Senior year is full of amazing big moments like graduation pictures, prom, and for many senior athletes, their last varsity game, match or competition. Seniors are also leaders on many teams, so having a team full of good senior role models can be inspirational to the younger athletes and can often encourage talented underclassmen to work harder to make the varsity team.

Varsity teams with a majority of senior athletes allow all seniors to enjoy their last year of high school competing against athletes in their grade and age level. Playing on the same team with some of the same people can be a way to get close to them since they see each other so much during games and practice.

“I’ve been playing with most of [the girls varsity basketball team members] since elementary school, so we’re all super close and I think the underclassmen we play with are amazing since they are great for our team,” senior Jordan Mosley said.

For many athletes, it is their goal to make a varsity sport their first year of high school.

“It was always my hope to get to play high school basketball I didn’t initially care which team it was, I just wanted to play, but it was really great to get to play high level basketball,” said senior Lucy Robinson.

A team’s success is measured by its’ season record and overall number of victories, yet winning is only a minor part of success. Success alone does not make a team great until it is paired with effective coaching. A strong coach-athlete relationship is important not only for the athlete’s growth as a positive, ethical and moral person, but for the team’s performance as a whole.

“I think our coach expects a lot from us in a good way, I think she knows our potential and she knows how much we can improve,” senior Maya Srinivasan,said.

Sports are a great thing. They teach real life lessons, they create bonds that will last forever, and they give you incredible moments that you will never forget. As the high school year begins to wrap up and seniors prepare for the next chapter of their lives, they will always be able to look back to their four years of high school and think about all of the great times.

“I think that being on varsity we practice a lot so you get to grow really close to all your teammates it also pushes you. I feel that I have grown not only as a player but also as a leader on and off the court,” Srinivasan said.