Photo courtesy of Pau Alvarado
One of the many programs unique to Choate is the fall sport known as Senior Soccer. While most schools allow seniors to continue to play on the JV or thirds level, for this particular sport, they must try out for varsity or play on a separate team. Seeing as soccer is such a popular sport, Senior Soccer was created in order to make space for younger players on the JV and thirds’ rosters.
Although seniors have the option to try out for varsity, many choose not to. Joaquin Antunez ’19, a three-year Boys’ JV Soccer veteran, said, “I had a bunch of reasons for making the switch. I didn’t think I would get much playing time on varsity and a bunch of my friends wanted to do Senior Soccer.”
Senior Soccer is not only open to people who have played competitive soccer before, but also to everyone in the senior class, regardless of prior experience. “The difference in skill level is very apparent between people who have never played to those who could have played varsity. For me, since I’ve played before, the most fun part is when I go against another kid who has played soccer. It’s more of a challenge,” Antunez said.
Although Senior Soccer is definitely different compared to JV and thirds in terms of intensity, it is not any less fun. “It is so much fun! It’s fun to watch. You can just chill and joke around on the field and have a good time.” said Annika Chiang-Boeckman ’19, a three-year Girls’ JV Soccer veteran.
Although everyone likes Senior Soccer for their own reason, the most popular answer is definitely the atmosphere. Antunez stated, “Everyone is supportive of each other and we all know it’s not a super competitive thing. We are just there to be with friends and hang out”.
Boeckman agreed, “Senior soccer is a place where you leave it all behind. You go there and you don’t talk about college, you don’t talk about school, you don’t talk about what’s stressing you out. You go there to have fun and play soccer. I get to hang out with people and have fun while playing a sport I love.”
Because of the varying skill levels in Senior Soccer, this sport is more about the experience than the competition. This allows the team members to focus more on enjoying themselves and the sport rather than the stress of performing at a high level for a varsity or JV.
