There is nothing like team sports and when your senior season comes to a close, it will all become a distant memory that you will never stop missing. You’re lucky because you are going to be a whole lot better off than any non-athlete because of the lessons that sports have taught you. So thank your parents, your coaches, your teammates, your siblings, and anyone who has inspired you to become the athlete you are today and work hard your last season for each of them, but most importantly make sure you are giving it your all so that the little kid that started back in kindergarten can be proud of what they became. The end of senior year hit me abruptly, and there is a lot I wish I was told to prepare for the end to this chapter of my life.

1. This is the end.

No matter how much you are trying to avoid the inexplicably painful thought, it’s inevitable. This is the last time you tie up your cleats before you hang them up.

2. Practice can be so much fun.

Working and joking with your teammates and coaches will always brighten your day. The best laughs you’ll have in high school are when your coach tries to demonstrate a penalty kick, but instead slips and falls on his back.

3. You will never have another bond quite like the one with your teammates.

They are the ones that go through it all with you. Everything from the painful losses to the exciting wins to the four hour conditioning practices that you experience with your teammates, no one will ever understand those feelings better than them. In season, they become your best friends, who you spend the most time with and who you tell everything to. Cherish that relationship and never take its authenticity for granted.

4. Losses inspire wins.

No one likes to lose. It’s that competitive fire that is so admirable in all athletes. However, never drop your head after a loss, instead realize that the agony of that defeat is what is going to drive you to work hard towards your next victory. A failure is never a failure unless you give up afterwards. Forcing your failure to lead you to your next victory is what sports are all about.

5. There’s nothing more exciting than pregame rituals.

Whether you are the one that sings all the words to “We Will Rock You” or you are the one clapping to the beat against the lockers with everyone else, it gets you hyped up. Being loud and embarrassing, replicating all of the words from Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” is a way to bond with your teammates and get ready for the game and there’s no other silly tradition quite like it.

6. Pasta dinners are the best meal you’ll ever have.

Let’s face it. You look forward to the weekly meals where pots are filled to the brim with pasta and red sauce and each underclassmen assigned a different dessert to bring. There’s nothing like eating with all of your teammates to get you pumped for the next big game.

7. You’ll wind up hating your coaches

It’s inevitable. They’ll bench you for a few games, critique you too harshly, or just get on your damn nerves.

8. But then you’ll love them again.

You’ll realize that after four years you’ve developed such a close bond with them and that they are only ever looking out for your and the team’s best interest

9. It is worth it to miss every party you will miss.

And trust me, there will be a lot. It always seems that the Fridays where practice ends at 4 and you are ready for the night, there are no plans; but, the practices that go until 10:30 always happen to be the nights where there’s a huge party. Regardless, don’t ever think twice about which place you would rather be at. Although it may not seem like it at the time, the answer is always at practice. The dedication your teammates and coaches have for always picking practice above anything else is a special commonality that will bring you all together and always keep you close. Plus, what’s a party without you anyway?

10. Time management will prepare you for college.

When school ends at 3pm and practices or games can occupy you until sometimes 8pm, it is very hard to get all of your school work done. The key is to learn how to manage your time. To balance academics, sports, and a social life. Without even noticing, you'll get this skill down to a tee (simply because you have to) and it will benefit you so much in the future.

11. There is no greater feeling than winning.

Whether it’s a conference game against your biggest rivals, a state sectional game, or a meaningless independent game: winning is by far the most satisfying feeling you will ever experience.

12. Enjoy every last second.

That’s right, enjoy every single piece of it. The hours of conditioning when you don’t think you can run any longer, the 6am wake ups when you feel nauseous from being so tired, and the routine of giving up your entire day when you are in season to devote it to your team.