By Lily Tafoya
Staff Writer
Do you want to be recognized as your team’s MVP? Do you want to earn a 4.0 GPA or higher and be balanced and organized? As winter sports have ended and spring begins, tryouts, practices and meets are just around the corner. Many students are trying to keep up with their grades while playing at the top of their game. Selected by their coaches, these varsity scholar athletes shared exactly how they do it.
After teaching himself how to play the sport over quarantine in his backyard, senior scholar athlete Prasen Shakaya has been titled MVP of the badminton team and has been playing on varsity since his freshman year. “It’s a very close-knit team, and I think it’s one of the main reasons we’re able to succeed in the sport because it feels like you’re a part of a family,” said Shakaya. His coaches have always supported his academics, and he said that “they give us time to work, and it has been a very integral part of my success as a student.”
Outside of sports, his dream of attending UC Berkeley has kept him motivated over the years. Overall, Shakaya said, “Don’t underestimate badminton as a sport. Whatever your passion is, always put 100% into it. . . . Balance your life; don’t separate it.” Shakya emphasizes that support is one of the most important things in a student athlete’s life.
“You get out what you put in in just about everything in life,” said senior baseball player Kelsey Jennings. President of the Math, Science and Chess Clubs, he has earned himself a spot on the high honor roll and a plaque in our agriculture building, and he pushes himself to get to the gym early to get a jumpstart on his busy day. His team keeps him motivated, and losing a game only encourages him to play harder.
For those struggling to keep up with grades, the AP student recommends “tak[ing] advantage of light work and get[ting] ahead. Maximize your time so that you can focus on the sport.” His demanding goals keep him focused: “Trust that your potential is directly related to how much you put in,” Jennings said, “and nobody else can limit it, or make you less than you are.”
When she’s not taking care of her plants or working, senior Ysabella Galisanao is running varsity for the track and field team, as she has done since kindergarten. Her organization keeps her in check: “Having a tight schedule helps me gauge things I could fit into my day, like downtime for myself.” In terms of diet and nutrition, she said, “Don’t obsess over what you’re eating, and eat what makes you feel good.” She enjoys going to the gym but suggests letting your body rest when it needs to. For Galisanao, carving out time to complete her assignments keeps her steady and motivated to do well.
Lastly, Galisanao shared about a tough injury she faced last year and how she overcame it: “I pulled my quad at the end of last season; [my coach] told me that she was pulling me from one of my events. She reminded me that I had a relay team to consider, teammates that were counting on me. I had to remind myself who I’d be letting down if I didn’t stop.”
These athletes prove day in and day out that it takes balance, mental and physical strength, and discipline to succeed. It takes support from others, self determination and overall passion to find joy within the chaos.
