What Sports Mean

The Significance of Sports

Seniors reflect on their experiences playing sports, share what sports mean to them and give advice for underclassmen.

Phoebe Stein

“I’ve been on varsity tennis since freshman year and I think that sports helped define my high-school experience— without going into tennis as a ninth grader I wouldn’t have had as much confidence as I did throughout high school. Getting to be friends with older players and all the seniors gave me a chance to branch out and experience more of high school than I would have without being on the team. Getting to be captain my senior year is a pretty cool reward for the four years I’ve put in. I really love getting the chance to lead the team now.”

Bea Lujan

“I play sports because I love to be active and grow closer with my teammates. Sports, for me, are like a breath of fresh air after a long academic day. At Laguna my favorite thing about sports is getting to know people from different grades. My best piece of advice would be for everyone to be in a sport. You are at a school like Laguna where sports are not stressful and are a great way to meet people. It is where you will bond and connect with the people around you and strive to win! Laguna sports have helped me be more patient and go back to the basics and make sure I’m doing that right.”

Devin Hernandez

“I play basketball and beach and indoor volleyball. I play sports because they allow me to escape reality and just focus on playing a game. Sports are important to me because they give me the opportunity to compete and better myself as an individual both mentally and physically. After high school I hope to continue to play basketball and beach volleyball. My favorite thing about sports is the fans, a crowd makes a game 10 times more intense. My biggest piece of advice would have be to stay focused and work your hardest.”

PAGE by ANDREAS JACKSON ART by CLAIRE TOLLES

Finn Walker

“I play basketball, soccer, indoor volleyball, sand volleyball, and football. Sports at Laguna are important to me because they have given me an outlet for exercise. Sports have always been a big part of my life and I’m hope to continue volleyball at a club level at college. My best piece of advice for newer players of high school sports at

Laguna would be to try it out. Even if you aren’t good at the sport or don’t know anyone, I would say to try it out. You meet so many people during sports and Laguna offers everyone an opportunity to play at a high level. Many of my friends have tried sand volleyball out and have found a passion for it this year.”

Jillian Lin

“I play indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, soccer and track & field. Sports are important to me because they give me the opportunity to stay active while competing with others. I hope to participate in the club track & field team in college. My advice to new players would be to try different sports because you never know what you’ll end up liking.”

Oscar Houglet

“I have played soccer, football and sand volleyball. I started playing sports for exercise just so that I could do something, but after a while it was also a way to see my friends. Sports are important to me because they have allowed me to bond with people. Especially at the beginning of the season, since we all suffer through the same thing together it creates a really powerful atmosphere and environment. For me, sports are all about having fun. It’s a way to reward yourself for grinding for months on end. My favorite thing about sports are my team-mates, and the stories that come from them. My best piece of advice would be to trust the coaches. It’s going to seem like half the things you do are pointless but trust me they all have merit.“

Augustus Sabino

“For new players, I’d say that they should just try as many sports as they can. In the relatively low stress athletic environment that Laguna offers, it is very easy to try out a new sport and not feel like you’re missing out on a sport you’re more comfortable with.”

Robbie Brown “In my professional high school sporting career I gallantly captained the golf team and also played sand volleyball. Sports are important for me as they allows me to show off my natural abilities while asserting dominance on my colleagues. Sports are also a great way to build friendships and comradeship that last throughout high school.”

Elizabeth Bisno “At Laguna, our coaches are laid-back, hilarious and encouraging, which sets the mood for teams each season. My advice would be to avoid stressing about matches too much. Play against other schools as if you were at practice.”