Bryan Lee
Bixby High School
Bixby, Oklahoma

As a senior in high school who plans to advance his athletic career at the collegiate level, I presumably understand the similarities between the two. Although I value my current circle of athletes, friends and coaches, and the stimulation of the high school environment, I will surely miss the habituation of the familiar into my daily routine. With swimming finishing my usual school schedule, I find comfort and repose settling into a rhythm that seems predictable, but also exciting with its unknown circumstances. Despite my journey into new educational territory, there is fleeting enjoyment in these familiar high school halls.

Jacqui Levine
Marlboro High School
Marlboro, New Jersey

High school soccer changed my life. I’ll miss the teammates and coaches who taught me more about life than I could’ve ever learned about soccer and the incredible feeling of getting back on the bus after a well-earned victory with 25 people who feel just as accomplished. Every day that goes by that I realize I’m no longer a high school athlete, the sadness grows, but I know I will have those fond memories forever.

Miles Wentzien
Fort Madison High School
Fort Madison, Iowa

My favorite part about being involved with high school sports is the relationships that are made. Playing high school sports forms very close relationships among teammates that may have never happened otherwise. These relationships are very unique. Throughout the season I spend nearly every day working with my teammates. I remember moments in practice when I felt that I couldn’t continue, or that I wasn’t strong enough to finish the drill. Then I looked over and saw the same exhausted expression on my teammate’s face, and at that moment a bond was formed. We knew that we could make it through anything, as long as we came together as a team. That feeling is what I will miss most about high school sports.

Zoie O’Neal
Clear Spring High School
Clear Spring, Maryland

There are many things that I will miss from my high school athletic career: the spirit of competition, the excitement that builds on game day, the endless encouragement from my coaches, and the satisfaction of knowing that the hard work has paid off after a win. All of these have made my high school athletic career the best it could be. But, most importantly, it is my teammates who I will miss the most. We support each other on and off the court; we win, lose, laugh and cry together. We are more than just a team – we are a family!