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The legacy high school athletes leave Lily Zuckerman

Photo by Alpha Zerfu

As a fifth-grader and proud fan of the New York Knicks I distinctly remember wondering what the uniforms with different last names were and why they were hung up above the court. Was it just common knowledge? My dad explained to me that these were the players who had their numbers retired. He implied these were the only people who will be “remembered.”

Since I have been on a varsity sports team, I realize how much the “retired” players matter (in a high school’s case, seniors who will graduate). But do they get the recognition they deserve, even though their uniform is not retired?

High school athletes deserve the same recognition as pro athletes. These athletes put hours into their school day practicing for their sport. Oftentimes, sports come first, then schoolwork for most of these athletes. Masters culture is known for being spirited within the athletics community. This became clear when the school flooded the field after boys varsity soccer won the NYSAIS championship. It is important for us to recognize those that have contributed the most.

Alumna Brooke Tatarian ‘21 who committed to Fairfield University for basketball and received a full ride scholarship, echoed my views on retiring uniforms. She was a member of the varsity basketball team for all four years, as well as a leading player of the 2019 NYSAIS champion team.

Tatarian said, “I think retiring jerseys is something really special that you don't see everywhere in high schools. But I think it's amazing if the school feels like someone really made an incredible impact on the school to be able to retire their jersey. Even though my jersey wasn't retired, I mean, that's fine, because everybody knows and I know that our program has reached new heights.”
ISAAC CASS/COMMUNICATIONS: Brooke Tatarian '21 signs commitment for college sports in June of 2021.

Alumna Sam Coffey ‘17 participated in Masters girls varsity soccer throughout her high school career. She went on to play soccer at Boston College and Penn State. Coffey spoke on her thoughts of retiring her number.

Coffey said, “It was fun to play [at Masters], I definitely had the time of my life. Honestly, it was a safe space for me to have fun with my friends and play the game I love. Yeah, it would’ve been cool to have my number retired.”

Juan Cabos, the athletic operations manager at The Masters School was a varsity track and soccer player in his high school years.

Cabos said, “I got a varsity letter, which is a big letter at the beginning of your school’s name and a little emblem in the center of that letter for the sport that you played in. Right now, it is in my childhood home hanging up on the wall.”

Even after graduating from high school, college and graduate school, Juan still remembers his recognition. Imagine you were in the position of legendary Masters athletes: wouldn’t you want the same recognition?

But where does a school draw the line between who is eligible to be recognized? With a retired number, there are only a select few that can be “remembered.”

Logan Condon, the director of athletics, likes to honor everyone’s success, saying “The easy answer is there's only a finite amount of numbers that students can pick from and then pass that it's how you truly judge. A student should get their number retired versus another student who should get their number retired.”

As for which athletes and their numbers receive this high honor, there are three criterias for the community to consider. Within Masters, the athlete should have been a four-year varsity player in their sport. Additionally, when they’re a senior, they should be a captain of their team. Beyond Masters, the athlete should continue their athletic career in college or professionally.

Once these athletes meet the requirements to have their number retired, Masters will honor them with a Wall of Fame, in the Fonseca Center. The unique wall will include the retired jersey, along with photos from their time at Masters, and their current career.

Created By
Lily Zuckerman
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