The 2023-24 school year is coming to an end, and our beloved East Haven High School athletes are headed off to their next chapters of life. But how do they feel about leaving their teams and homes and joining a whole new world? Well some of our athletes are here to tell us all we need to know. Let’s find out what their future holds.
Yazia Luna
EHHS senior, Yazia Luna has been a dancer for 10 years. Dance has been Yazia’s passion for as long as she can remember, she is going to be continuing her dance journey at Central Connecticut State University on their D1 dance team! She is overjoyed to be joining a new team and is ready to be the best asset to CCSU’s dance team she can be.
Yazia explains that the team she’s joining is very diverse and they all have different unique aspects that they add to the team. Yazia said, “We come from different backgrounds, but our passion for dance unites us.” CCSU Dance team is currently number seven in the nation and there’s about 20 girls and 1 boy. This team is determined to grow and we can’t wait to see all the great they do with our former YellowJacket on their team!
Yazia is preparing for a big change switching from the high school dance level to college.
Getting ready for dancing at a higher level comes with maturity, determination, and ambition.
— Yazia Luna
Dancing at the college level is going to take focus, especially dancing with higher trained and experienced dancers, but Yazia is determined to make sure she stays on track. Yazia plans on staying disciplined and staying open to learning from her teammates and new coaches. She wants to get the most out of her learning experience and dance to the absolute fullest. After watching Yazia grow into the dancer she is today, it is nice to see how far she’s come. As she gets ready to graduate Yazia is preparing for a new life of dance, to which she deserves the best of luck.
#28 John D’albero
John D’albero has been playing for East Haven for as long as he can remember. John is one of EHHS’s Varsity Hockey’s captains who is now graduating and moving on to play in a Junior Hockey league in the EHL (Eastern Hockey League). You can find John D’albero on “Avalanche” which is a team that recruits many Connecticut hockey players to their program and hopefully lead those players to college level teams. In the midst of all of these amazing opportunities, John is feeling all the normal senior feelings.
John is feeling excited about continuing hockey, seeing as it’s been his passion for so long, but he is also nervous. John has been playing with the same team for fourteen years, and is beside himself about moving away from his friends and family. “Leaving my friends and teammates is going to be a big adjustment.” He explains that his new team is different in the sense that it’s more physically demanding and fast paced. John will have to face the challenges of having not only a different support system, but also being three hours away from his family and friends.
Over the years John has had multiple people that have supported him, but he’s explained that his coach has been his biggest influence.
The biggest thing that influenced me to keep playing was the motivation my high school coach gave me…he knows I have the potential to play at the next level.
— John D'albero
John’s plan is to play junior hockey for two years then hopefully play college hockey. Though the hive is saying goodbye to “Johnny Hockey,” his team and support system are cheering him on. #28 may be signing off, but he’s moving on to bigger and better things.
#7 Mason Mccarroll
Now we have Captain Baseball player Mason Mccarroll. Mason is joining CCSU’s D1 baseball team which is coached by Charlie Hickey. Charlie has been coaching Central’s baseball team since 2000 and has had many successful runs with them. Mason is really excited to be joining CCSU Baseball. He shared, “I am looking forward to continuing baseball with a new team next year. As great as my team is this year at East Haven, I can’t wait to meet some new faces and start something new in college next year.” But Mason is facing some challenges in leaving the hive.
Mason explains numerous times how much he loves his EH team. Mason believes that joining CCSU’s baseball team will bring him out of his comfort zone after playing with the same team for four consecutive years. He also explains that the support his family and friends have given him has played a huge part in his success, and this in turn has made him confident in his future success at Central Connecticut State University. But Mason does stress that college baseball will be more demanding than what he plays now, “They have longer and more frequent practices/workouts. They also have a much larger schedule and travel around.”
But of course, Mason isn’t ready to throw in the towel. Mason has many plans and preparations for his future success,
To prepare for the next level I try to consistently go practice and work on my skills as well as getting in the gym. Over the summer I’ll play with college level guys to adjust to the better competition.
— Mason McCarroll
Mason is ready to put in all the extra work needed to be a valuable member of Central’s baseball team. Numerous times we’ve seen Mason’s absolute dedication to his sport and EH cheers on their baseball captain no matter where life takes him. Though Mason’s leave from the hive will be hard, we wish him the best of luck on all his future endeavors. #7 is signing off.
Sound of the Times
It’s been hard watching these players leave the hive, and they will be missed by their teams dearly. But we now know that it’s just as hard for them even though these accomplishments are opening many new doors for them. As they continue to write their new chapters, as a school and former teammates to them we all wish them the best of luck; and as this year closes; we hope the East Haven juniors are ready, because time flies by.
