Sports at Granite Bay High School have become a large part of school culture.

  Granite Bay offers several levels of teams for each sport to give all students equal opportunities to develop as athletes.

  Specifically, the JV or junior varsity teams, are known to consist of underclassmen players.

  Junior varsity is a great starting place for many underclassmen to further develop their skills to further prepare them for the varsity level.

  In the past, the JV team was restricted to underclassmen at Granite Bay, but is now open to juniors.

  The idea stemmed from giving certain juniors the chance to play the sport they love even if they may not have been able to make the varsity team.

  Although some may feel discouraged due to the fact they did not make the varsity team, regret was not a word the juniors used to describe their experience on JV

  “Being a junior on JV was sort of hard for me to sit back and watch all of my friends I’ve known for years play together on varsity, however I met some really cool freshmen and sophomores during the amazing season we had,” Carson Rae, a junior on JV boys soccer, said.

  Contribution the the team’s success was also was a huge factor in Rae’s love of the team.

  “Our final game of the year where we won league was my favorite game of the season,” Rae said.     

  Allowing athletes to play on JV has created opportunities for students to grow and develop to potentially play at the varsity level.

 “The season was really fun and one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever had,” Jaclyn Ohlsen, a junior on the girls JV basketball team, said.  

  As well as the social aspect of playing on a school sport is huge for many kids that want to be involved.

  Giving them the chance to play if they are unable to play on varsity is huge for school culture.

  “Being a junior on JV helped me meet some really cool people I most likely wouldn’t have otherwise,” Ohlsen said.  

  Overall, allowing juniors to play on JV has benefited Granite Bay in the sense that there is more school pride.

  Keeping kids across the campus involved in school sports is essential to an all inclusive environment that will make kids feel wanted and accepted at GBHS.

  “I loved how well we bonded and got along with each other,” Ohlsen said.

  For years to come Granite Bay will continue to offer spots to juniors on the JV teams because of the positive impact its had on GBHS culture.