The hardest thing with loving something is learning how to say goodbye to it, and sadly that is a reality seniors have to face when they are part of an activity or sport throughout their high school years. Whether it is being part of a club, the band, a sports team, or anything in-between, you often grow to love that activity and see it as something core to who you are. However, as a senior, something you realize is that you have to step away from the high school level and either continue at the collegiate level, as a hobby, or say goodbye entirely.
Senior of band, 4-H, and speech and debate team, Nathan Tyska, said, “The biggest difference about senior year for me is that everything has had more finality to it. That realization that I do not have a ‘next year’ has encouraged me to make the most out of what I do have left. I think it also pushed me to do as much as I can to not leave with any regrets.”
That sentiment seems to be echoed throughout the seniors, regardless of the activity they were a part of.
Taylor Miller, a senior of the speech and debate team and golf team, said, “Senior year in sports is different than any other year. All these people you’ve worked with, cried with, won with, will all be going their separate ways with a chance of never seeing them again. Being a part of a team brings two individuals closer, and unfortunately for high school that means four years or less to get to spend with these wonderful people before having to go away.”
“My senior season of volleyball didn’t feel real at first, I kept wondering where the seniors were. It all started to feel more real once I saw my senior banner hanging on the wall for the first time. During my junior and senior year, I knew I didn’t want to play in college, so I didn’t obsess over the amount of wins or losses we had. I would always have a smile on my face and I always tried to have a positive attitude both on and off the court. This season I focused on the friendships that I have made through volleyball, since I have met some of my best friends through this sport,” said senior volleyball player Sammie Ashmore.
Owen Dobrzynski-Hines, a senior player for football, said, “It’s gonna be tough to leave Park. All my good friends that I played sports with for the past four years are here. We built stronger connections over this season. It’s gonna be tough to say goodbye to them, but luckily for me, I am playing a sport at the college level, so I’ll still be able to do what I love– just not with the people who love it as much as I do. That’s gonna be the hardest part for me: saying goodbye to my teammates. I love those guys.”
Another perspective is that your reasons for staying on a team may change from your first season to your last one.
“I initially joined for something fun to do and to stay in shape, however the reason I came back after freshman year and continued in sports was for my friends. Sports let me make a lot of connections with people I otherwise wouldn’t have met, some of my closest friends, such as Brian Gonzalez, I initially met during my freshman year at after-school athletics. Friends are the reason I’ve come back every year, though they weren’t why I joined initially,” said senior XC, track, and band member Thomas Burns.
Senior baseball and football player, Jed Hunley, said, “I’ve had two injuries that have kept me from playing baseball the last two years, but this year feels different because I know that I’ll never play in a baseball game after this. The same goes for football. It’s been my whole life up until now, and to know I’ll never step foot on a football field to play again is just weird and crazy to think about.”
We all know the end of something is hard to adjust to, but some seniors have chosen to not make graduation their final hurrah with their activity. Whether it’s playing at the collegiate level or returning to help former teammates, plenty of seniors aren’t quite ready to end their time with the Patriots of Wheeling Park.
Senior team member of the speech and debate team, Anna Contraguerro, said, “I do not plan to say goodbye. I will ensure that my goodbye from this team is very short-lived. I plan to attend practice to give advice and to continue to assist further team members.”
“It was a bittersweet moment, but I think this year has really put it into perspective for me with me being able to pass the torch on to younger swimmers on the team. It’s been a really good experience and I’m excited to see what they can do next year and how they can make the team grow. As for me, I’m going to continue to swim at Fairmont State University,” said senior swim team member Molly George.
Senior member of robotics, Chris AlKhouri, said, “Although it will be different not being on the team, I don’t see this as a goodbye as I will continue to do things related to robotics, and I will keep connected to the friends I made in robotics.”
Speaking of continuing with an activity, 30 Wheeling Park seniors were surveyed about whether they’d continue at the collegiate level, as a hobby, or not at all. The following chart shows the summary of responses from those asked.
Overall, it’s clear that your last year with a team, club, or group of people is both the hardest and most rewarding.
“It’s been fun for my last year, but it’s also been sad because this is it. I’m gonna look back on it and remember all the good times I had here,” said senior robotics member Levi Henry.
Senior football player, track team, and strings member, Brennan Wack, said, “It’s definitely more special than other seasons because you’re kind of the main focus, everything is catered towards you, and you’re all over the internet. I just feel really comfortable with everything, and it’s a lot more enjoyable.”
This may be the end of the road for some seniors and their activities, and for others this may just be the beginning of a whole new level and adventure with it. No matter what you do or where you go, though, you will always be a Wheeling Park Patriot. In the wise words of Hannah Montana, “you’ll always find your way back home,” so never be a stranger, seniors!
