By Paityn Tabor ’23
Managing Editor and Sports Editor
With only a few short weeks left in the semester, senior athletes have begun to set their sights on life after college. While this time is both exciting and nerve-wracking, it is also a period of much reflection and nostalgia. Upon looking back on their athletic careers here at the College, many seniors are just now beginning to realize the all-encompassing role sports have played in their lives.
Our current senior athletes have faced much adversity the past four years, including the pandemic and due to this, some of their time as collegiate student-athletes was cut short. However, COVID-19 taught this group the true value of resilience and finding the importance in making each moment count. When asked the biggest piece of advice they would give to younger athletes, many seniors responded with the same answer: to relish each moment because time does not wait for anyone.
“Treat every day like a gift,” explained cross country and track runner Matthieu Norcross ’22. “It is hard to do this in the moment because some days you just don’t want to be at practice, but as you get older, you realize you come to love practice and the time you spend with the team. Enjoy the sport and all that comes with it because by the end, you’ll wish you had more time.”
Another aspect of being a college athlete is the way in which a person’s role on a team changes throughout their four years. Typically, individuals come in as shy first-years and after a few years they learn how to spread their wings and leave ready to take on the world and everything it throws their way.
“Being a teammate has taught me how to be a leader, but also how to listen and be there for others,” said Julia Larson ’22, who is a member of the women’s soccer team. “As I grew from a first-year to a senior, it was exciting to take on different roles as a teammate and take the lessons I learned from my role models and then be able to help the girls younger than me.”
Regardless of whether one plays an individual sport or a team sport, teamwork is a vital component to creating a positive culture. However, understanding this term in its entirety will impact a person long after their athletic days are over and help them in all endeavors.
“The most essential lesson I have learned is the value of teamwork,” explained Kobee Marion ’22, who played on both the football and basketball teams. “People can accomplish a lot on their own, but there is strength in numbers. When you are unafraid to seek guidance and support, the results are usually better.”
Being a part of a team has done much more than teach our athletes about the importance of teamwork and working with others. The team component of sports has allowed our athletes to delve deeper into themselves as individuals and become the best versions of who they are, as well.
“Being a teammate has made me a more considerate person,” said Connor Keast ’22, who is a member of the men’s soccer team. “Learning about where my other teammates are from and their culture really opened up my mind. Being from the Midwest, I never really had that type of exposure to other cultures and ways of life until I was connected with them through college athletics.”
Athletes here at the College have been able to use their sport as a way to not only achieve success on the field, but also as a way to help them flourish into the people they will become. While they will remember and cherish their time here, senior athletes are leaving with full hearts ready to embrace what is next.
