While being a senior means getting first pick in everything, it also comes with responsibility and expectation, which not everyone is prepared for. It means setting an example for everyone else and leading a team of diverse personalities. It means encouraging one’s team to keep pushing even when it gets hard. But it also means passing down the responsibility on to the next. While being a senior can be challenging and stressful, it can also be rewarding to have such a significant impact on younger teammates and peers. Whether it’s a club, a sanctioned sport, or even just having a mentor to teach the rules and expectations, it makes younger students feel less thrown into high school activities. However, mentors and leaders play essential roles in the school and all its activities.
Being a leader isn’t always easy, but it’s rewarding to be the person the team can depend on, who builds everyone up and off the court, who teaches them to be confident even after a loss, and who sets an example of what a leader should look like. On the volleyball team, all the upperclassmen have a different role. Libero, Paige Johnson plays a huge role in leading everyone on the court, and Grace Whalen keeps everyone focused and prepared as the setter. At the same time, the other veteran players keep them pumped and ready. All the seniors want everyone to succeed and will push them towards their goal.
Braelin Wieseler, senior, is a leader of the varsity volleyball team. Although Wieseler doesn’t start, she plays an important role in maintaining the positivity on and off the court. She said, “I’m not always on the court in my position, so I really just try to focus on bringing everyone up when I’m on the court and then continuing that on the bench.” Wieseler feels pressure to be there for her team, even when she isn’t playing her best games. It can be hard to push others to be confident and believe in themselves when one is struggling with that personally. Wieseler sees the potential of great team leaders in her younger teammates and is playing a crucial role in helping them there.
Taylor Kriegel, freshman, sees the effort of the upperclassmen to lead them, from taking the time to talk and connect with them, to showing them what a leader should be. Kriegel said, ”One of the things that definitely helped me was the setting training before practices.” At these trainings, the seniors took the time to talk and get to know their younger teammates. Kriegel said of Whalen, “She tries to connect with everyone and lets them know, ‘Hey, it’s okay, you got the next one.’” Kriegel said she feels some pressure to push and uplift her teammates. She also stated that in her position, people have to be leaders, even if they don’t have those qualities. She believes that her position is helping her become more prepared to help lead her team.
Both Kriegel and Wiesleler have played for many years and have seen the impacts of having upperclassmen help lead. It has a huge impact on a team, from creating trust to simply having a mentor to push and support younger teammates. Many students remember the juniors and seniors who showed them what a leader should be and what they shouldn’t be, and who introduced them to the idea of leading a team. These positive mentors are immensely important and deserve recognition.
