Last Hurrahs and Fresh Starts

 Senior year of high school is quite a journey where you are looking to the future with all the college applications even as each day, week, and month, seems to be wrapping something from the past. In the fall, soccer took center stage in that department for Callie.

Who knew fourteen years ago when we had to convince this little girl that her legs weren't too tired to go on the field that she would fall in love with the sport and pour her full self into it. From the Sting in LYSA to her senior year at Henry Clay was quite a journey. Both Callie and her parents had no clue back then how much she would be rewarded for staying with this beautiful game. 

 

Yes, this is the same girl holding a soccer ball all these years later. The field is bigger and so is the goal, but that is the same kid. This year marks her fourth year on varsity and her second year as captain, and we all were looking forward to see what the season would bring for her and for the team. But each game played was going to be one step closer to the final match in a Blue Devils uniform.

 

But Callie was not alone in this venture. In fact, some of her senior teammates had been on this journey with her since elementary school. This picture here captures Callie, Lydia, Addie, and Maddie from a tournament during the epic season with the LFC Gray team, when the girls were only 12 years old and endured a season of challenges and lessons to last a lifetime.

 

But they all grew up and six years later they were still together playing soccer and enjoying their senior year. Each one took a different path to get there but when all was said and done they recognized how special it was to have been a part of it together.

 

And they were just four members of a large senior class that had eleven girls overall. One of these girls, Janie, was on the Sting with Callie so their soccer journey goes all the way back to the very beginning. Others she got to play with only in high school but has a lot of good memories with all of them. It was quite a crew that gathered for a dinner hosted by the Stones and we are going to miss many of the parents as this season marks their last with Henry Clay.

 

For four years we witnessed, helped organize, and announced the senior night activities for the girls soccer team. It was a little surreal that it was now Callie's turn. The night was a bit rainy, but thankfully it held off for pre-game pictures. And the game itself went well, with Henry Clay winning and Callie scoring a goal. 

 

Perhaps the best part of Callie's senior season has been the support she has gotten from her friends. They show up to all the home games rain or shine and this senior night definitely tested their commitment. Either the student section wasn't as large in previous years or it just seemed larger this year because we kept hearing them chant Callie's name. Regardless, it was great to see and we love to know that her friends support her in this way.

 

An extra surprise on senior night came in the form of some of Callie's friends from GSP, including her closest friend Kendra. They drove from over an hour away and sat in the pouring rain with this sweet sign and a care package just to show up for Callie. It made us weepy just to see it but it highlighted Callie's character that she has friends who are willing to make this effort just to be there for her.

 

This season, like any other, had its ups and downs and it didn't always go Callie's way. But we have always believed that sports are important because of the life lessons they teach and that is so true in Callie's case. It has not always been a smooth ride but she has learned so much about herself in the process and we are proud of her. She had a strong senior sesaon and has the stats to prove it. But more importantly, she was a great leader, especially when it came to the younger players trying to navigate the dynamics of a high school team. One of the best compliments Callie got was from Erin Oakley, who went out of her way to tell us how much of a role model Callie was for her daughter Mary, who was a freshman on the varsity team.

 

One of the biggest ups on the season was the district championship that Henry Clay won by defeating arch-rival Frederick Douglass, something that hadn't been done since Callie's freshman year. It was a nice victory and another feather in Henry Clay's cap as the team headed to regionals.

 

All good things must come to an end, however, and after a first round victory the Blue Devils lost in the Regional Semi-Finals to Dunbar. And so the journey came to an end with a lot of ugly crying and hugs among the girls and their parents. This hit Callie a little harder than she expected because it came with the realization that this was really it. She had decided not to play club soccer any more and had also put aside the possibility of playing in college. It was a great run while it lasted and she knows that her future will always include the love of the game.

 

Even as Callie's senior year was playing out over the fall Reese was making her mark on the JV team. We had hoped she would be on varsity with her sister but it was not in the cards. Instead, Reese captained the JV team for her second year in a row and made the most of every opportunity given. 

Her coaches quickly recognized her skill, versatility, and willingness to do whatever they asked. As a result, Reese played most of every game and at a variety of positions. She was a bit devastated by not making varsity but this was a character building year and she took advantage of it.

 

The JV team only lost one game during the season and Reese scored, assisted, defended, and led the team in positive affirmations. We are obviously biased in our assessment of her playing, but we had a lot of other folks share with us how impressed they were with Reese.

In the picture above Reese is on the move in a game against Lafayette, and you can see one of Lafayette's coaches in the background. That coach also happens to be one of Reese's biggest fans and our friend Ella Abraham. Ella repeatedly made it clear to Reese that she is a great player who deserved to be on varsity. Those things don't make everything better, but they certainly helped Reese maintain her confidence.

Not only did Reese not get to play with her sister, but she had to navigate the hardship that came with having her best friend Mary make varsity. Callie, Mary, and Reese did an excellent job of cheering each other on, understanding the sensitivity of the situation, and maintaining great friendships. It is a testament to all of them that the season went as well as it did for all of them. And at season's end, Reese was the well-deserved MVP of the JV team and Mary earned Rookie of the Year honors for Varsity. Callie wrapped up her career with the Blue Devil award for varsity. So proud of all of them and can't wait to see what Reese and Mary bring to the field next season.