Hey everyone! My name is Gabby and I’m here to give a quick little recap of my experience as a graduating first year of Age Up.
We started the evening with an epic game of Boot outside on the Jefferson grass. First years, second years, coaches and parents alike all joined us and made the game one that had everyone panting and laughing all at the same time! It was incredible seeing my fellow friends’ and even coaches’ parents tossing a disc like it was no big deal – it was honestly such a fun time. The atmosphere was set during the first, hilariously good, point and it definitely carried through the whole event.
After a pretty exhausting session of ultimate, everyone was ushered into the Jefferson gym for a fabulous potluck dinner. There were so many dishes of food; pizza, salad, egg rolls, and more. Each and every dish that was brought in was absolutely delicious, too! Following everyone’s grab for food, the coaches introduced themselves and a slideshow was played on the screen set up near the front of the set up . The slideshow was really a sight to see – it captured many of our great memories, not all, but enough to pull a little at my heart strings and place a smile on my face. As my eyes sifted through each humorous face, each epic grab in the air, each genuine high five, I was reminded of how much I value this program and the people in it. The slideshow certainly was one of my personal highlights of the night.
Right after the touching slideshow, the awards ceremony took place. Certificates were passed out to each individual first year with personal words from coaches. Each first year got their own cool, unique jersey as well! This part of the graduation definitely emphasized the growth and development of all of us first years because as each person went up to claim their certificate and jersey, the thoughtful words said by each coach plastered a huge smile on my face and I then realized how far we all had come as a group, and how far we all have the potential of going.
Ending the evening with a fantastic bunch of girls, dedicated coaches, and of course supportive parents was something that I enjoyed incredibly. Graduation may have been quite bittersweet, seeing as it was the “official” end of the sessions and clinics for this year, but now I’m more than happy and anticipatory for the next year and sessions to come!