As fall sports have come to a close, mixed emotions have overwhelmed the student-athletes who participated in these sports, especially the seniors. After giving these sports all four years in high school with dedication, loyalty and perseverance, many have now watched their seasons end and a chapter of their lives close. Student-athletes transition into lives without grueling after-school practices and missed classes due to meets and games and now, they get to reflect on their hard work.
Senior cross country runner Sophia Campbell described, “[i]t is definitely hard transitioning from spending all [her] nights…at the high school running and participating in meets, in team dinners and team bondings to just going home straight after school.”
After students watch their after-school plans fade away they may have extra time on their hands which can be used to reminisce about the season.
“I always used to talk about how stressed or overwhelmed I was with how much was on my plate. Now that my schedule is cleared I miss the workload a little bit as weird as that sounds. It gave me something to do, and despite not having the cross country team or the practices to attend I am still very happy with all that I got to accomplish in the moments. I will be forever grateful for the memories I was able to make,” Campbell explained.
As the season concludes, seniors may be reminded of how much has changed from freshman to senior year both in their growth in the sport and their role on the team.
Campbell recounted, “[a]s a freshman, [her] only real job was just to run. [She] had some great mentors who paved the path for [her] and showed [her] what hard work and being a part of a team looks like. Then as a senior, [she] had to take on that role as a mentor, [she] was the person that the young freshmen were looking up to so [she] had to take on a much more complex role.”
As roles shifted from freshman to senior year the shift to a life without sports sparks a new emotion in seniors. Especially, in such a difficult sport like cross country many do not know how to feel or how to let go.
“I think it’s kind of a surreal feeling because since 7th grade I’ve looked forward to never having run again but now that the moment is here I do not want to let go,” Campbell expressed.
