The final buzzer echoed through the gym, marking not just the end of the game but the nearing end of a journey. As the only senior on the team, Lauren Tompkins had spent the season leading by example—pushing through tough practices, encouraging younger teammates, and embracing the responsibility of being the one they looked up to.
Lauren Tompkins, a senior at Revere High School (RHS) is the only senior on the women’s varsity basketball team, thus putting a burden on her to be a good role model and lead her younger teammates to a high standard.
Tompkins said that being the sole senior on the team had its challenges at the beginning of the year, especially with the team having a new coach and so many young players experiencing the varsity level for the first time.
“Trying to adjust to the new coach and meeting the younger girls who were new…learning how to play with them and also trying to connect with the coach and just get everything in order [was difficult],” Tompkins said.
Despite the challenges, Tompkins quickly adapted to lead the team. She noted that the key to mentoring the team was to do the right thing herself. By making the right plays and having the right attitude, Tompkins became a role model to the rest of the girls and raised her own standard.
“If I’m doing the right thing…I’m kind of leading by example… I feel like that is one way to be a mentor by just doing the right thing, so then [the girls] hopefully take after me. But I definitely would say at times it’s hard if I was trying to make sure other people are doing the right thing and then have to also hold myself accountable,” Tompkins said.
Head women’s basketball coach Dorian Rowell said that while it was a tough situation being the only senior, Tompkins was always available to the other players for advice or brainstorming ideas for how to improve the team. He believes this is a testament to the kindness and overall leadership that Tompkins reflects onto the team.
“It was awkward for her to be the only senior, most schools have multiple seniors they can bounce ideas off of and have people that they can come up with ideas on how best to lead the program going forward, and I think she did a pretty decent job of doing it herself…that shows a type of quality in a person,” Rowell said.
Rowell has known Tompkins since sixth grade. Over the years, he’s seen her grow as a person and player. He said that she possessed the drive and passion with basketball that allowed her to push through high school and her senior year in the program. She figured out how to lead while also improving her own game.
“Lauren became very astute of what was needed for a player to persevere and to grow, within a school setting. She figured out the do’s and don’ts, the ins and outs, and that allowed her to get to the finish line… so that’s a testament to her intelligence and her drive,” Rowell said.
Freshman Junior Varsity and Varsity player Chaya Velasco-Stile said that Tompkins handled being the only senior on the team very well, despite the pressure that may come from being in the spotlight, and that younger players like herself were able to look up to her and see an example of how to play and act.
“I think it made Lauren seem a lot more special, considering all of our attention was on her and… she’s such a good role model for people younger than her… and being the only person able to do that, she did a really good job,” Velasco-Stile said.
Velasco-Stile also said that Tompkins left a legacy on the team through the empathy and attention she gave to the rest of the team and the basketball program altogether.
“She was a really good leader, and she was very impactful on the team because…she actually helped people out on her own time and cared about making people better than they were before,” Velasco-Stile said.
As Lauren Tompkins’ high school basketball journey comes to a close, her impact on the RHS program remains undeniable. Through resilience, leadership, and a commitment to her younger teammates, she set a standard for those who will follow. Her legacy as a role model and mentor will continue to inspire the next generation of players long after the final buzzer.
