Malania Hill is among the many athletes that attend FWPA. She has played basketball for many years; this year she plays for Sequoyah Middle School as a guard and during summer she travels around the country playing basketball.
Before Malania started playing, she was inspired by her father who grew up playing basketball. He influenced her to start playing. Her dad grew up playing basketball so as she grew up watching him. He knew when she got older she would want to play. “My dad is my biggest inspiration. Without him I don’t think I would’ve ever started playing,” Malania said.
Malania grew up around a lot of athletes like her sister who also followed in her dad’s footsteps and grew up playing basketball. Whenever she would watch her sister play, she knew that one day she would want to play. Now, she gets to play during the school week and go around to tournaments winning titles.
“The thrill I feel when playing is unexplainable. Just walking into the gym is enough to keep me going,” she explained.
Another one of the athletes that attends FWPA is Reneta Adusei. Reneta is a dancer who dances for Phenomenal She. Even though she started just two years ago, she is very passionate about dance. She describes her dance team like a family. “When we’re all dancing together, it feels like we’re just people having fun,” she said. Reneta didn’t intend to start dancing; she says it “just happened.”
Renata’s Biggest inspiration is her team captain. She describes her as a very hard-working person who sets her mind to goals and always accomplishes them. Another one of her biggest inspirations is her coach. “She never lets us down and pushes us to be better dancers and I appreciate her for that. She goes above and beyond to make sure we go into every performance ready no matter the outcome.”
Reneta also shared how hard it is to balance school and dance, keeping grades up, and turning in assignments on time when practices go late, but she manages to do it even when it’s hard. She is more determined than ever to make it work and not interfere with either to be the best student athlete she could possibly be.
FWPA has athletes of all grades and ages. One of our 6th graders, Aiden Lee, plays tennis and is very passionate about the sport.
Aiden started tennis not too long ago but he is making very fast progress. 4 years ago Aiden’s friend influenced him to play tennis. Sports are challenging not just for the students but the parents as well.“My parents motivate me. I think about how hard they work for me and that is my biggest motivation and it pushes me to do better everyday,” he explained.
Aiden plays tennis up north so he has to leave school early just to make the trips. This also causes him to get home later. “I leave during 6th period and I have to leave school early and I get home late and I don’t have much time for homework,” he said. Although there are many hard parts about being a student athlete, there are many benefits.
Aiden describes tennis as a friendship between him and the games he likes. He says meeting new opponents on the court feels like they are connected through the game.
Aiden’s advice to anyone who wants to try tennis is, “Tennis is overall a really fun sport and it’s very different from other sports and a lot harder, but the movements are fun so I think other people should play even though it’s hard. Sometimes it’s good to have different experiences”
No matter what grade or age these athletes started, they didn’t let that stop them from trying their best and improving every day.
