By Cynthia Rodriguez
PHS student athletes have to show their love and devotion to their sport, as well as keep up with their academic responsibilities. Sometimes that is hard to do, but when Passaic Pride is shown, it makes the job of the student athletes a little easier.
Great examples of gratitude from the school community is when there are afterschool games with bleachers full of supporters. There has been a lot of support for both the boys and girls soccer teams and in recent seasons it has been growing.
Both teams have come a long way over the years and show great sportsmanship on and off the field. Together they assure student athletes can focus on their studies and sports while building memories all together.
The students who participate on the soccer teams have to find the time to balance their school work with their home life and responsibilities as well as keep up on their training schedule to stay competitive. That is not an easy task, but they demonstrate this by succeeding on and off the field, in their sport and in their books.
The best example of the dedication to studies as well as athletics is found in two current members of the girls soccer team that are currently in the top 10 for grade point average for their school! Joana Martinez and Seoane Oaxaca from Passaic STEM Academy are great players on the field and also very smart in their studies.
Student-athletes are not only shining in academics but it is seen in their sports as well. The Boys Soccer program has succeeded in making it to the semi-finals for the past four years. Along with making it far into the league, players have outshined their fellow athletes on the field from many different schools.
Bryan Perez, a senior at PHS represented our school is a big way. He had a huge week, scoring five goals and recording seven assists in just two games. He scored two goals and assisted two others in a 7-0 win over West Milford” BIG NORTH CONFERENCE.Bryan Perez is not the only athlete with such accomplishments. Jimmy Gonzalez another senior is currently the top goal scorer in the history of PHS boys soccer with 55 goals.
The Soccer program has managed to create a family celebrating their accomplishments with multiple dinners and breakfasts provided by coaches. A family that looses, wins and plays hard all together in the end.
With eight hours of school work during the morning, and after school practices in the afternoon, plus homework nights, managing these tasks can be seen to be difficult from an outside view.
Joana Martinez states, “I’d just say it’s about time management. I think how you occupy your days and use your time is key to keeping up with both studies and sports at the same time. Not only that, but asking for help from your fellow peers and teachers can also help balance both tasks.”
Students and teachers play a huge role in this. Seeking out assistance is not negative and can greatly impact students positively when choosing to reach out to their resources. Although sports take up a lot of extra time from your day, students shouldn’t shy away from joining sports based on time management.
According to Martinez, “They should join because apart from clubs, extracurricular activities are a really fun way to be involved in your school, while also being able to contribute to your future successes in college. Not only that, but it’s extremely fun to meet new people and experience the joy of sports.”
Representing PHS can be seen as an accomplishment towards these students; it helps build newly found friendships and allows students to focus their energy onto something they enjoy doing. It could go as far as feeling like a second home to some players and a place where nothing else matters for a short while.
Student athletes in Passaic are seen showing their school pride by joining sports they love to play and also focusing on their studies. It is required to have passing grades in order to play so students stay on task during school for afterschool sports events.
Passaic Athletics Program is getting better every year with new athletes working hard and achieving new accomplishments. New coming students are currently influenced hoping to play in sports they admire because of their fellow alumni. These young students are told they must focus in school in order to be able to be a bigger part of the Passaic athletics community. These teams have made a huge impact on one another and have demonstrated students can shine in school and on the field.
You have what it takes to shine on and off the field? Join a team!
