As the Emmaus High School class of 2022 prepares to say goodbye and move on to further endeavors, athletes are faced with the decision to end their careers or continue forward to play at the collegiate level. 

On April 27, 2022, the EHS auditorium filled with friends, family, coaches, and teachers as 42 senior athletes announced their future commitments and gave thanks to those who have helped them along the way. Among those athletes, six members of the swimming and diving team and five members of the lacrosse teams have chosen to continue their athletic careers.  In total, athletes committed to 31 different schools. 

Athletic Director Rebecca George has worked with these students throughout the last four years and as she watches them take the next steps in their lives, she can’t help but think about when she was in their shoes.

“It brings me back to when I was in their position . . . I’m excited for them and I just think of everything that [this class] went through and endured,” George said. “I’m sure they’ve learned many lessons because of it and what I hope they also take with them is just never give up . . . [and] that never-say-die attitude. And if they do that, they’ll be successful no matter what they do.” 

In all sports, a coach’s role is to push an athlete to be the best version of themselves. Jenna Villeneuve, Cornell University field hockey commit, attributes her success throughout her high school career to this.  

“Being in the field hockey program has definitely made me very experienced because we have pretty tough coaches,” Villeneuve said. “We practice consistently for months on end. . . . So I know what hard work is and how to be determined to reach my goals.”

   Even with all of the support from those around them, at the end of the day, these athletes are the ones who contributed all of the work to improve and prepare themselves to play at the collegiate level. George understands that along with the high points of their careers, these athletes have also experienced the lows that come along with playing a sport in high school. 

 “They’re all driven,” George said. “They’re all respectful . . . [They’re] extremely hard-working individuals and [I] couldn’t be more proud. . .When I talk to a lot of the coaches on staff, a lot of them will say ‘we just have such amazing, good, hard-working kids.’ And I hear that over and over and over.”