Four years of a sport can bring many different adventures, but most of all, it creates new friendships. By the time the seniors graduate, they have forged unbreakable bonds with their teammates. Teams must prepare for the absence of captains and role models, while the graduates prepare to say goodbye to their favorite underclassmen.
“The seniors definitely have an impact on the coachability of the team. The seniors are the ones who make sure we actually do the workout if our coach isn’t there. They make sure the underclassmen aren’t just goofing off,” junior track and field athlete Micah Principe said.
Losing team players can even be challenging for the coaches. Captains and seniors are the leaders of the team when the coaches aren’t around. They call the shots. However, by losing the seniors, a little bit of the team’s wisdom goes away. It becomes the juniors job to bring order to the team and make sure everyone stays on track.
“When the seniors graduate and the season starts up again next year, it becomes harder for the workouts to be done,” junior track and field athlete Max Daugherty said. “Usually the incoming seniors step up. We’ll start leading the warmups and help the coaches by keeping people on task.”
When seniors graduate, the dynamic of a team often shifts, forcing younger players to adjust to new leadership roles. It can be difficult at first to stay motivated when familiar leaders are gone, but it also creates opportunities for growth and accountability within the team. The responsibility of maintaining team standards often falls on returning athletes, who must learn to adapt quickly.
“On the track team, the dynamics are the best it’s ever been. I remember my freshman and sophomore year and not everybody knew each other and there weren’t that many upperclassmen,” senior Connor Jackson said. “But I think the track team right now is really diverse in terms of grade levels, and we all get along super well.”
Many athletes reflected on former upperclassmen who influenced their experience, using those lessons to guide how they lead and support their own teams. The presence of strong senior leadership often helps younger athletes adjust more quickly to the demands of their sport. These upperclassmen set an example, not only through their skills, but also through how they treated and encouraged newer team members. Their willingness to include freshmen in team culture helps build confidence and creates a more positive environment from the start.
“When I was a freshman, I always looked up to Olivia Valente, Chloe Edmonson, and Libby DeCero, who were seniors at the time,” senior Maya Nicholson said. “They made me feel welcome right away and made cheer feel fun instead of intimidating.”
Although saying goodbye is never easy, the impact of those graduating athletes continues long after they leave. The traditions, the values, and friendships they helped build carry on through the underclassmen who once looked up to them. In this way, each season becomes part of something bigger, as every group of seniors leaves behind a legacy that shapes the future of the team.
