Whether it be due to time pressure, mental health or other commitments, seniors often find it difficult to continue their high school sports, former cheer team flyer, senior Katie Liu said. She quit the cheer team before her senior year because of the time commitment it demanded, Katie Liu said.

“In my junior year, I had a seventh period, so I barely had any time,” Katie Liu said. “I would go home for 30 minutes, come straight back for practice, and then come home to a ton of homework that I simply did not have time for.”

Additionally, because her junior and senior years were such crucial times in terms of academic coursework, Katie Liu was afraid of the injuries that cheer could cause, she said.

“People would often get concussions and I did not want any of that,” Katie Liu said. “The coach would be a little pushy and tell us that people would be there to catch us, but there was [still a risk involved].”

Similarly, senior Christopher Liu said he did not participate in cross country during the 2023 fall season. His plans were to utilize the extra time to write college applications and to spend his last year with his friends, he said.

“I won’t have any other time to spend with people close [to me] after this year, so it was important to me to prioritize them,” Christopher Liu said. “I can still stay active by playing [volleyball and pickleball] with my friends, and that’s mostly what [running] was for me – a way to [stay active].”

On the other hand, former swim co-captain, senior Rachel Kim did not return to the swim team her senior year, as she wanted to utilize the time for healing from the college application and decision season, Kim said.

Kim started competitive swimming at 10 years old, so quitting the swim team was a huge step for her, she said.

“I am happy for my friends that decided to do swim season, but I am happy I have a lot more time on my hands,” Kim said. “I don’t regret my decision, even though I stepped down from being captain. I found my closure with swimming as a sport a long time ago, so I did not feel like senior night or spending a last year with my friends held me back.”