Now that tryouts are over, spring sports have begun practices, with athletes adjusting to new teammates. Freshman Katarina Stalin, however, is adjusting to being the only freshman on the girls varsity soccer team.

“I was really happy and I was a little shocked because I didn’t really expect to make varsity as a freshman,” Stalin said. “I am just super excited for the opportunity to play.”

Stalin has been playing soccer since she was in kindergarten, and said she has her dad to thank for her love of the sport.

“My dad played soccer since he was really young,” Stalin said. “He played soccer in high school and college. He actually grew up in Sweden and [soccer] is really big in Sweden, so that’s a really big reason why I play soccer.”

With her and her family’s love for the sport, Stalin joined the club Sporting Blue Valley when she was 9 to enhance her skills.

“We practice really hard during [the club season] and we go against great competition, which helped me do really well at [high school] tryouts,” Stalin said.

Stalin said she had mixed emotions for tryouts, despite her club preparing her well.

“I was really nervous,” Stalin said. “I didn’t know what to expect because I knew there were going to be a lot of good girls trying out. I just thought, ‘I’m going to try and play my hardest and see what team I make.’”

Through her nerves, Stalin was able to make the varsity team. She said she is excited to see where this season will take her.

“All the girls on the team are super nice and really welcoming,” Stalin said. “I feel like I’m going to make a lot of new friends and I feel like the opportunity to play varsity will help me meet new people.”