The beginning of the school year at Prep comes with new ways for fresh faces to get involved in the Prep community. One thing much of the student body can get really excited about, however, is the return of fall sports.  

Fall sports allow students to not only use their athletic abilities to represent the school in competitions, but to also learn from their captains, many of whom are in their Senior year. Team captains help to guide and instruct, impress and motivate their teammates with their great experience and sage advice.  

“Fall sports is a really good way to get super involved and busy right at the start of the school year,” says senior Julia Krische. “You get to talk to and meet a lot of cool people from all the grades.”

As a captain, being able to get involved with student life in a more personal way greatly impacts both teammates and the captains. Through the community cultivated by the team and nurtured by the captains, inter-grade bonds are formed that make up the structure of Seattle Prep. 

These seniors haven’t always been leaders within their respective sports, however. At one point in their high school career, they were younger teammates. These captains of the past still guide them in their role today. “Kennedy Klein ‘22 was a captain last year and I was so inspired by her enthusiasm and ability to make everything fun. She always did her best to make everyone feel like they belonged, which created a special energy for the team,” stated Krische , showing the deep impact captains have on their teammates. Through the guidance provided by these captains, new leaders come into their own each year, taking over and continuing the legacy of helpful, kind leadership within the fall sports teams.  

Student leadership within fall sports teams greatly impacts a student’s experience at Prep. As freshmen, many students will get involved with sports to create a sense of community at a new school, and the ideas and impressions captains leave with them stick. Krische says that she would like to leave their teammates with “new friendships” and feeling “super proud of themselves for all the hard work they put in at practice and during races”. creates a legacy of supportive captains that help to improve and enrich student life at Prep.  

Fall Sports Captains create an environment of learning, a safe place to ask for advice and guidance for their teammates to promote –athletes. Captains are staples of the Prep Community, and not only do they carry the legacy of captains before them, but they promote a healthy environment for student-athletes.