Many senior athletes have played their sports throughout high school, and have been through it all. Whether it be exciting wins or tough losses, Haven athletes reflect on the valuable lessons they have learned and how they can translate that to other parts of their lives.

A key part of most sports is practice and how much you are willing to commit to getting better. Senior basketball player Mariah Cox emphasizes this, explaining that discipline was one of the most important skills she learned throughout her time playing basketball.

“Making sure that not only do you practice when it’s time to practice, but you’re practicing outside of it, making sure that you’re really getting ready, and you’re not just there to be there when the times are allotted,” Cox said.

Senior football player Luke Mulhern believes that you should be confident in how much you’re working and the effort you put in. 

“I think it just comes naturally, the feeling of being on the field, and then the feeling of being off, and the confidence and what you can find on the field just translates very smoothly and easily,” Mulhern said.

According to Cox, one of the ways you can translate these skills into your life is through school. She believes that procrastination is a problem in school, so being able to be disciplined and confident in yourself helps you be more time efficient.

“I feel like when it comes to school for sure and when it comes time to do homework, you have to make sure that you do it and not push it back,” Cox said. “It’s like you’re setting yourself up with those skills now, so that way later on [in life] it comes way easier.”

Senior swimmer Maya Putty highlights another valuable skill learned through sports: perseverance. She explains all the swimming practices and workouts she didn’t want to go to were still worth putting in the work regardless. 

“I feel so much more accomplished after [going to practice], so now in other parts of my life, I know that if I push through something, the reward will feel better,” Putty said.

Many employers like hiring student-athletes because of the skills that they learn from playing their sport. Cox believes that no matter what field you are going into, all of these skills can help you.

“I want to be a nurse, so I have to be disciplined in knowing everything that I learned. I can’t just learn it and then forget it, because I’m going to have to use it when I’m actually in hospitals and working,” Cox said.