In the 14 sports that Country Day offers, there are only four junior varsity teams this year: boys’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, swimming and diving.

Last year there was also a JV boys’ basketball team. However, due to the small number of people who signed up to play, that team was cut.

The low number of basketball participants may reflect a general loss of interest in the sport.

But athletic director Matt Vargo believes that the more probable reason is that athletes who usually play basketball have signed up for other sports that the school has added to the athletic program in recent years.

“Basketball is a sport where you don’t get as many beginners coming out for the team. Baseball is like that, too,” Vargo said.

In its third year, the wrestling program is attracting more participants every year. In its first year, the team had only one wrestler. In its second season it had five wrestlers (three of whom were seniors). This year there are seven.

Another winter sport that may have caused the drop of the JV basketball programs is the ski and snowboard team, also in its third year.

Wrestling, cross country, track and field, and the ski and snowboard team all allow for athletes to compete on the JV level, but varsity positions must be filled first. So when only a few students sign up, they usually compete on the varsity level.

The dropping of the two basketball programs was foreseen last year, as there was no girls’ team and the boys’ team had a roster of six players, one of whom was injured early in the season. The team had to pull down one varsity player to have a sixth man.

Even though they are few in number, JV programs “play a major role” in Cavalier athletics, Vargo said.

Sophomore Brigit Cvetich agrees.

Cvetich, who plays girls’ varsity basketball this season and played last year, missed out on a JV basketball experience.

“I wish there was a JV team, but there’s not. It [would] be easier and I would be able to learn more,” she said.

Cvetich said that she enjoys basketball, but is discouraged from playing on the team because the only level offered is varsity.

“From what I have heard, JV is supposed to be fun, and gets you more prepared [for the varsity level],” Cvetich said.

The varsity boys’ soccer team is a good example of how JV teams prepare players. All of the team’s six seniors—and many of the juniors—participated in the JV soccer program when it was first implemented three years ago. Three of the seniors and many of the juniors who once played for JV coach Charlie Smoot now start on varsity.

A reason why the JV soccer team is able to focus more on skills rather than wins is because “you don’t have to worry about making playoffs,” Vargo said, explaining that there are no playoffs in the JV level of soccer.

The JV sports most popular in the last couple of years have been boys’ soccer and girls’ volleyball. Both teams have had enough players to fill the field and warm the bench.

Vargo sees these waves of interest in different sports as natural. He intends to keep all the sports that are currently available, even though dropping some sports might help to fill out the other sports and their JV programs.

“I like the variety, so everyone can choose,” he said.