On Monday, October 29th, varsity soccer honored the senior players and managers on our team during their senior game. With streamers carefully woven through the fence, gold SENIOR balloons visible from the top of the stands, a spray-painted sheet hanging on the blue shed, and the traditional Solo cups spelling out SECA 81 visible from the field, we were able to honor and commemorate the time that our seniors have put into playing and loving the sport for the past four years.

While this may seem almost picture-perfect, it was in the time leading up to the game that caused many of the underclassman preparing for it the most panic. With an hour and a half left until kick off and less than twenty minutes before the start of warm-ups, a tragedy occurred. Madison Reardon, a junior defender on the team who was responsible for purchasing the balloons, was kind enough to get a balloon in the shape of each of our senior’s initials. These balloons were then tied to the fence, above their posters, and were waving furiously in the wind on this afternoon. It wasn’t until twenty minutes before warm-ups that the A balloon (for senior Annie Pyne), broke off the string and flew away from the field. This devastating loss and unpredicted catastrophe shook many of the teammates, but they were quickly able to bounce back. We quickly came together, brainstorming ideas of how to create a display for senior Annie similar to those of her fellow seniors. Katelyn Drew, junior manager of the team, sprang into action and drove to the Big Y to try and purchase another balloon similar to the one that had been lost. It wasn’t until she reached the balloon department that the real predicament occurred. With options ranging from ‘It’s a boy’, to ‘Pokémon’ balloons, the decision on which balloon to purchase was an extremely difficult one. Katelyn and the team ultimately settled on two; “Happy Birthday Peppa Pig”, and “I Believe in Unicorns”, making for a good bonding moment, and forever inside joke of the team. (It is to be noted that senior Annie Pyne was ultimately very pleased with the balloon choice.)

While this mishap was unfortunate, the team was able to laugh it off later at the post-game celebration in the Drey Foyer. The team gave gifts and small speeches honoring the seniors and remembering how much they have done for the team during their time at NDA. The team song “Halo” by Beyoncé was played, tears shed, memories made, and our love for our seniors forever engraved in our hearts.