‘Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test’
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
The lyrics to Green Day’s haunting late ‘90s hit song, ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),’ paint the picture of a group of students facing an awkward fork in the road. Growing up is inevitable, yet emotional.
‘Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why.’
Alma’s four graduating seniors, Emma Edwards, Miranda Gibson, Julia Nutt, and Zoe Thrift, played their final home game this week against Greenwood. Like any group, they’ve spent much of their time investing in one another.
“They're people I know I can count on for a long time,” senior Julia Nutt said. “I just love all of them; we've all grown up together.
“We've cried together; we've been through a lot."
“These seniors are so special,” Alma coach Kim Weaver said. “They endured COVID and coaching changes — doing it all with grace. It has been such a joy to watch them develop over the past four years. They impact Alma High School on the court, in the classroom, and through many clubs — representing all so very well.”
Despite dropping their home finale Tuesday to Greenwood, 26-24, 25-10, 25-15, the Lady Airedales finished strong at home by winning five of their final nine home matches, including back-to-back conference wins over Russellville and Greenbrier,
Now, with one game remaining, the hard truth can be tough to grasp.
"It's going to be pretty sad for me," senior Zoe Thrift said. "I've always been involved in athletics. I've always been a little athletic. It's going to be really hard. All of my friends are my teammates. We spend a lot of time with each other. I'm going to take it pretty hard, especially with the senior class — we're pretty close.”
Nutt agreed.
"Volleyball has helped me grow so much over the years as a leader and a person, and it's just become a big part of my life," she said. "I have a fun time doing it, and it's something that we really love — that 's why we're out here and it's going to be really hard to let it go."
"Being on the team for four years together just means creating a family together," senior Miranda Gibson said. "It's a bond that you know you're going to have each other's backs. It means a lot to have people you can count on and trust, inside and outside of the sport.
"It's sad moving on, but it's also very sad with the next chapter moving up."
Weaver, who played for Stever Haaser at Southside, said she missed her final senior night while in college.
“I actually missed my senior night at UALR; I was in the emergency room with kidney stones,” she said. “But we beat the University of Denver 3-2.”
"I think they are people I've grown up with; we've played volleyball together in school and in clubs,” senior Emma Edwards “We're close inside of volleyball and outside of volleyball. We're able to encourage each other and support each other. I think that's made a big difference in our games."
There was sadness Tuesday evening. The four girls emerged from the locker room and strode toward the middle of the court to pose for photographs. One final time.
“There are a lot of emotions on senior night. This class reminds me a lot of my senior class at Southside,” Weaver said. “When you have played together for so many years, it’s hard to imagine that ending. This group is really good about enjoying the present moment, and that is what I hope they do. They soak it in, knowing they made it. It is becoming more and more rare to complete a career in high school athletics. Zoe, Miranda, Emma, and Julia are wonderful examples of grit — pursuing their passion with perseverance.
“It is an honor to have had the opportunity to coach them.”