As we move into the final quarter of the school year, our Seniors continue to experience their ‘lasts’; the last concert, the last game, the last school dance, the last day of high school. After 24 years of sending off other people’s kids, this year my daughter is one of our graduating Seniors at Traverse City West.
I’ve taken a lot of mental notes over the years of what adults say and prioritize as Seniors wrap up, both good and bad. As Avery finished her final sports season in March, I wrote her a long note to let her know why I am proud of her as this chapter ends. Here’s a condensed version of what I wrote to Avery for you to consider as our parents, coaches and staff send off another group of Seniors:
Avery's “organized sports” career wrapped up last week, and I'm so proud of her. I'm grateful she had all of the experiences we hoped for over these years that will prepare her as she moves on to the more important parts of life. She made great friendships and had some fun wins. School teams and activities help students learn the balance of working interdependently with teammates and supporting them, while simultaneously competing with them for roles. Beyond the wins and relationships, she also experienced close losses, 6 a.m. workouts, long road trips, moving both directions on the depth chart, adversity, advocacy and resilience. I’ve always believed youth sports are really just an elaborate hoax to help kids learn adult skills they wouldn’t otherwise be interested in during their teens – skills that will help increase their likelihood for success and help them learn how to deal with and move past failure. For 6-7 of the 10 years Avery played basketball, she was the smallest person on the team. As she worked hard, she “passed” a lot of teammates and kept a spot on the team. When her freshman season was delayed due to COVID, she dribbled hours a day in the basement. Avery went from the kid who hoped to make the team and sit on the bench, to a starter – to a kid who got moved up a level, to being a captain, to the kid who lost her starting spot Senior year to an up and coming sophomore. She played during a phase in which we had three varsity coaches in four years at our school; all with very different philosophies and expectations. I’m actually very glad it was “messy” and Avery had all of those experiences. In the end it’s not about who’s all-conference or all-state or how many trophies are won; the real wins are in the years that come next. Thanks to everyone who coached these girls over the years and everyone who supported them. I hope this crew stays connected with each other in the decades to come. Titans Forever. Go West!
By Joe Esper, Traverse City West Senior High School Principal and MASSP Region 2 Board of Directors Representative