The end of a high school athlete’s career is akin to opening a final present on your eighteenth birthday. There is a bittersweet feeling that something is over, at least for now.
It seems as though many underclassmen athletes can’t wait for the day when they become seniors, so they can try to make a name for themselves, earn a potential captain’s title, and participate in senior day.
However, the senior athletes want to cherish every moment they have left at Staples.
“My personal goal was to enjoy the season and spend time with my teammates, and I worked my hardest to make sure that I enjoyed every second,” basketball player Meredith Bemus ’14 said.
This is the last chance to prove themselves to the team and the whole school.
“It’s bittersweet. We all know that it’s our last time playing, but we are happy to be playing again,” volleyball co-captain, Todd Goldstein ’14, said.
At this stage of the game, not only do athletes play competitively but also with a lot of emotion.
According to Bemus,“I cried during the last two home games because I finally realized that it was the end and that I was going to be leaving the team. After spending hours a day with the same group of girls for five months and then suddenly not, it’s hard to not be emotional because the team becomes your family.”
Even though seniors have worked extremely hard at the same capacity for four years, they’re not stopping their hard work now. In fact, they say they’re more driven than ever to succeed.
“I wanted us to be successful in the season and I just never wanted to stop playing. There is no ‘next year’ or ‘I’ll just work hard in the off season’, it’s all right here right now,” volleyball player Ariana Sherman ’14 said.
To truly be a senior athlete, what’s essential is leadership and being a role model for others.
“Playing on a team as a senior is different because mentally, you need to be tougher and more experienced. The kids on the team look up to you and rely on you in big moments during games,” basketball player David Katz ’14 said.
