Playing sports in college was many peoples’ dream as a kid, but for some, the dream ended early, and for others, the dream was never a reality. 

There are a lot of seniors here at Hickman going to play at the collegiate level, but we have heard about them enough, let’s flip the page and focus on those who are now done with sports. 

Senior Stella Forck played volleyball for Hickman all four years of high school and was on varsity for two of them. Stella started playing at a young age.

“I started in middle school. I just started to try out because I tried every other sport and I was not a fan. So I kind of just stuck with volleyball,” Stella remarked in the library as she remembered the start of her career. 

Stella knew not long into high school that college sports weren’t her thing and didn’t try to go through the recruiting process. 

“I kind of knew going into junior year that I didn’t want to play because that’s when people start looking at schools and getting different offers and I just knew I didn’t want to play,” Stella said.

As the tone in the library grew sadder, she talked about her last season for Hickman.

“I think it was the best season that we’ve had because I knew it was my last season so I had to just give it my all and really enjoyed meeting the new people and creating that friendship,” she said with a smile, but sadly the season did come to an end in the second round of districts. 

“It didn’t really hit me like right at the beginning. It was kind of on the bus ride home or later, after, because I just felt like the next day I’d have practice so it wasn’t like oh, it’s over,” she said.

Senior Weston Howe had a little bit of a different experience at Hickman though. Weston is a two-sport athlete playing football and baseball, but after this year he was done with football. 

“I’ve been watching it just growing up, but like my dad always talked about playing and it just always sounded like I needed to play,” he said, and he has now been playing for five years. 

Weston knew going into his senior year that college football wasn’t the route he wanted to take. He didn’t go through the recruiting process but had no hard feelings about leaving football behind.

“It was probably going into like senior year I kind of just thought it was gonna be my last year. It wasn’t really what I wanted to continue doing. But like I love the sport, but I just didn’t want to keep playing,” he said with a serious look. 

The Hickman football season didn’t go as planned, but Weston knew how to make the most out of his senior season and make it as enjoyable as it could be. 

“It wasn’t great, but I mean, I got to play with some of the guys I have been playing with for years now. So I mean, I still got to have a good time but there was a disappointing outcome,” he said.

While talking to many athletes, a pattern as to why they don’t want to play in college becomes quite apparent: not loving the sport anymore, too much money, stress, and just wanting to focus on their education. Though some had better seasons than others, everyone was able to find a way to have fun and enjoy their final season.