When graduation is coming and you think of who will be graduating and what they will do next, you often wonder if they will also continue to do the things they have done all through high school. For example, playing sports is always on young people’s’ minds. Who played for a hobby, and who played because it is what they want to do for a career? Who has inspired them through the years, and how can a coach play a part in your career path?
Soccer is one of the most beloved sports in the US, mainly because it has simple rules to follow and you can play it anywhere. For graduating senior Yianni Nikolau, soccer has been a passion since an early age. When I asked how long he has been playing soccer and why he chose that sport, Yianni said, “I have been playing soccer since the fifth grade, and it really started at Doyon. I would play at recess with the other boys.” When asked if he plans to play soccer after graduation, he said, “Yes, at a D3 school hopefully, and if not, I will continue to play at an all-B school.” Yianni would be open to coaching someday and has had experience helping with that as he is captain of the boys’ varsity soccer team. He credits his dad and family as an inspiration and said that people he has met over the years have helped him to want to do bigger and better things and work hard to achieve his goals. I have a feeling we will be seeing a lot more of Yianni on the field in years to come.
From a coaching perspective, having the right coach to guide you with the choices you make can be very helpful to seniors. Coach Weagle of the girls’ varsity soccer team spoke to me about her journey throughout the years and how she helps her players figure out if they want to continue to play in college. “I have played soccer since I was 4 years old, I always had a lot of energy growing up, and also loved to play basketball.” I asked Coach Weagle how her teaching career has helped her as a coach- “I was a soccer player before I was a coach, and as a teacher, I try to use my teaching skills on the soccer field and vice versa.” Her role as a coach is to try to help her athletes figure out whether they want to continue playing after graduation. She hopes “her love for the game and enthusiasm for the sport can be passed on to her players.” Ms. Weagle had one piece of advice that she hopes all graduating athletes will take with them- “Enjoy the high school sports memories and times you spent with your best friends because it doesn’t last forever.”
According to the NCAA, only 7-8% of high school athletes play college sports, and only about 2% receive scholarships. There are many reasons why a high school athlete may not play in college, including the fact that college rosters for sports are smaller, or maybe the person just found other interests. Whatever this year’s seniors decide, I hope it makes them happy in their next chapter, I know I am curious to see where everyone ends up!
