Wakefield’s junior varsity basketball team is made up of a mix of young individuals who are making their brand new appearance into the competitive high school sports world. They now inhabit a world of ever changing competition and challenges forcing them to be exposed to many different obstacles. For the first time, their lives are filled with rigorous practices and real consequences if they do not play well in a game. They now are forced to perform at a higher level of skill that is involved to win against other schools. Junior Brendan Ciannamea, now possessing a spot on the varsity basketball team, remembers just how difficult being on the JV team would be at times.

“I remember how difficult it was to adjust at first to the fast pace of the game and of practice”, Ciannamea said. “Once I began practicing with my teammates, things began to click and I didn’t feel so overwhelmed. It’s an extremely great feeling when you feel like you finally understand and feel caught up on what’s going on.”

Coach Garrett Stevens going into the season understood that the JV team was made up of mostly very young players, with a majority of them being freshman. Stevens along with the other coaches believed their inexperience and ability to be molded throughout the high school years made their youth a valuable asset to the team.

“We have about 9 or 10 freshmen on the team this year with only a few returning players,” Stevens said.

As time goes on, many of the players begin to look up to older players on the varsity team and seek ways to improve their game and continue developing as a player. Freshman Tommy Petruccione often finds himself looking at the more experienced players for motivation.

“I look up to many of the players on varsity largely because my goal is to be on varsity one day,” Petruccione said. “They set an example of the work ethic that there needs to be in order to be the best. I strive to be better and do better because I know right now in order to reach the top I need to continue to develop my skills as a team member.”

Freshman Vernon Franley, also a new addition to the JV team, and finds that although there is a lot of pressure to play well, it is also extremely rewarding and a way to be with people of similar interests.

“Being on the basketball team has been great,” Franley said. “I love traveling with the team and riding the bus places together. It can be a lot of work at times but it is extremely rewarding and I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for anything else.”