While most seniors graduate and take a break from CESJDS after school ends, senior and captain of the girls varsity basketball team Josie Silverberg, along with many other senior athletes, still comes to school to go to basketball practices and games. Many senior athletes still participate in their sports until the end of the winter season.
Most schools have seniors who balance academics and extracurricular activities. However, JDS seniors are in a unique position, as their academic classes end before their winter sports seasons conclude. Thus, seniors must step up to be active participants on their sports teams despite not attending regular classes.
“I’ve heard that sometimes people have too much free time, it could be nice having something to do,” Silverberg said. “I am a little bit disappointed that I won’t be able to go away…and every single day in the afternoon I’ll just have to come back here even though I’ll already be graduated. But everyone does it, and they seem to manage.”
The seniors ended academic classes on Friday, Jan. 17, over a month before the winter sports season ends in late February. Seniors are still required to attend most of their sports season until they leave for Israel on Sunday, Feb. 23. It is important for seniors to remain a part of their team as they are major contributors to each of their teams, for example, Silverberg has had 35 points on the girls varsity basketball team this year.
Despite going to practice every day, seniors not going to school every day can pose challenges to the team. Senior and captain of the varsity swim team Joseph Vaisman said that he will miss seeing his underclassman teammates every day.
“It’s definitely different, just because we don’t see each other anymore,” Vaisman said. “I can’t walk through the hallway and remind someone that we have practice or text them since they don’t have their phones, so I can’t really communicate with them.”
The seniors’ requirements on their sports team vary from team to team, with the basketball teams encouraging their seniors to attend a basketball tournament in Toronto as opposed to the swim team, which only requires seniors to attend bi-weekly practices and meets. No matter what sports teams seniors are on, there is a certain expectation that players, especially senior captains, show up to practices and games.
Despite this, Director of Athletics and varsity girls basketball head coach Becky Silberman thinks it is hard for seniors to play their best when their schedules are completely shifted.
“I talked to them [seniors] about having a schedule,” Silberman said. “It’s not good for them to stay in bed until 2 p.m. and then show up and come play a game.”
While the number of seniors varies by year and team, seniors not being at school affects the team spirit. Silberman said it is hard for the team when players aren’t together on the day of a game to get each other excited and game-ready.
In spite of the disadvantages with the seniors leaving in the middle of the season, not being in school gives the seniors more time to practice for their sport and prepare for games.
“Time that [w]ould be spent in school instead, we have the opportunity to work [at our sport],” Silverberg said. “So I see it also as an opportunity to have that time to improve.”