Bench warmers: Sundevil athletes warm benches with pride, spirit

The game is moments from beginning. The coach huddles the team together to announce the starting line-up. As the final players are called, you realize you are yet again not starting the game.

Instead, you will be keeping that cold and lonely bench company during the game and fulfilling your duties as a bench warmer.

A junior on varsity volleyball is not ashamed of being a bench warmer.

“I’m not exactly proud to call myself a bench warmer, but I’m definitely not afraid to tell people,” she said. “Everyone knows that [bench warmers] exist, and I’m not going to take credit for games I didn’t play.”

Just like on volleyball, there are many athletes who play less on their teams than other players.

For boys varsity soccer coach Mark Green, choosing who doesn’t play a game is tough.

“I did not get into coaching to disappoint the players,” Green said. “I choose which players I believe will give us the best chance to win the game.”

Although the junior wants a starting spot, she knows her coach is doing what she thinks is best for the team.

“I do wish I could play more, but I don’t feel that the coach shows any favoritism towards people just because she likes them,” she said. “Playing sports is about competition but more importantly about teamwork. The people who are playing well on game day should play more because that helps the team win.”

While the team is fighting for victory during the match, the bench warmers do what they can to help their team out.

“Everyone on the team does cheers,” she said. “But on the bench, I say a lot more to cheer on the players then those on the court. I am not playing so the only thing I can do is yell encouraging things at the people on the court.”

For a junior who plays on varsity soccer, being on the bench is a way to be the team’s cheerleader.

“When you are on the field you are so focused and it can almost get frustrating,” she said. “Players on the sideline encourage and fire up the team.”

Although on junior varsity these players could get more playing time, they enjoy the benefits of being on a higher level team.

“Playing with higher level players helps me improve so much,” the volleyball player said. “Also, being on varsity is so much more exciting and intense during games, whether I play or not.”

According to the soccer player, she would enjoy being on junior varsity because she would be able to build her confidence and be more of a key player. However, she knows on varsity she will have players surrounding her who can push her to be a better player.

For the soccer player, practice is the one time where she gets shine and show that she can do more than keep the bench warm.

“Practice is obviously the time to prove yourself,” she said. “Everyone is doing this to get better, as well, but when you don’t get a lot of game time you have to work hard in practice to compensate.”

Although most people think the bench warmer is embarrassing, the Sundevils both agree that they enjoy being different on the team and getting to benefit their team by not playing.

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