With the second semester underway, senior year is almost over. Senior student athletes look back at the time they have had with their teams at Woodgrove. These students have to learn how to balance their sports and schoolwork. Being on a sports team teaches valuable lessons and also allows athletes to build cherished relationships with teammates and coaches. Trying out for sports and being on a team as an underclassmen can be intimidating. Senior athletes from Woodgrove share their words of advice to freshman from their experience being part of a team.
Senior Emily Tran, runs cross country and track. She shares her experience being a varsity athlete all four years of high school. “When you do a sport, particularly if you do it for multiple years, you’re bound to run into obstacles that you have to overcome. While these experiences can be tough, you often learn from them.” For freshmen, Tran’s advice is to go one day at a time. Tran explains “When you stop worrying about the future and address things in the moment, it can really help.” This helps combat becoming too overwhelmed and eventually burning out. Tran also stresses the importance of how her sport helps her have a place to destress. “It’s hard to worry about assessments or whatever when you’re focused on doing something else like a workout or drill. Having that place to take a break from school is really beneficial,” Tran states.
Staying motivated during the academic third quarter slump can be hard. With tryouts, it is difficult to keep up with the busyness of school and sports. Senior swimmer, Griffin Koester, recommends for underclassmen to keep an end goal in mind to stay encouraged. “Third quarter is usually a struggle and requires a lot of grit, so stay focused on what you need to do to get where you want to be.” Sports can be intimidating, especially as a freshman trying something new. “Try out something you enjoy and don’t be afraid of hard work,” Koester recommends.
Even if being on a team seems overwhelming, it can be very rewarding. Meeting new people, trying new things, and being active, helps you stay motivated to combat stress. Though seniors are leaving soon, their memories and accomplishments will stay with them forever.
