As the years pass, every high school sports team sees its members grow and improve. Many athletes join their sports teams as freshmen and continue playing through their senior year, dedicating hours to practicing and playing with their team. When these athletes reach the last game of their last season, many teams honor their accomplishments they have earned throughout high school with a tradition known as senior night.
While the specific traditions of senior night vary from team to team, the general idea remains the same. At the end of their last game, usually the last home game, the team comes together to congratulate the seniors and to say their goodbyes.
“Every program — girls, guys, baseball, soccer, football — does it [differently],” FHS sports coach and former soccer player Saul Chavez said. “It’s all up to the coach. [My coaches] gave us flowers, goodie bags [and] a soccer ball.”
Although coaches often decide what happens during a senior night, the players themselves often shape how the night goes. In some teams, the underclassmen make gifts, create signs and show up to celebrate.
“I helped orchestrate senior night, even though I’m a senior,” FHS senior and varsity tennis player Kayne Wong said. “I had some [members of the team] do posters for all of the seniors, [we] brought pizza and I had someone bring some snacks and food for the seniors.”
Senior nights can often be an emotional time for senior athletes. After all, it marks the end of a meaningful period in their lives. It is also a transition out of high school sports. The senior night game itself is just like any other, although seniors usually get more gameplay. Every person experiences senior night differently, but the same feelings and emotions are evoked.
“I think it’s a mix of emotions for everybody,” Chavez said. “You’re happy that you’re getting recognized, happy that it’s your last year [and] happy you’re going out with a big celebration. It’s also sad because you’re realizing it’s the last time you get to play with the school, the last time you ever get to play with your friends [or] to be as a group. You’re happy that you’re leaving, but you’re sad that you’re leaving.”
No matter what the sport is, an athlete’s journey as they grow and learn throughout their high school years cannot be understated. In the end, even though some seniors may never have the opportunity to play their respective sport again, the lessons they learned and their progress will always stay with them.
“It’s a good way to go out,” Chavez said. “Sometimes the season can go bad, but just having that recognition of being able to play, having a couple of things said about you, it’s great. It feels good.”
