In high school, young people grow physically, mentally and emotionally, and learn about themselves, and develop key characteristics and values to help them take on the long journey known as life.
Schools provide many avenues for students to explore their interests and develop themselves. One of those avenues is athletics. As the high school sports season for the 2017-18 academic school year comes to a close, I wanted to explore the experience of being a student-athlete.
Guilherme Garcia, a senior Brazilian exchange student at Sedona Red Rock High School, stands at first base after drawing a walk in his second-ever at-bat in the Scorpions’ 23-5 win over Ash Fork/Seligman High School on April 25. Brazilian high schools do not have sports, and playing all three seasons at Red Rock was the best decision he said he made.
Participating in high school sports helped shape who I am today, as well as many of my closest friends. No matter which sport it is, you learn about things like hard work, dedication, responsibility, accountability, perserverance, teamwork and communication.
There are benefits that extend beyond those typical buzzwords that appear on motivational posters, and they are just as important, if not more.
It forces student-athletes to maintain good grades. They learn time management. They learn about choosing between right and wrong, discipline and temptation.
Being successful in sports fosters confidence. Being around a group of people with one like-minded goal fosters a sense of community. Celebrating in the thrills of victory and wallowing in the agony of defeat help emulate some of the highs and lows that will certainly come later in life — but at no consequence, with no strings attached.
There is the cherry on top: If a student-athlete has the grades and the skills, they may even earn a scholarship to help subsidize their college education while continuing to play the sport they love.
Nothing beats the experience.
Throughout this year, I asked athletes from all three local high schools what the benefits of playing high school sports are. I outlined some of their answers already. Others stood out more, like making memories and friends.
As an only child, I grew up relying on spending time with others to keep me happy and productive. I played AYSO and Little League baseball as a child, and I did track and field in junior high school — I wasn’t very good at any of them, but I made a lot of friends.
In high school I began to play water polo and was on the swim team. I played water polo in college and abroad. To this day, many of my teammates remain my best friends.
Without sports, I’m not sure I would have had the same kinds of experiences nor the memories — I probably wouldn’t be the person I am today. Perhaps I wouldn’t be writing this column right now.
There was one student-athlete at Sedona Red Rock High School that stood out from the rest this year: Garcia, a senior Brazilian exchange student. High schools in Brazil, and many other countries, don’t have sports, and Garcia participated in a sport during all three seasons.
He swam in the fall, played soccer in the winter and baseball in the spring. Since baseball is not a popular sport in Brazil, Garcia had never played before this year.
I asked him what his favorite part about America is, and he said it was that he could play sports in high school. Daniel Bouvin, a Swedish exchange student who played football and soccer last year, said the same thing.
On April 25, on the final game of the baseball season, after practicing every day, Garcia finally got to play. He struck out in his first at-bat, played one inning in right field and drew a walk in his second at-bat.
Later in that inning, with a huge smile on his face, he scored a run.
That will surely be a unique memory that sticks with him for years to come.
“I think it was the best choice I made here in America because doing sports you have something to do in the afternoon. You meet a lot of people, you make a lot of friends and you also can play sports, which is something really cool to do,” Garcia said.
High school sports are filled with wins, losses, mistakes and lessons learned. The experience, and the memories, are what last a lifetime.
