As summer vacation slowly advances, and the sports seasons approach their end, Townsend Harris senior athletes are faced with the somber reality that they will be participating in their final games and leading their teams for the last time. They are compelled to reminisce on the past seasons, the memories they made, and what it really means to be part of a team. For some, being on a team is defined by the close-knit bonds between teammates. Stephanie Loo, captain of the girls track team and rising freshman at University of Pennsylvania, explains, “I feel like a mother to these girls, being so invested in the team. I don’t think I’ve ever dedicated so much of myself to anything I’ve done.”

Fencing team captain Andy Yeung agrees that there is a certain familial bond within a team: “My team is my family, and they are the ones I can rely on, whether it’s getting a touch in a fencing match, or sharing my secrets and feelings.”

As for their futures, many of the senior team captains plan on continuing their sport in college. Daniel Yacar, captain of the boys soccer team, plans on playing Division 1.

Sierra Berkel’s passion for basketball will drive her to continue playing at Haverford College, saying, “I am continuing basketball in college because I love the sport and being a part of a team. I started playing basketball when I was about five, and my dream has always been to play at the next level. College is that level.”

Other captains intend to continue their sports even beyond college by passing on their love for their sport to the next generation.  Soccer captain Mateusz Chrobak said that he thinks it would be “fun to coach” in the future; girls soccer Captain Athina Mihaliadis hopes to expose her own children to soccer at a very young age.

“Hopefully when I am older and become a mother I can watch my children play or even coach their teams.”

Being on a team, playing, sweating, and laughing with the same people everyday forms an unbreakable connection. While their teams will miss them greatly, the graduating senior captains will serve their college teams with the same passion that they have  at THHS.