Although many senior student-athletes will continue their sports in college, some won’t, and either way, many of them talk about leaving a legacy behind for younger teammates to follow after they move on, Sequoit Media reports, the student newspaper at Antioch Community High School in Antioch, Illinois.
Staff reporters Dylan Lampert and Joe Karolewicz talked with three current seniors: Nico Chiapetta from the football team, Kat Barr from the girls’ volleyball team, and RJ Vazquez from the boys’ soccer team.
Referring to his senior year, Mr Chiapetta said, “I’m pretty sad about it, because I’m not going to be playing sports in college, and this is my last year to give it all I’ve got. … I’m a captain, and I want to be a leader. We want to go far, undefeated like last year.”
Ms Barr said she was excited to keep playing volleyball after high school but that her senior year was bittersweet.
“We have a lot of really talented people on the team,” she said. “Hopefully we will pull up and be the leaders for everybody, so we can set an example of how we want the program to go after we’re gone. Especially the young talent that’s on our team is going to move on and be really good—after we’re gone, too, but this season, I’m hoping for a regional championship.”
They all look forward to their upcoming challenges in moving on to college.
“It’s kind of upsetting, because high school is a fun time to get to be with all your friends,” Mr Vazquez said. “After high school sports, I do want to play soccer in college; I’m still looking into that, talking to college coaches, and stuff like that.”
