Athletes of Community

“It was nerve wracking,” said Sam Cao about lacrosse tryouts. “I was definitely nervous. But in the end, it was pretty fun because the coaches are really nice, even though we didn’t know if we made the team or not. My mom texted me she got the email that I made the team, and she said that I made it. I got really excited. In fact, I was in Ahmos. I expected a higher level of play compared to anything I’ve really played before. And so far, that’s been true. Our first practice was pretty cool, getting to meet everyone and hanging out with the people I already knew on the team. And meeting all the coaches, they’ve all played professional and played for high level colleges. Having them coach me is really cool.”

“My brother and I started playing soccer around the same time, about a year separate,” Anton Baptista said. “I saw him play and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, okay I need to get good at this. I started when I was around four years old, and I am going into my tenth year. I enjoy playing because it’s a really good exercise. It’s really exhilarating when you play for good teams and you win a lot, and then when you don’t win, it’s life lessons. You can’t lose with soccer.”

“There was a time last year were I was racing, and I crashed,” Charlie Benson said. “I was on a turn and there was sand. I was trying to grab a drink of water, and then I fell. I was actually in first place during that time, and I lost first from that. I remember thinking, ‘It’s fine. I’ll just get a second.’ But what happened, eventually I realized, I could probably beat this guy. So, I really tried to beat him. And I ended up beating him. It was the first time I won too.”

“I was at my level nine regionals, and I [was] on the balance beam,” Taylor Gaies said. “I hate the balance beam. In level nine you can go to nationals and it was my last event. I was really nervous, but I pulled through, and I did it. I made it to nationals. I was in shock, so I wasn’t really aware of what had actually happened, but I was really excited after. I love it. I love the commitment.”

“I play field hockey pioneer,” Ella Roberts said. “My favorite part [is] the team aspect of it. I really like the girls on the team and the whole vibes. For me, I’ve always played sports. If I don’t play sports, then I don’t manage my time well, so I would say it helps me with time management and getting all my stuff done. I know that I have other time commitments, so I have to do my homework at this point, otherwise it’s not going to get done. It gives me a structure to my life.”