The Black and White

Edited by Jillian Mastrostefano

Dear Field Hockey, 

I joined my sophomore year and was a year late to good memories and inside jokes the team already had. Yet I never felt as though I was left behind. This group of girls welcomed me with open arms and I became part of a family I will never forget. From long nights at practice to late night bus rides filled with laughs, I will cherish each and every memory. Now that my time on this team has come to an end, I feel prepared for my future and happy for those who get to carry on the memories we made. I hope that field hockey will always be a safe space for everyone who joins like it was for me. Good luck Pilgrim Field Hockey. I’ll miss you!

• Lily Farrell

Dear Field Hockey,

It is a hard goodbye. These past four years have been nothing but a pleasure. Thank you for all the memories and opportunities that you have provided for me. Throughout my time on the team, I have been able to find myself confidence and leadership. I have learned to carry my leadership skills on and off the field. I have made priceless memories and I will forever be grateful for this sport. From being a freshman in her first varsity game, to being a captain playing her last minutes of field hockey, I have enjoyed every minute. It is bittersweet to be a senior, I was grateful to be able to lead this team but I am sad to leave. For the girls who were there to cheer me on throughout every game and/or practice, thank you. It meant so much to me, truly. I will forever love this team and the friendships that it gave me. Thank you Field Hockey. 

• Alayna Bowser

Dear Volleyball,

Thank you for all the friendships and memories you have given me. I will carry the lessons I have learned about being resilient and confident in myself to all my future plans. I have loved growing with this amazing team throughout the last 3 years and could not have been more grateful for the girls who lifted me up on and off the court. Most importantly the other seniors, Shannon Weaver, Avery Marques, Chloe Atwood, and Lauryn Newman. You four will be my friends for life and I appreciate all the support and faith you have had in me since my first tryout. Thank you Mrs. Harrington for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Pilgrim Girls Volleyball team. 

• Laryssa Farrell 

Dear Soccer, 

Saying goodbye to being a soccer player was incredibly hard, but being able to play one last season with my best friend and making more relationships made it worth the heartbreak. Having such a small team with only 18 girls was a blessing because we were able to become so close which made all of the losses we endured this season a lot easier. I don’t think I would have been able to do it without my girls. I will never forget singing on the bus rides on the way home from games and having so much fun at every practice. I will love and cherish the girls soccer team forever.

• Ainsley Ottilige

Dear Tennis, 

This team is absolutely the hardest goodbye of my senior year. I truly believe we’ve bonded stronger than any other team and I consider the memories we’ve made the best throughout all of my four years. I have met so many amazing people and I couldn’t ask for a better way in and out of high school. I didn’t understand how friends could be considered family before tennis and I know I will keep in touch with all of you for the rest of my life. To all of my sisters and children, I wish you nothing but the best next season. Joining this team and captaining my senior year was the best decision I could have ever made. So thank you to all of my past and present teammates for making me into the person I am today, and please continue to support one another.

• Jillian Mastrostefano

Dear Pilgrim Field Hockey,

      I would like to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I can honestly say that I believe my high school experience would have been a lot worse if I had not put myself out there. Playing field hockey allowed me to express myself in a way I had not been able to before. First off, I would like to thank my teammates, especially the ones I’ve spent every year with. You all helped me get out of my shell and not be nervous around others. I struggled with many challenges throughout school, but going to practice and seeing everybody made each day better. After rough games you were always there to pick me up, and not to mention make me laugh. I would also like to thank the coaches of the team. They were always there to encourage me, along with allowing me to grow more as a player, and learn more about a new sport that I had never played before. Not to mention they helped me grow more as an individual. Field hockey has been a constant in my life for 4 years, and having to leave it is a bittersweet goodbye. I genuinely have had so many good memories with the team. I wish the season didn’t end so soon, and hope that the seasons to come are good ones, and that everyone else has a good experience. All I can say is thank you, to the team and the sport.

• Jocelyn Dilone

Dear Tennis,

Saying goodbye to a part of my life that gave me my closest friends and a place to be myself is really hard. The girl’s tennis team has truly changed my life. Being able to be a part of a community of people who had the same love for a sport, and then be able to lead the team as captain for 2 years made my entire high school career. I’m so grateful for all of my teammates and the memories we have made. I have not made such a close group of friends that I consider my family. From the endless laughs, long hugs, group huddles, to the goodbye tears, I’ll miss all of it. I feel like we have bonded more than just teammates and I will cherish these friendships forever. Even after the season and graduation, our bonds will continue to grow. I love all my teammates and I’m so grateful to have my experience on the girl’s tennis team.

• Emilia Koopman