As the year is coming to an end, and graduation is around the corner, people are beginning to realize how fast the four years fly by. I look back and remember freshman year soccer being one of the craziest experiences with four freshman and sixteen seniors on the varsity team. It wasn’t until the other day that I realized that now I get why graduates always tell freshmen, “These past years will fly by”.
One of my favorite things about Malden High School is the athletics. Being a two sport varsity athlete all four years is something I hold close to my heart. The captains practices at 6 am in the burning sun, the beach practices where you almost burn your feet off, four day tryouts that cause you to never have a Memorial Day weekend at the beach, the bus rides home from away games where there’s a battle to see who knows the lyrics to Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love” better; these are all my favorite memories aside from the actual competing in athletics at MHS.
Truth is, no matter if you play college or club athletics, nothing will be the same compared to high school athletics. Even if your team isn’t 16-0-0, you learn lessons that you take away from the field. You learn how to get along with people that you would normally dislike for a common interest, you learn how to get over a tough loss, you learn the definition of what it truly means to be humble- to not brag about your successes. But honestly, that’s what’s great about high school sports; as good as you are, you’re still expected to balance athletics with schoolwork and a social life. No one gets special treatment, and by that you grow as a person.
So to the senior high school athlete, look at how you’ve grown over the past four years, how not only on the field but as a person you’ve changed and overcame adversity due to athletics being in your life. And to any other high school athlete, don’t take anything for granted Appreciate the grueling workouts, the team bonding pasta parties, and even the sleepless nights after a game where you need to stay up to do homework; it’s all going to be worth it in the end. High school is about learning from your mistakes and experiences
Don’t take for granted the coaching and the advice given to you because the majority of the time you’ll need it in your next years. Every loss makes you stronger and every win makes you realize that there is still room for improvement.
If you ask any of the seniors that played sports in high school about the memories they made, they will tell you that they will be with them a whole lot longer than their actual record will be.
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