Sports are more than just physical exercise. They are a testament to grit, endurance, and teamwork. Jimmy P. ’25, a dedicated and hardworking athlete, is a great example of these qualities. Playing four years of football and basketball for Lakeside, he is now one of the captains of the football team. However, Jimmy’s journey to becoming a standout athlete and leader wasn’t always smooth. In elementary and middle school, he started playing touch football during recess. At the time, these games during breaks were just a nice way to have fun and make friends; sports wouldn’t become serious until his freshman year at Lakeside.
On the first day on the football team, he was suddenly confronted with the intensity and speed of the game. Sports in high school felt like a different world compared to middle school recess. The competition was fiercer, the expectations were higher, and the pace was relentless.
In addition to the uptick in physical intensity, there was also the added stress of rigorous academics.
Jimmy says, “[As a freshman] I was always motivated by my teammates and especially the [upperclassmen]”. They set the standard for what it meant to be a leader and a team player. They helped him through his failures and encouraged him through his successes.
Despite this strong support network, he felt that playing a sport “was mentally taxing… You can ask anybody who’s a student-athlete at Lakeside. It sucks.”
There were many times when Jimmy felt like quitting. Yet, stronger was a connection to sports that he couldn’t be cut off from, even after a hard workout or a bad injury. He says that most times he thought he was going to quit, he simply reminded himself of all the work that he had already put into it. Looking back on this period, Jimmy thinks that being able to push through this initial difficulty was one of the moments where he grew the most.
Despite the success Jimmy has seen so far, he doesn’t plan on playing sports in college. He says that he does it purely for enjoyment. But though competing is fun, he mainly enjoys the connections he forms in the process: “In basketball, if you are on the team it’s really, really special. It’s only 10-12 guys. Everybody has a super important role.”
Through the connections he makes with his teammates after school, he created friendships that will last a lifetime. For example, Jimmy is always really happy whenever alumni of the basketball or football team come back to Lakeside: “There are still adults showing up to practice sometimes, saying, ‘I graduated in 2012.’ They want to come back just because of the connection they made.”
Jimmy extends these connections beyond the field or court. As a captain, he tries to be the same supportive and approachable leader inside and outside of sports practices. He is committed to making sure all grade levels feel included on the team. One of his teammates, Mekai H. ’27 attests, “Jimmy … is not only a great athlete, but a kind, dear friend on and off the field.”
People often celebrate the thrill of success, whether it be making a basketball shot, or scoring a touchdown. But sometimes inevitably there are losses too. Every athlete faces a moment of doubt – the thought of quitting. But for those who push through, those struggles become their defining moments.
