Transition from star to role player tough for freshmen

For most college freshmen, the transition from high school to college can be daunting. Adding to the normal angst, Princeton freshmen emerge from accomplished secondary school careers in which their academic, athletic and extracurricular successes were unique among their peers. It takes few September days and nights on campus for the shocking realization that all your classmates manifest similar credentials. From senior status in an environment you knew how to navigate, you appear as a freshman in an independent campus structure without seniority and unsure of how to manage that freedom and time.

Although every student must go through this adjustment period, not everyone has the additional responsibility of participating in a demanding sport. For Tiger football frosh, this journey also entails an adjustment to a higher level of play and to more physical and intense competition. High school accolades and honors mean nothing at this level.

Princeton freshmen gridders must compete for positions with more experienced and physically mature athletes. Consequently, most individuals used to starting find themselves relegated to the bottom of the depth charts and face a struggle to prove themselves against established players. In high school, the talent level always yielded an oppositional weak link that could be exploited and dominated; in college, virtually every player sports high school all-star status and is not easily intimidated.

For many football powerhouses, the play of the freshmen class can be a crucial factor. Increasingly, key players do not remain in college and complete their eligibility. Although the Tigers are not burdened with a high student turnover rate, they still need the depth added by a strong freshmen class.

While the upperclass Princeton players have the luxury of at least one year's experience with the playbooks and the demands of playing against college level opponents, the freshmen arrive for pre-season and must attempt to assimilate quickly the nuances of the game. Although freshmen start conditioning training over the summer, they have less than a month of actual team practice before the first game. Therefore, they must be prepared to dedicate themselves and their time to catching up with the rest of the team and still leave hours for problem sets, voluminous reading assignments and roommate issues.

Some members of this Tiger freshmen class will make immediate contributions to the team's success. Most will use the year to mature and delay making significant impact until their sophomore fall. The team has sufficient depth that it has not had to rush the development of any player; veteran experience anchors the squad. Still, specific freshmen, like running back Jake Staser, have received favorable reviews this fall and should gain noticeable playing time.

In many ways, the transition that the freshmen members of the football team must experience is not that different from the one faced by newbies in other fall sports, by Triangle aspirants, or by a cappella wannabes. Footballers just come home with the aches and pains that prove they're at a different level.