The winter sports teams are hanging up their jerseys as the season comes to a close, promising to come back next season. But, for some athletes, this year will be the last of their high school career.

Senior and captain of the alpine ski team Ethan Ghosh said he values the lasting connections he has made with his fellow teammates through his four years of racing at the high school.

“Late at night, when everyone’s really tired and you’re just sitting in the back of the bus, listening to music and talking, you become close. That’s something I’ll miss. The final varsity race is going to be a sad bus ride because our senior class has a lot of kids and there’s a lot of us that are graduating,” Ghosh said.

After playing basketball at the high school for two seasons, senior and captain Margo Mattes said her favorite games were the ones between the rival Newton North team that culminated on the senior night of her junior year.

“We had lost to [Newton] at the beginning of the [last] year, and then we ended up winning. Even this year, we lost to them the first time we played them. So then to go back and beat them at home on a Friday gave us the momentum to win the next few games,” Mattes said. “I think it was fun because a lot of my coaches, teachers and friends were there. Those two games particularly stand out to me when I look back on the seasons.”

Fencing captain and senior Evan Vu said from the beginning of his fencing career five years ago, the culture of the sport has impacted his personality throughout his time with the sport. Vu said that once the season ended, it felt strange to come straight home after school instead of his usual destination of practice.

“Something I’ve noticed about fencing that I’ve found meaningful was that there’s a big emphasis on respect. You always salute before a bout. Even the best fencers will, if they do something and they hit you really hard, apologize right away. It’s just a polite culture and I think that’s been meaningful to be exposed to something like that and have that rub off on me,” Vu said.

Ghosh made the varsity ski team his freshman year, but said he didn’t immediately have the experience or maturity to become a captain. However, over the past four years, he said he has grown into the responsibilities required by his leadership role.

“When I was a freshman, I had to listen to the older kids. As I got older, I calmed down and realized I have to mature. And now I am the older kid telling [the underclassmen] what to do,” Ghosh said.

Moving from Ohio to Brookline at the end of her sophomore year, Mattes adjusted to a brand-new style of practice and play that taught her to assert herself in unfamiliar situations.

“I learned how to do what you can to help the team: being one of the team captains this year, having to be a leader, having to help the younger kids, especially because so many of us are seniors,” Mattes said.

Although Vu does not plan to continue fencing in college, he said that managing the close-knit fencing team has offered him long-term leadership abilities.

“It’s been fulfilling to feel like you help people. Maybe, I don’t care as much about the sport sometimes, but I care about the people that I work with. It will always be my first experience as an actual leader for something which is important and something that I will continue to remember,” Vu said.

As Mattes moves on to her college team at Princeton University, she said the end of her senior seasons and transition will cause her mixed emotions.

“I’m super excited to play in college as my sister had a great time doing the same. I really didn’t like high school my first two years, and then I came here and I loved high school and the people that I met,” Mattes said. “It’s a tough divide because I’m going to be really sad once the season ends, but next year, I have a whole new team in a whole new setting. It’s sad, but it also gives me something to look forward to.”