7 minute read
Meer Mahfuz
from Volume 33 Issue 5
by The Sidekick
Coppell junior defender Malkam Wallace defends senior middie Logan Hazlewood at practice on March 22 at Lesley Field. Wallace is a dual sport athlete that portrays commitment and savors bonds with his teammates. Olivia Short
Varshitha Korrapolu
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Hustling on the football field during the fall. Defending the Coppell lacrosse team during the spring. As a dual sport athlete, Coppell junior long stick midfielder Malkam Wallace never has a moment to waste.
Wallace’s pivotal moment in lacrosse was during the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) state championship against Vandergrift at Houston last year. Wallace played in place of an injured senior. Coppell defeated Vandergrift 5-4.
“Winning state was a good feeling, being out there, playing with the seniors, it was their last hurrah,” Wallace said. “In both games that we played, it was a two game trip. In both games, we started down and it was a two game trip. At halftime we were down in both games. We had to come together, dig ourselves out of the hole, and win the game.”
As Wallace’s mother, Sharonda Wallace, watched her son’s performance in the state championship, she saw the result of Malkam’s years of work that he put into lacrosse.
“I felt incredible pride, excitement and nervousness,” Mrs. Wallace said. “It was a nail biter of a game. I was nervous for the team, but at the same time proud of everything that they have endured to get to that point. They were state champions last year. The game was on Mother’s Day of 2021. It was the best Mother’s Day gift ever.”
According to Coppell lacrosse coach Matt Mueller, Malkam’s excellent performance in games is due to his work ethic and mindset during practices.
“Malkam is a very hard working young man, very coachable,” Mueller said. “He’s like a sponge. I only have to tell him things a couple times and he soaks them up and applies what we tell him. On top of that, he’s also a phenomenal teammate. He leads by example and does everything the right way on and off the field which spreads.”
As lacrosse is a team sport, Malkam’s familiarity with his teammates as he was friends with them since fourth grade.
“I love the camaraderie,” Malkam said. “I love the fast pace aspect of it. I love being around teammates that like to play as much as I do.”
The close connections that Malkam has established allows him and his teammates to push each other beyond their abilities.
“He’s a guy that never complains, shows up with a great
smile on his face, working hard as hard as he possibly can,” Mueller said. “Doing things to the best of his ability. It’s contagious among his teammates. They see Malkam working his tail off and his teammates are inclined to do the same.”
Whether Malkam is playing lacrosse or football, volunteering or studying, he does the activity with his whole heart.
“Genuine is the best word to describe Malkam,” Mueller said. “He’s a very nice young man. He’s very respectful. A great teammate. He does things for the right reasons. Not only on the field but off the field. He’s very serious with his academics. Across the board, he’s just a very genuine human being in all areas of his life.”
WALLACE’S WAY
Favorite musicians:
Yeat and Drake
Other activities:
Coppell varsity track and field team (event is relays)
Something people don’t know about him:
Wallace is a sociable person
Dream job:
Still searching, but wants to benefit other people through science
Favorite college lacrosse teams:
Duke, Syracuse and Johns Hopkins
Inspirational figure:
Jim Brown, NFL legend and former professional lacrosse player
Sri Achanta
News Editor
@sriachanta_
Jack Johnson. Jesse Owens. Jackie Robinson.
All of these athletes worked tremendous amounts to break the same barrier: race. It wasn’t until 1908 that Johnson became the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, even though he defended the colored heavyweight title numerous times. It wasn’t until 1936 in the Berlin Olympics that Jesse Owens was able to win four track and field medals as a Black athlete and it wasn’t until 1947 when Robinson was able to break the “color line” that segregated baseball by race.
Prior to World War II, African Americans were subjected to racial barriers through laws like the Jim Crow Laws that monopolized on racial prejudice. Even though these laws were abolished shortly after World War II, African Americans continued to face racist ideals into the 21st century.
For Black athletes, segregation laws and racial prejudices kept them from being able to play with their white counterparts. The majority of sports stayed segregated until the mid–20th century, with integration efforts for the National Football League starting in around 1930 and integration of Major League Baseball in around 1950.
Earl Loyd became the first African American player to play in an NBA game in 1950 with the Washington Capitols. Kenny Washington made history by becoming the first African American to sign an NFL contract with the Cleveland Rams in 1946. Althea Gibson changed the course of tennis and golf by becoming the first Black female athlete to desegregate both sports. As groundbreaking as these achievements were, each athlete faced their own unique set of challenges. When Jack Johnson claimed the title of heavyweight boxing champion, violent riots followed for days.
Over the years, the number of African Americans in the sports industry has increased, while being limited to a few select sports: basketball and football.
In 2020, around 75% of NBA Players were African American and in 2019, around 60% of NFL players were African American.
On the other hand, sports such as baseball, wrestling and golf don’t have nearly as many Black athletes, with the number
of Black athletes in the MLB reaching a low of around 10%. Coppell High School senior atlete Simi Socks, who plays football and wrestles highlights how underrepresentation of Black athletes can be seen in his experience as a wrestler at Coppell.
“When I think of athletes, a lot of them aren’t wrestlers,” Socks said. “A lot of Black athletes play football because that’s how the demographic lines up for the sport. When I was growing up, most of the people that looked like me played basketball and football, so I played basketball and football. I didn’t start wrestling until my sophomore year of high school because I didn’t grow up looking at things and thinking ‘oh I want to go be a wrestler.’”
While many Black athletes are commonly seen in the Summer Olympics, there was a low number of Black athletes who participated in the recent Winter Olympics. There was, however, a rising number of female Black athletes at this year’s winter games.
For years, Black female athletes have faced the same setbacks as Black male athletes, due to the belief that females have to meet certain societal expectations. Alongside their male counterparts, they have fought for equality, and have been granted it to certain extents. We see more Black female athletes, such as gymnast Simone Biles and tennis star Serena Williams, participating in sports, pushing for the inclusion of females in male dominated activities.
“Gabby Douglas and Serena Williams are two powerful Black women in sports who are really good at what they do and they fight through a bunch of adversity that comes with it,” Coppell senior forward India Howard
said. “There is an under-acknowledgement of them. Sports are usually gender based; females don’t get enough recognition – the highest paid WNBA player [makes] less than the lowest paid NBA player. There is a giant margin, [but] at the end of the day, both teams are doing the same job, they’re both ing the same thing; it’s harder to do the same job as someone else, knowing you get paid significantly less, so at that point, [the yearning to play] comes just from within.”
INDIA HOWARD
SENIOR BASKETBALL PLAYER
With the number of Black athletes rising, so is the push for racial inclusion, but it must be kept in mind that racism and unfair punishments are still faced by many who are of different colors.
Source: Gzero Media
The increased number of Black athletes in sports has been limited to a select few sports: basketball and football. Sri Achanta
