Nick Ward: Football

Between my junior and senior season, both Coach P and I realized that if I wanted to be at the top of my game, I should lose some weight, so with his help I dropped to about 280-285. Staying in great shape, even for a lineman, is crucial for the game of football.

Elizabeth Coogan: Field Hockey

My junior year, the day before my field hockey team’s first scrimmage of the season, I broke my arm. I couldn’t have felt more stupid. There was no cool injury story about diving to score a game-winning goal. Instead my clumsy feet got tangled and I ended up in a sling for three weeks.
Being injured is frustrating because you feel useless. If you had asked me a year ago what I would have changed about my years of playing sports at Staples, it would have been that stupid tumble.
But now, I could not have more opposite feelings. When I was injured I saw the other side of it; I got to see the coaches’ hushed discussions and game commentary and the cheering that takes place on the bench. I learned more about field hockey than I ever thought possible.

Melissa Berreta: Tennis

If I had been able to walk on the court against those girls and think “I can win today,” not just “Let’s see how long I can stay on the court,” I might have pulled out one or two more wins over my years at Staples.

Annie Raifaisen: Cheerleading

There is one thing that would have made me a better cheerleader during my time at Staples; but I don’t regret it. The only thing that kept my cheerleading experience from being a lot more focused, intense, and serious was my teammates. However, because of these girls, and later boy, my four years as a varsity cheerleader were quite the opposite: thrilling, humorous and, of course cheerful.
But honestly, I wouldn’t trade my experience with this team for any trophy out there.

Steven Sobel: Soccer and Track

Obviously, I could look back on my athletic career and want to change a lot.
It’d be pretty cool to be 6 inches taller. Thirty more pounds of muscle would help. Being the fastest kid on the soccer field sounds great. Throw in some nice endurance, and I could be an athletic stud.

But I have none of these things. And though these attributes would get me all the “Athlete of the Week” honors I could ever want, I am not too sentimental about that.

So when I’m asked what I would improve in order to have a better athletic career at Staples, I’d say not much. I accept not being a stud. I accept that I am not going to college for a sport. I accept my mediocre “athletic prowess.” Maybe I’d just take a little more time to appreciate what I had. Being through with high school sports, leaving the kids I’ve played with all my life, and moving on toward a new stage in my life is a little scary. I’m just happy to have had the experiences with soccer and track (and obviously Rec Basketball) that I did.