Danielle O’Malley, Sports Editor
@domalley_
As spring athletes are approaching mid-season, Senior Night is coming closer. The night where all teammates, coaches, parents and friends celebrate all the hard work and dedication the seniors have put into their sports these last four years. Senior Night is a way for the community to celebrate all the achievements these athletes have made in their time at the high school. To thank the senior mentors as they’ve helped develop the future of the program. To acknowledge the seniors who are the first to practice and the last to leave. No matter if they continue to play in college or if their athletic careers are ending, these seniors are leaving with a bang.
Ariel Levine, senior thrower and captain of the girls indoor track team, is proud that her hard work paid off by becoming captain. “It shows your determination because being a senior in track means you care a lot about the sport because you stuck with it,” she said.
Ariel also detailed how her senior season is different because she dealt with COVID during all four years at the high school. “Because of COVID, my freshman season wasn’t even a real season,” she said. “It’s finally gotten back to normal. What’s changed the most is that now we have our sense of leadership.”
Senior captain of the girls lacrosse team and former soccer player, Caroline Underwood, shared a similar sentiment. “Knowing that this is my last sports season at the high school feels unreal. I think because of COVID, high school sports have flown by,” she said. “As much as I don’t want them to be over, I know that I’ve made the most of the time I’ve had.”
“My method of leadership is by being an example.”
Caroline underwood, ’23
Danny Melzer, Head Coach of the boys basketball team, is thankful for senior leadership within his program. The team was led by eight seniors this past season, a primary reason for their improvement from years prior. “Being able to rely on seniors to demonstrate the values and beliefs of our program is an integral part of what we’re building,” he said. “This year’s seniors have been an excellent example of how seniors should approach basketball. They all put the team ahead of themselves, hold themselves accountable, and build a family environment where every person on the team is just as valuable as the next.”
According to sophomore runner Fifi Staron, seniors are great resources for advice. “The senior leaders are girls that will always be there to help me and give me advice. They feel like sisters to me,” she said. “When I am struggling in track and my captains see that, they always ask what’s wrong and if they can help. They also give me tips and corrections to help me work through my barriers.”
Leadership takes different forms, and differentiates one leader from the next. Ariel took her role as a leader in stride when she became a captain. “There are only two indoor track captains, and we both throw. One thing I try to do as a leader is get to know more of the runners and what their aspect of the sport is like,” she said.
Caroline has a different approach to her role as a leader. “My method of leadership is by being an example,” she said. “While other captains are more vocal, I lead by showing up on-time, working hard all practice, and treating my coaches and teammates with respect.”
Coach Melzer lets the seniors take control of the team by giving them a lot of power and responsibility. “We lean heavily on our seniors to take ownership of how we practice, compete, and play,” he said. “There are many times where we’ll ask them for their feedback and input in tough situations so we can have an open dialogue about overcoming those kinds of situations.”
Senior leadership is essential for the relationship between seniors and underclassmen. Fifi looks up to the seniors and the leadership they give to her and the team. “I’ve certainly been closer to some seniors than others, just because of what events I do, but I love being able to have a good example to look up to for my future,” she said.
Even more special is the relationship between seniors and coaches. “As we mature and get older, the coaches start to see us more as somebody to appreciate their input,” Ariel said. “At this point, a lot of the seniors know what they’re talking about and the coaches recognize that.”
“This year, my coaches look to me to communicate with the players and address any issues on the team,” Caroline said on her relationship with her coach. “They put more pressure on me and the other captains because they know that we can handle it. They have higher expectations for us, such as by making us responsible for setting the tone at practice and making sure people are on-time.”
Coach Melzer agrees with Ariel and Caroline. “When you coach kids for four years, you’ve got four years of relationships built in, so I’m usually very close with our seniors and have grown with them throughout their four years with the basketball program,” he said. However, he wants to prepare them for the real world. “I try to treat them like young men because they’re going to be going off to college and be on their own, and I want them to feel ready for that,” he said.
Senior seasons are spectacular and different from every other year of high school sports an athlete plays. Coach Melzer recognizes this: “We always tell our seniors that they’ll remember their senior seasons the rest of their lives. We want them to enjoy every minute because we know how fast it goes,” he said. “The other important thing we try to preach is to give everything you have, play with passion and confidence, and rely on each other. If they do those things every day, regardless of how many wins and losses we have, they’ll look back on their senior seasons, be proud, and have no regrets.”
Caroline looks to soak up every minute she has left on the lacrosse team. “I’ve been playing lacrosse with my teammates for many years now, so the fact that this is my last season is bittersweet,” she said.
When reflecting on her athletic career, Ariel is proud of the point that she reached.. “It is a culmination of all my hard work,” she said. “For the past four years, I haven’t been the best at my sport, and I didn’t always have a chance to go to all of the meets, but this season has shown my improvement. I’m proud of that.”
