Fenty Beauty or Nars products along with all the other expensive, high brand makeups and spend close to an hour perfecting their full face of makeup for their one game? Ridiculous. It’s a lost cause, which is why you see upperclassmen like me pulling up to gyms in our PJ’s, crumbly mascara from two days ago and hair that looks like we just rolled out of bed, because we have learned. I remember a time when I spent close to thirty minutes watching a girl apply her makeup in the bus on our way to a tournament, pulling out her Charlotte Tillbury setting powder (ask any guy what that stuff does and find joy in watching them struggle for an answer) and CAKING IT on her face. I tell you, she DUG her brush into the powder and applied chunks of it all over her face, repeating this four to five times. I was amazed. This was a game of ‘who can apply the most makeup’ but the only person she was competing with was herself. There were clouds of powder all around the air for the next two hours of the ride, and I’m still surprised to this day she didn’t smoke the whole bus out.
2. THE SENIOR BOYS AREN’T LOOKING AT YOU
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the phrase “Omg, did you see the way Chad was looking at me? He’s totally into me. Even his friends keep staring at me.” I’m sorry, CHAD most likely has a girlfriend that he’s there to watch, and if not, I can promise you he has his eyes on another girl in the stands (9/10 a girl his age and if not, all I can say is PEDO). Those ‘hot senior boys dressed as VSCO girls with 8 packs’ that are with Chad? If they’re staring at you, I promise it’s not because they’re admiring how much your eyes are popping from the blue mascara your mom just bought you (point proven in the previous paragraph), but they’re most likely making fun of the fact that you and your whole team of freshman girls are drooling over them and hiking your spandex to your bra in hopes of getting their attention (trust me, we’re getting to THAT one). Unless you have a way of gaining two or three years in age, attempts at attention and recognition are pointless.
3. YOUR ‘DUMPTRUCK’ DOES NOT NEED TO BE HANGING OUT OF YOUR SHORTS
Like I just explained, freshman girls are notorious for how high they hike their spandex for games. Doing this and walking past that group of seniors isn’t going to earn you brownie points from them or make you look attractive, although it may cause the start of a conversation betting on how much of a wedgie they would have if they had their shorts that far up. Another point worth sharing: spending twenty minutes in front of a mirror checking your ‘dumpy’ out and asking teammates if it looks good before a game gets old. When we’re all getting ready in the locker room and that’s all you hear about from the freshman side while you’re putting your shoes on and getting ready to warm up, it’s straight up annoying. They compare sizes of butts with anyone and everyone, acting as if the bigger it is the more skilled you are as a player. Their warmups started ten minutes ago, yet here they are asking if their butt looks more prominent with the jersey tucked in or out. Enough said.
4. NEVER BE LATE FOR THE BUS
If our team is travelling for a game, never be late for the bus. The only way to make your coaches and peers mad is being late for the bus and making us wait for you. Over the years, there have been girls that have just woken up at the time we’re supposed to leave. Long story short, they make a call to the coaches crying hysterically over this absolutely world-ending incident, and the coaches feel bad to the point where they make everyone wait for the next thirty minutes until the player in question shows up. At times, girls have just gone with their parents if they’ve missed the bus, which saves time and prevents the outbreak of attitudes between sixty high school girls. To sum it up, don’t be late for the bus. Otherwise, you’re most likely going to be forced to share that awkward ride with the parents that aren’t too happy with you. Shoot, maybe Chad or one of his buddies can give you a ride.
These are just some of the things that are worth mentioning. Keep in mind, this is not something that upperclassmen bash on the underclassmen about. We seniors are not stuck-up monsters that we sometimes are made out to be. This is merely just a guide on how to be less embarrassed when looking back as a junior or senior on your not-so-bright freshman year. Plus, I guarantee by doing these things you’d have a better shot with Chad (if that’s what you really want).
Sincerely,
Kaydence
Featured Photo by Gabriel Eagle
The Pine Needle 