As the fall sports conclude, students gather together for a recognition based assembly to honor those who stood out throughout their seasons on November 18. Several members of both the girls and boys varsity teams of softball, volleyball, football and cross country were recognized with three different awards. The Pillar Award is the athlete who contributes to the team the most, not always through games, but also behind the scenes. This recipient also shows the most spirit and is always there when someone needs a helping hand. The second award is the Academic Award. This is the student who has the highest GPA by the end of the season. The final award goes to the MPV of the team. This athlete contributed the most through games or competitions and was a big help to the success of the team. Senior Bryn Merritt, who was awarded the Pillar Award for volleyball, shares how she feels about being recognized as an important part of the team.
“It feels good. It’s nice to be recognized and see from a coach’s perspective all of the hard work that you put in for the sport that you love, and trying to be your best every day, and it’s nice that that was recognized,” said Merritt.
Students work all year to achieve personal goals. These goals can vary based on different sports. For example, getting a better batting average for softball or improving your hitting percentage for volleyball. For senior Sophie Pillar, the recipient of the Academic Award, these goals are more personal.
“Throughout the season, my best improvement was mentally improving because I started out well, but then there was a point in the season where I wasn’t performing how I wanted to in games,” said Piller. “I struggled sometimes, and I think that it was just the pressure of the crowd, but moving past that and realizing that it doesn’t define what kind of player I am really helped me perform well at the end of the season.”
Sports aren’t just about the wins or how well your team does. It requires a connection within the team, which leads to long-term friendships. Senior Lee Donahue, who received the Pillar Award for cross country, shares his favorite memory with the team from this season.
“Closer to the end of the year. We did our runs as a team, so that was pretty fun. We got to bond, play music, and run on the trails with each other, so that was pretty cool,” said Donahue.
When it comes to a sport, motivation and support are key. All of these fall sports are team-based, which requires a lot of encouragement and leadership throughout the season.
“My teammates motivate me and just support everyone together,” said Merritt. “The more together we are, the more of a family we become, and that’s what makes volleyball easier to play when it’s not individualistic. I also say Savvy [Palmer] did a good job motivating me. She plays soccer, and she would send me paragraphs, voice memos, and texts before and after the game.”
These awards cause players to reflect on the start of their seasons. The varsity volleyball team competed in and won the Battle of the Counties tournament at the beginning of their season, which included many schools from all the counties. This tournament showed their potential for the rest of the season and boosted the players’ confidence.
“At the very beginning of our season, when we won the Battle of the Counties,” said Pillar. “That was probably my favorite moment from the whole season, because we started off so strongly, and that really set the tone for how we wanted to succeed throughout our season. Also, the energy that we brought to that game was probably the most energy we brought to any game throughout the whole season.”
As Pillar described, their season relied on the energy and strength that their very first tournament provided for them. Each game is built on the game before. This is true for all sports, not just volleyball. Having a well-connected team plays a big role in success.
“It excites me for next year because I know our team was younger this year, and so we have a lot of people coming back, and it’s only going to get better,” said junior Finley Pilgrim, who was awarded with both the Academic and MVP awards for softball.
Many award recipients were seniors, meaning this was their last time getting to compete with their team. This allows next year’s athletes to learn from their peers and better their game as well as their leadership, and have a chance at achieving their own personal goals.
“Stick together and don’t get caught up in individual ways,” said Merritt. “Don’t look at people in a certain way, just play together and play with positivity, because that’s really what you’ll remember your senior year, how close you were, because we’ve never been this close with any team before.”