Senior Joey Clinton, who has played soccer since he was seven, ended his career at the end of the season.
Clinton said one thing he has learned from soccer was teamwork.
The thing he will miss most about soccer is playing the game, he said.
Clinton said it’s upsetting, but there’s nothing he can do about it. He said soccer is hard work, but if you really want to play it keep playing it and you’ll get better.
To some athletes, the end of a season could mean the end of a sport.
Mark Lentz, athletic director, said that the end of the season is especially sad to some upperclassmen who have spent a lot of time and effort into the sport, but might not play it for a team again.
Freshmen are different, they still have three years to play the sport they love and to improve on what they’ve learned, said Lentz.
Senior Emily Prothe, after running cross country for four years, will not run after high school, because she feels cross country would interfere with her nursing degree.
She said it’s sad this being her last year, but she gained some great experiences in cross country and has grown as an individual.
“If you think you want to do cross country but you’re afraid, just go for it anyway,” said Prothe. “There are so many people who don’t know what they can really do and cross country can help you find your boundaries,” she said.
“The end of the season is sad because it means there are fewer games left in my career,” said junior Rich Ryckert.
Ryckert has no intentions of playing in college so his last game in high school will be his last game on a team.
Freshman Katelyn Bell enjoyed her first year of volleyball in the high school.
“I’m definitely playing next year, volleyball is my No. 1 favorite sport,” said Bell
Athletes agreed that teams did the best they could do this year.
Lentz said that Paola sets high expectations for all teams and all of the teams met those expectations.
Ryckert said the football team did very well considering the two game losing streak in the beginning.
Bell said that not only did the whole volleyball team improve, they also bonded.
Lentz said that the future is bright with the improvements in the new soccer players.
The cross country team went to state, where the girls’ team placed sixth and boys’ team placed seventh.