Reflecting on their high school experiences, senior athletes agree that playing sports made a positive impact on their lives, and allowed them to grow and develop as people.
High school sports provide an incomparable experience for student athletes, giving them something to count on each day. Senior Austin Mischel has played three sports over the course of his high school career and feels strongly that sports kept him on the right path.
“It was a huge impact, not only did it keep me out of a lot of trouble, it always gave me something to do,” Mischel said. “It gave me a set routine and made it hard to be lazy. Gaining a connection with all your players and creating this bond that you really can’t compare to any other type of thing outside of sports.”
Prior to his high school experience, Mischel had not realized his passion for soccer, though he was able to blossom during his three years on varsity.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my coaches, BA, Theo, Cummins, and Crawley,” Mischel said. “Originally soccer was not my favorite sport but they made it fun and brought out the best in me.”
Seniors Libby Kaiser and Erin Friesen also unfolded their love for soccer over the past four years.
“I’m going to look back and miss belonging to a group,” Friesen said. “I’m going to miss the little moments I had with my friends and the feeling of being a part of something.”
Kaiser believes that her high school experience would not have been as memorable without her participation on the soccer team.
“I have made lifelong friends and memories through the sport,” Kaiser said. “Since girls soccer is in the spring, it was almost as if it were motivation for me to get through the school year strong in order to reach the season that I looked forward to each year.”
The girls soccer team grew incredibly close, maintaining the same core of players in recent years.
“We’re all there for each other one thousand percent, and you can clearly tell if we’re in a fight because it shows on the field,” senior soccer player Marissa Turkin said.
For the team, high school sports provided a community, something that they could count on, and people whom they could trust.
“Playing soccer started me out with a solid group of friends,” Friesen said. “It definitely got me to be more outgoing and involved in the school.”
For senior Ben South, playing three years of varsity baseball molded his work ethic and gave him something to look forward to every day.
“It’s a job day-in and day-out but it’s always fun,” South said. “It really gave me a purpose going through high school.”
South has signed to continue his baseball career next year at Rhodes College and said that he is excited to move forward and begin a new chapter of his baseball life.
“I wouldn’t have created the sense of discipline I have and the sense of accomplishment that I’ve created over the past couple years,” South said. “I just want to continue my career and high school baseball really prepared me.”
Senior Eric Ballesteros also feels that sports altered his work ethic. Running cross country, Ballesteros committed himself to his team and enabled his determination to grow.
“I’d say it made me more of a hard worker in different aspects of my life,” Ballesteros said.
Being together so often gave Ballesteros and his teammates the chance to bond and create friendships that may last far beyond high school.
“The best things were Saturday runs, because they were always long runs but that was time where you were able to hang out with your teammates and really get to know them,” Ballesteros said.
