Everyone thinks they want to be the least experienced or skilled person on the team—until they actually are. The reality can feel much harsher than imagined.

Picture this: you’re constantly the one who holds the team back. The coach spends most of their time correcting you. You feel like you’re doing double the work just to keep up. You might find yourself dropping more money for extra tunnel time to improve your personal skills.

The Struggle is Real

Being the least experienced can be intense emotionally. You might feel frustrated, discouraged, and even embarrassed at times. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. However, you can navigate these feelings by focusing on your personal progress rather than comparing yourself to your teammates. Think about how far you’ve come since the beginning of the season, and celebrate those small victories along the way.

Own It and Rock It

Speak Up: Don’t keep your feelings bottled up. Talk to your team, your coach. They’re there to support you, remind you of your strengths, and let you know you belong. Getting comfortable with feedback is key—check out How to Take Criticism Like a Champ in Formation Skydiving to better understand how to embrace feedback for your growth.

Feedback is Your Friend: It’s not about being criticized, it’s about getting better. The more feedback you get, the faster you’ll improve. Embrace it. If you need to improve giving feedback as well, take a look at How to Give Criticism Like a Champ to better understand the dynamic between receiving and offering constructive feedback within the team.

Hustle Harder: You might need to put in some extra hours. Homework, visualization, tunnel time—do it all. And if you can, get in on those pickup jumps for extra practice. For strategies on fast-tracking your improvement, dive into How to Get Good Fast.

Play to Your Strengths: Just because you’re the greenest on the team doesn’t mean you don’t have outside skills to offer. Good with numbers? Manage the team’s stats. Video editing whiz? Make highlight reels. Social media guru? Handle the team’s PR. And to contribute even more, check out Five Practical Team Habits to Start Immediately for ideas on how to improve team dynamics with your unique abilities.

The Bright Side

The good news is that you have the most room to grow, which means you have the most potential to improve. Every ounce of effort you put in will show.

So embrace the journey, keep pushing, and most importantly—have fun! Because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.