Dear High School Athlete,
Never again will I make a basket in my home gym. Never again will I swing a bat or field a ball on the diamond. Never again will I score a goal on that field next to the pond. Ok well maybe not never again, but I will never do these things with the same teammates, gymnasiums, fields and diamonds as I once did. That is why I want to encourage current high school athletes to enjoy it while they can.
Now that it is over I wish I had taken the time to step back and be thankful for how blessed I've been to be able to play on so many great teams with so many great teammates over my high school athletic career. I acknowledge now what did not back then. I was always so caught up in the present, worrying if we could beat the next team that we played or why I didn't play better that night, but I never actually appreciated how much fun I was having while I played those sports.
Back then, you would never think that you would miss those grueling practices, long bus rides, or sore nights after games. But those are something that you end up missing the most. Those things that you once "hated" were what made you a better player. Without them, you would have never had those unforgettable moments like your game-winning shot, that walk-off hit and those dog piles with your teammates after a big win. Moments like that are the reason to savor all the time you have as a high school athlete because before you know it those torn up soccer cleats will be thrown away, the news articles written about you will yellow and crumble and the banners you helped hang in your gym will be just a memory.
Soon enough it will be your Senior game. They will announce your name, and your parents will walk you down the field one last time before smothering you with flowers and hugs. Family and friends will be in the stands cheering for you in your last home game as a high schooler. You will play your heart out one last time for those loyal fans that have been there cheering for you ever since you began playing varsity sports. You can only hope to give them one more win at home before you hand in your jersey for the final time.
As much as you may dread it, the time will come and the buzzer will sound at the end of your final game. The tears will be rolling down your cheeks and the other seniors will be crying along with you. The underclassmen will come up to you and hug you, but they won't understand what you're feeling. Your high school career is over, just like that. It was something you thought would never end. You can even remember your first game so clearly. But in reality, it goes by in the blink of an eye and you're left without the jersey and just the memories.
I personally can say that it is one of the hardest things you'll do, watching your old team lace up and play without you while you're stuck in the crowd as a spectator. Soon enough you all will be getting a job or going to college and high school sports with just be a distant memory. I would give anything to have one more season to play with the same teams and teammates again, but my time has passed. But luckily for you, yours hasn't. So the next time you step out onto the court or field for your game, take the time to take it all in and really enjoy it because it will be over before you know it.
Thank you for the memories,
Curtis Seaman
