Student athletes dedicate four years of their lives to the sport they love not only to improve their own skills, but also to help their team as a whole. Eventually, senior year comes around and students play their last games and compete in their last meets, meaning it is time to hang up the old Columbia blue Yorktown uniform. Senior Night includes many traditions, varying from sport to sport, but all of them share the common appreciation for their senior athletes’ dedication to their teams

While the gymnastics team may only have had two seniors this year, Senior Night was still incredibly important to everyone in the Yorktown Gymnastics community.

“The seniors have to prepare a speech about them for when they are being recognized. The speech talks about what they did in high school and what they plan to do after they leave high school. The underclassmen make t-shirts for the entire team, and the whole team wears them the day of Senior Night,” said senior Sophie Zidlicky.

Zidlicky’s Senior Night was not what she was expecting, but she still loved every second of it.

“The most memorable part of my Senior Night was having it at Washington-Lee due to snow. It was a little upsetting not to be able to compete at home for the last time, but it was still a lot of fun. It was really nice to get all the attention. It feels good to be recognized for all your hard work,” said Zidlicky.

Along with gymnastics, the baseball team also goes above and beyond to show their appreciation for their seniors.

“Each year the seniors get presents from their teammates and coaches and this year we got our own personalized baseball bats with our names engraved in them. It was all more than I could have imagined. I always had a general stereotype of what I imagined my Senior Night would be, but this year I was truly shocked and felt more proud than I ever had when playing for my school,” said senior Jake Allen.

Senior Night is a time to honor the seniors for all of their hard work, but it is also an emotional time– it is the last home high school game the students will ever play.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling. Although I am excited to be moving forward with my life into adulthood, I will always miss my days on the baseball field with teammates I’ve spent my whole time playing with,” said Allen.

Senior Shelby McDavid plays both field hockey and soccer, and was fortunate enough to experience two Senior Nights, each of which had their own special traditions.

“For soccer it is tradition to get a monogrammed ring as a present. When you are called out on to the field for soccer, a statement that you have prepared for the team is read out loud. For field hockey, our coach writes something about the kind of player we are and how we made the season a positive experience,” said McDavid.

No matter the sport, Senior Night is always a night to remember, and worth all of the planning put into it.

“Both of my Senior Nights were so special and amazing. The underclassmen went above and beyond and made it a completely memorable experience. I am so grateful for them and all the hard work,” said McDavid.