By Mia Oyama ’17
The senior season of a sport is the time to enjoy playing with friends for the last time, have fun and play the best to finish off a high school career. Unfortunately this opportunity gets shortened for a number of athletes. Almost every year a few seniors miss their last season of a sport and are sidelined due to a long-term injury.
Most seniors are able to have quick comebacks and recover before the season ends but this year there are a few seniors are out for the season: Jules Moskowitz, Anthony Leone and Carly Decker were unable to finish off their high school careers of soccer, football and tennis.
Jules Moskowitz was sidelined due to her second ACL tear and was disappointed that she would not recover in time to play. “I wish I could be spending my last year, playing on the field,” she said.
“It is not easy saying goodbye to a sport you have been playing since second grade before the final year,” said senior Anthony Leone. He triggered an injury in his back, known as sciatica, during the last football game of the season and continued to work out which led him to get surgery and having nerve damage in his legs. “I wish I was able to play because I am a returning starter and the team relied on me to do my job.”
Carly Decker tore her medial meniscus, and after a year and a half of playing tennis through the pain, she was told she was not allowed and had to have surgery. “This upset me and made me frustrated,” she said. “I was looking forward to enjoying my senior year on the team. Not being able to play is very upsetting, but my knee needs to heal instead of getting worse, which is what has been happening.”
Most athletes are able to recover throughout the season from minor injuries, but these few injuries were long term and will keep these seniors out of their last high school season. Seniors Emily Malone and Vin Salvatoriello were able to play for a part of their seasons—soccer and football—as well as recover and get back on the field.
Malone missed out on a part of the season for a fractured ankle. “I hated watching my team play knowing that I couldn’t go in and help them in any way possible. It made me frustrated,” Malone said. She missed nearly a month of the season but was able to recover in time for senior night and other competitive games.
Salvatoriello was out for part of the season as well due to an injury to his MCL. “It is just a minor setback,” he said. Salvatoriello was disappointed that he was unable to play in the biggest rivalry game of the season, however, he kept working hard.
“It is always hard for seniors that have to miss out on their last season, but sometimes injuries are inevitable,” trainer John Mascola said.
