With the coming of commencement, the Bob Jones University Bruins teams are losing their beloved seniors. Many of the seniors played all four years of eligibility and the experience left its mark on them.

Student athletes learn many lessons throughout their intercollegiate careers. Some lessons pertain to the sport they play, some apply to life in general, but all will stay with the seniors as they graduate from the athletic program.

One important lesson Anna Daulton of the women’s soccer team learned is that God can use any aspect of one’s life for his glory.

According to Daulton, God uses our desires and talents to grow his kingdom on earth. “It was such a privilege to see how God used soccer in my life for this purpose,” Daulton said.

To excel in athletics requires lots of training and willpower. According to Josh Strubel of the men’s cross-country team, the biggest lesson he learned was mental toughness because of the grueling physical requirements of the sport.

“[Cross-country] teaches you how to be tough both physically and mentally,” Strubel said.

According to Molly Campbell of the women’s cross-country team, hard work always pays off, but one of the greatest investments in life is in people.

“People are more important than anything else you have,” Campbell said.

Lauren Johnson of the women’s volleyball team said, “I realized the kind of impact I could have on my team.” Johnson said she realized she had many opportunities to lead and serve the women on and off the court, especially her senior year.

Marvell Lareche of the men’s soccer team learned to be excellent in the small details. In a soccer game, the little touches matter. If the first touch is bad, it is harder to reach the goal.

Agreeing with  Lareche, Sha’Ron Brunson of the women’s basketball team said she learned to control what she can control. The outcome of a basketball game cannot be controlled, but the way a player plays or a coach coaches can be.

Many more lessons can be learned from playing intercollegiate sports; these are just a few of them.

Just as these lessons will stick in the seniors’ minds after graduation, the seniors will be remembered by those they leave behind.