Senior nights are a time-honored tradition, allowing coaches and athletes to show appreciation for senior players as they celebrate the end of their high school athletic careers. The celebrations are often joyous and sentimental, as seniors receive gifts and say goodbye to teams they’ve often been a part of for several years.
“It’s the burden of our underclassmen to do it,” captain of the varsity girls tennis team Emily Jang said in a Zoom interview.“It’s a tradition that we’ve passed down through the years.”
Girls’ tennis senior night took place on Oct. 18 against Santa Clara High School—a week earlier than the traditional senior night which would take place during the last home game, Jang said.
The juniors are “tasked to, as sneakily as possible, find out the favorite snacks of all the seniors,” Jang said. “This year they got me this giant stuffed pig and more snacks than I can ask for.”
Student athletes learn many techniques through older, more experienced players, in addition to their coach, Jang explained. Senior nights serve as a way of thanking those students for passing down that knowledge and being great role models, she added.
Girls’ volleyball senior night took place on Oct. 26 against Homestead High School, senior Libero Serene Joseph said in a Zoom interview. It was organized by volleyball head coach Marissa Canez, juniors on the varsity team, the junior varsity (JV) team, and the freshmen team, she said.
“Usually, we as a team come in when we have a home game, … and help set up the nets and the stands,” Joseph said. “But this time, we, the seniors, were banned from coming into the gym until like 5:30.”
The girls’ volleyball team invited family, friends, and teachers, and their match was packed with people, posters, and balloons, Joseph said.
“This year, we had fairy wings given to us, as well as these laurels on our head, and a shirt that specifically had our class color,” Joseph said.
Joseph felt that her senior night was bittersweet because she’s been playing for a long time and was sad to see it come to an end, she said.
“At one point, you’re like, ‘Oh, there’s always next year,’” Joseph said. “You always try out in the same process again. ‘But this year is like, ‘Oh, like this is it? This is the last thing that’s going to happen.’”
On the bright side, the volleyball season didn’t end on their senior night because they won their match against Homestead and qualified for the Central Coast Section (CCS), Joseph added.
“The main thing I was reflecting on was how long I’ve been playing, the experience of it, and how I’ve grown from point A to what I’ve become right now,” Joseph said.
Senior runner Ethan Bautista had a slightly different experience during his varsity boys cross country senior night, which was organized by the varsity girls’ cross country team, he said in a Zoom interview.
“It wasn’t in a school; it was in a park setting,” Bautista explained. “To me, it was just the same thing.”
The varsity girls’ team made posters and brought food for all the senior cross country boys, Bautista said.
“We were just striving to win this meet (senior night) because we haven’t won all the championships since 2002. Winning it this year is a big accomplishment, not just for us, but also for the whole school,” Bautista explained. “The cross country team at MHS is one of the underdog sports compared to basketball and football.”
As a parting comment, Bautista said to “just have fun on your senior night,” instead of reflecting too much on the season’s ending.
“Last year, senior night was a really touching thing,” Jang said. “I gave a speech, and it felt like a full circle moment where the team can show appreciation to all the seniors for everything they’ve done. It just felt like a really big thank you.”