Seniors reflect on the spring sports season

By Daalny Meyer, Reporter

The closing of the spring sports season marks the end of an era for graduating seniors. Seniors who have participated in soccer, tennis, baseball, track, and softball begin to wrap up their final seasons of high school and reflect on the season and years past.

Boys soccer player Teo Eckhardt started playing soccer about twelve years ago, when his parents signed him up.

“It has become so much of a routine in my life that I’ve never really thought of stopping,” he said.

After playing for so many years, Eckhardt is proud of this last season at VHS.

“This season was like many others except that I knew it was going to be my last playing with most, if not all, of my teammates,” Eckhardt said. “the thing I am most proud of is that I gave this season my all.”

Eckhardt will miss the team culture and the environment of Vashon soccer.

“My favorite memory is doing things as a team, whether it is traveling or playing or anything [else],” he said. “I will definitely miss playing with the people I have grown up with and the people who have watched us at VHS.”

Eckhardt is planning on playing intramural soccer at Colorado School of Mines, and is considering trying out for the varsity team during his sophomore year. He would recommend boys soccer at VHS to younger students.

“I would definitely encourage younger students to try soccer, especially now that we have [the] BVB club on Vashon,” Eckhardt said.

Nicola Becker originally started doing track at VHS during her freshman year to stay in shape between soccer seasons. However, she ended up loving the sport.

“Being able to rely on myself for my individual events but coming together as a team for relays was fun to experience,” Becker said.

Becker had some difficulties at the beginning, but ended up enjoying the season.

“This season started a bit rough. [I got] shin splints almost immediately, which really affected my jumping events,” Becker said. “After it got better the season picked up and I had a great time seeing myself and the team improve.”

Thinking back, Becker is proud of her improvements over the last two seasons. She won league and districts for some events, qualified for state in two events, and earned 7th place in Washington State for high jump. She also enjoyed the team culture and atmosphere.

“My favorite memory of track has to be the bus rides to our meets, the music and [the] friends made the long drives worth it,” Becker said. “I will definitely miss the atmosphere that my team has created and brought to our meets. We are proportionally smaller than a lot of the other teams but still manage to win a lot of meets.”

Becker will be attending the University of California in Santa Cruz after high school. While she doesn’t have plans to continue track, does intend to continue running and treasures her time on the team at VHS.

“I had the amazing opportunity as a team captain to mentor and teach some of the middle school track athletes skills that they are excited to implement in their events,” Becker said. “This team and group of people are full of energy and spirit and welcomed me wholeheartedly, something I am very grateful for.”

Lola Kuyper started playing softball when she was very young, beginning to play T-Ball when her parents put her in and began coaching her. She continued playing after finding it fun and rewarding to improve.

After many players graduated last year, this season was more challenging for the team.

“This season was very rough as we had a super young team with less experienced girls,” Kuyper said.

“[But] I am proud of my improvement and our league championship last year.”

After getting to play with the team she’d been with since elementary school during her junior year, Kuyper will miss the team culture.

“I will miss how practice was always fun, and making friends with your teammates that you were not close with before,” Kuyper said.

Kuyper does not have plans to continue playing softball after high school, save for recreationally this summer, but would encourage younger students to try softball out.

“I would encourage people to play,” Kuyper said. “I help out with the younger girls’ team and see their excitement and improvement.”