Being a senior means it's the last year to be with friends and sports teams and to do after-school activities. During this year, many focus on what their next step is after high school. Some choose to go to college, and others choose to take a gap year. Seniors wonder if they'll continue to play their sport or their instrument after high school.
As the boys and girls soccer teams' seasons come to a close, many will look back on it to better themselves for their next season. Except, for seniors, there won't be a next season.
“It feels unreal,” senior Kenner Portillo said. “Everything has gone very fast, especially this year. I can't believe I'm about to finish my senior year.”
Many seniors begin to reflect on nostalgia and think of the memories they've made throughout the years.
“Now that I'm a senior, I feel bittersweet as our season comes to an end,” senior Brizzeette Robleto said. “I'm happy with the friends, position, and leadership I'll leave the team with, but I will eventually start to miss the game.”
There are things people wish they had known while starting a new sport. It takes courage to start something new, something they have never done before.
“I would tell little me to never give up,” senior Kamea McClam said. “Just let all the people that talk about us be [our] motivation. Even now, no matter your age or experience, you tend to feel anxious starting a new beginning, like your freshman year.”
Like McClam, senior Nathan Hernandez is also thinking back on his younger self and how much he has grown.
“I think I would tell my freshman self to stay strong and keep putting in the effort,” Hernandez said. “No matter how hard things get, just keep it moving.”
Some things that motivate athletes through their senior year could be the feeling of accomplishment and winning, while others think about the reason that started their journey.
“What motivates me is my dad,” senior Juan Palma said. “He’s the one who showed me how to play soccer.”
Surrounded by their loved ones, the boys and girls soccer teams will celebrate their Senior Day games at home against Cardinal Ritter on Saturday, Oct. 4. The girls will play at 10 a.m., followed by the boys, with a senior ceremony between the games.