In every sport, there’s a rookie—a person who is exploring the activity for the first time, brand-new to the rush of a game or the unspoken rules of a morning practice. Although joining a new activity can be stressful, Park students and coaches suggest there may be hidden benefits to the awkwardness that comes with being a newcomer.
Freshman and two-time “most improved” award recipient Eve Sulman said her success in cross country and gymnastics stemmed from her willingness to set aside social anxieties associated with being a newcomer and instead focus on self-betterment through accomplishing her own goals and forging new friendships.
“It is nerve-wracking to try something for the first time, but if I hadn’t taken the risk, I wouldn’t have met some of my favorite people or felt good about accomplishing my goals,” Sulman said. “It’s definitely worth your time to be a rookie; do it for yourself and your improvement, not for what you think others will think of you.”
Junior and first-time ultimate frisbee player Sage Murray said their experience as a newcomer has been extremely positive and their teammates’ supportive, welcoming nature has made their integration relatively seamless.
“Everyone on the frisbee team has been very kind and welcoming,” Murray said. “Even when I struggle, I’ve never felt out of place. Starting as a rookie, it’s normal to feel socially isolated, but I haven’t (felt that way). Even though I know a lot of people on the team, I think they would still want to support me regardless of whether I was completely new or not.”
Head gymnastics coach Dawn Thielen said she strives to cultivate a supportive and welcoming atmosphere that nurtures collaboration and creativity within the gym. She said she works to integrate rookies into a cooperative culture where they feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.
“Rookies can offer an outside opinion on team culture and can always bring new perspectives and ideas to keep things fun and fresh,” Thielen said. “But depending on the environment, the rookies’ ideas can be turned down a lot since they are new, which either drives them to try to stand out as a leader or discourages them from speaking out. We try hard to have an environment where everyone can speak their mind or be heard, including the newcomers in our gym.”
Murray said the difference between a positive rookie experience and a negative one depends on the people. They said as they have explored different sports and activities, teammates’ attitudes have varied, significantly impacting their enjoyment of the sport and their athletic progress.
“Frisbee is a very welcoming environment, and even though I joined as a junior, I’ve felt pretty comfortable,” Murray said. “(When I joined swimming) as a freshman, the environment was much less friendly and (less) welcoming, which made it harder to go to practice and enjoy the sport.”
Sulman said rookie athletic experiences are heavily influenced by teammates’ attitudes and work ethic, particularly captains’. Positive interactions with teammates as a newcomer can reduce anxiety and nervousness relating to imminent participation, making newcomers more likely to enjoy their time on the team.
“It’s all about the people. Captains specifically are the very first faces you see when you walk into practice on the first day, and they are some of the first people you will interact with as a new team member,” Sulman said. “Their outlook and positivity toward the sport and the team can make or break your experience.”
Murray said students are often more hesitant to join competitive sports than to join laid-back, low-pressure activities. According to Murray, sports like ultimate frisbee are more tailored to newer players, and the stress-free environment influences the desire to participate and improve.
“Joining competitive sports makes me a lot more nervous and stressed out,” Murray said. “(If I were to join a competitive sport instead of frisbee), I probably would have felt a lot more nervous and wouldn’t have worked as hard to improve.”
Sulman said being a freshman made it easier for her to branch out, as the “clean slate” associated with your first year of high school encourages mistakes and slower-paced learning, and is an experience shared among all high school students.
“I felt slightly less nervous joining sports as a freshman because it’s what people expect,” Sulman said. “Making mistakes and learning the ropes is a shared experience for all freshmen, no matter what activity or club they are joining. If I had joined as an upperclassman, I would probably be less eager to make new friends and get better because I would be too scared to look dumb.”
Thielen, on the other hand, offered a different opinion. She said rookies have more fun in a sport because they don’t hold themselves to strict standards or reputations. According to her, even though newcomers have less time to progress and develop their skills, their experience is generally enjoyable, often more so than veteran athletes.
“Rookies who are upperclassmen sometimes have less time to focus on their skills, but in my experience, they have had more fun because they put less pressure on themselves (compared to more experienced gymnasts),” Thielen said. “They are usually the ones trying the sport out for the first time or falling in love with it again, and they want to have fun and get to know the girls.”
