Junior Year Reflection

Dang, I can’t believe it is almost over. Just a few more days and we are home free. I have had a lot of ups this year, which include getting my license, making new friends, and having a fantastic track season. I’ll never forget my Jr year because it was, so-far, my toughest/funnest year in high school thus far.

Ever since I was a little kid, I had always dreamed of driving a car. So when I finally turned 16 this year, I didn’t wait on getting my license. Having my license gave me so much more freedom, compared to what I previously had. However, this freedom came with more responsibilities. Even though it was all fun and games in the beginning, it eventually became a chore because I am now the family taxi. However, I’d rather be the family taxi than not have a car at all because the pros strongly outweighs the cons. I am extremely grateful that I even have a car to begin with because there are many kids out there wishing they could drive but simply cannot. This taught me to always be appreciative of what you have. 

My Summer Plans…

Summer is just around the corner, just a couple more school days and we are home free. I am really excited for this summer because I actually have plans and it won’t be a productive-less summer. Since I have a gym membership, a car, and lots of friends. I will have plenty of opportunities to be productive.  Also, my family and I are planning to go on vacation, which we haven’t done in a really long time.

This summer, I promised myself that I will go to the gym at least 5 days a week. I really want to gain some muscle mass this summer because I’ve always wanted to have that dream body. Summer is the perfect opportunity to do it. Even though I know there will be days where I don’t feel like working out. I know I have friends that will always pick me up and help me achieve this goal.

This summer is also going to be pretty stressful because I will be figuring out where I would like to go to college. This is always a stressful process, because you are figuring out what you want to study and become for the rest of your life. At the moment, I currently don’t know what I want to do and what I want to be. That is why I have been doing my research now, so I won’t have to cram later in the future.

I am extremely excited for this summer because we are finally going to visit the Philippines. I haven’t been there since I was 11 years old and I am curious to know what it is like nowadays. I can’t wait to see my cousins and relatives. I miss them so much. I can’t wait to catch up with them. I also can’t wait to visit the beautiful beaches and have the opportunity to go snorkeling  and wake-boarding.

This is going to be my last summer before I become a Senior in high school. The time has gone by so quickly. I remember, like it was yesterday, when the link crew leaders where welcoming us to Fountain Valley High School for the first time. I will never forget the immediate feeling of family as I stepped into FVHS. As this school year is coming to a close, I must remember to cherish every moment I have with my fellow class of 2016. Our time is almost coming to an end, but it doesn’t mean we should make it end. Memories last forever.

If you want it, Go Get it!

We all want our own things in life. But what is stopping us? Is it Money? Family? Peers? What do we have to do to get what we want? There is no magical formula behind it. The answer is simple, but the journey is difficult. If times get tough, we can’t back down and quit right away. We must keep our eyes on the prize and keep moving forward because pain is temporary. If we suffer a little right now, we can celebrate later with achievements that last forever. 

Rise to the Occasion

We did it! Your Fountain Valley Barons took down the Los Al Griffins to win their 5th straight Sunset League Championship. The most in school history. Even though Los Al put up a good fight with great individual performances, it takes a team effort to win a championship. Before the match up, it was suppose to be a straight up draw and could have gone both ways. It was up to whoever would rise to the occasion. The Barons just happened to make it happen.

In the beginning of the meet, it looked like Los Al was going to steal our championship. It all changed during the Varsity 4×1 Relay. It was a neck and neck race but our Barons managed to hold them off and win the race. This race completely ripped the hearts of Los Al’s coach as he dramatically broke his clipboard on a couple of hurdles, while saying, “The meet’s over, We Lost!” Keep in mind that this occurred at almost the beginning of the meet. The Los Al coach already lost hope in his team and it just tore the hearts of the Los Al athletes.

Even though track is a team effort, there were some individual performances that helped spark the intensity of others. Ibtihaj Nyear, injured for most of the year, decided to do all jumps to help score points in the most important meet of the year. After a poor High Jump performance, only jumping 5 feet 8 inches (yeah, that’s poor for him) decided to use his anger as fuel to energize him for his next events. He ran down the runway and long-jumped a PR of 21 feet and triple jumped a PR of 42 feet. His previous PR’s was 19 feet 5 inches in long jump and 37 feet in Triple Jump. A tremendous improvement after coming back from a foot injury. A clutch performance when we need it most in the most important meet in the entire year against our greatest rival. This is what separates champions from the rest.

A year of hard work finally paid off but we aren’t done yet. Even though we are League Champs we still need to protect it in League Finals. We don’t want to get beat and end up co-champing. We must continue to stay humble and have the correct mindset until season is completely over. But until then we must continue to work hard and Rise to the Occasion.

It all comes down to this…

These last 3 weeks are going to be the biggest weeks of our track & field season. All the training we had put in all year comes down to this. The question still remains, are we ready to win our 5th straight sunset league championship? Are we ready for these last few weeks? We must take this into our own hands if we want to win again.

Steve Nash Calls it a Career

Being born in Canada, Steve Nash, started off playing soccer and ice hockey because those were the biggest sport in Canada at the time. It wasn’t until the 8th grade that Steve Nash decided to play basketball. Even then, he was deciding on whether to make a career on basketball or in soccer. Steve Nash ultimately took the basketball route. He wasn’t heavily recruited like most Future-Hall-of Famers because he didn’t really have the basketball type built. He was white, Canadian, and un-athletic. It wasn’t util Dick Davey, the coach of Santa Clara, that recruited him to play for University of Santa Clara. It was there where Steve Nash led the Broncos on their legendary run in the NCAA tournament.

Perks of having a Car…

On the day of my 16th birthday, I couldn’t wait to get my drivers license. I had already had my permit for 6 months so all I needed to do was apply for my behind-the-wheel driving test. On the day of my test, I was extremely nervous because I really did not want to fail. But before my test, my dad gave me good advice by telling me to “Just Drive.” The driving test was that easy, all I had to do was relax, pay attention, and just drive. I am proud to say I only missed 5 errors and passed my first try.

A months after I got my license, I was surprised to come home to a brand-new 2014 Nissan Sentra. I was very grateful because not many teens my age get a brand-new car. However, having a new car meant new responsibilities. I now have to start paying for gas, pay attention while driving, and now many lives including mine are in the palm of my hands.

However, a new car also meant many new advantages. I am now able to drive myself to school and no longer have to rely on my parents to pick me up. I also get to go anywhere I want as long as I am home by 9:00 PM. Driving also allows me to be that cool kid that gets to give people rides if they need it. Honestly, many people view driving as a chore, I have yet to feel that way. I enjoy driving because it gives me time to relax and listen to my own music and gives me a whole new freedom.

How track changed my life…

After playing basketball for my whole life, I was saddened to find out that I didn’t make the Freshman basketball team. It sucks because I knew I was good enough, but the coaches didn’t know how good I was because I didn’t attend summer camp that year. The three-day try-out  they held was pointless. It wasn’t the coaches fault, it was mine. I had to struggle and stay in P.E. as I watched my friends enjoy being a part of the basketball team.

When sophomore year came by, I vowed to join a sport so I didn’t have to live in hell (P.E) again. At first I couldn’t figure out what sport I should join. I told my friend, Ibtihaj (yes, that is his name), to join throwing with me. I chose throwing because all you do is lift and throw things. throwing didn’t really work out because you have to really big to throw. As shocking as it may seem, I am not as swole as everyone may think I am. Then, Ibtihaj told me that we should join Long Jump for track. I didn’t know that there was even a sport called jumps.I came from a small school so I wasn’t really exposed to track & field much. The next day we walk to Coach Bivens and ask him if we can join jumps. Right then and there we meet coach Kim and she led us through a jump workout. At the end of practice, she noticed we had potential and decided to keep us. Honestly, after her saying that she would keep us made me feel so happy because I knew I was a part of a team again. A feeling I hadn’t felt since the eighth grade.

Track is where I had met my best friends. I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without them. It trips me out thinking that this would have never happened if I never joined track. My advice to people not on a part of a team, is to join some sort of team and create a strong friendship that will last forever. We are only in high school for a certain period of time. Might as well make the most of it. Also, remember that everything always happens for a reason. Even though there are days I wish I made the basketball team, I am glad that things worked out. Everything happens for a reason.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather

It is finally here, after dodging Manny’s request to fight for several years, Floyd Mayweather finally agreed to fight. This fight is expected to get $350 million off of just paper-view earnings. Even though Manny Pacquiao and Floyd are in their older stages and are on their decline this fight is going to bring boxing back after it has been on a little decline. This fight will go down in history because of how much pride is going into this fight. Manny Pacquiao is fighting not only for himself but for the country of the Philippines. Floyd Mayweather is fighting for his legacy because he has a history of dodging other prized fighters because he is afraid of tarnishing his own “undefeated record.”

Almost time for season…

Dang…I can’t believe it’s almost time for season. We have all worked so hard for this moment. We are shooting for or fifth straight Sunset League Championship. We are looking to carry on what our last years Seniors started. No one wants to be the first team to lose the streak. Our coach (Coach Bivens) has given us moral support and told us we should be Sunset League Champions again. This year is going to be the year where the competition is at it’s closest. Fountain Valley, Edison, and Los Alamitos are all going to have a close match-up. We know Edison and Los Alamitios are hungry to win a Sunset League Championship. But, we are not ready to give up our championship belt just yet.