June 23, 2022
Fort Lupton Press 13
LOCAL
SPORTS
Garcia has her swan song among state’s best soccer players BY STEVE SMTH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
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r Fort Lupton’s Reygan Garcia chases down the loose ball early in the Colorado High School Coaches Association’s all-state girls soccer match at Colorado Academy June 13. Garcia was the first Fort PHOTO BY STEVE SMITH Lupton girls soccer player to participate.
DENVER – Fort Lupton’s Reygan Garcia finished her high-school soccer career as part of the Colorado High School Coaches Association’s all-state girls soccer game at Colorado Academy June 13. “It was fun. I met a lot of people, and it was fun to touch the ball again,” she said. The last time she played was in May. “We practiced at 10 a.m. this morning (June 13), and then we came back at 6 and played the game.” There were some designed plays, but there was no team chemistry. “It was hard to know where everyone was going,” she said. “It didn’t matter. It was about having fun. It was nerve-wracking. My knee was hurting, but I enjoyed it.” Garcia, who left the game briefly at the end of the first half, tore her ACL but was able to play for the Bluedevils this spring. “I want to be more cautious with this because I am going to college (she signed with Northeast Community College in Nebraska earlier
this year),” Garcia said. “If anything is bothering me, I take myself out, stretch and then come back in. I had no trouble in the second half.” She didn’t score a goal. She tried one shot, and it went to the left side of the goal. But she enjoyed watching other players’ skills. “I’m an adaptive player. So, when I see it, I adapt to it,” Garcia said. “It teaches me to play with the ball. It’s a learning experience. I can take this into college. All the girls were giving constructive criticism. We were helping each other out.” Garcia said such an approach makes her play harder. “It comes differently when it comes from a player because you’re working with them,” she said. “Hearing it from them, I take it more to heart.” Garcia said the game will help her for college soccer. “I won’t know many of the players when I go to Nebraska,” she said. “Getting their constructive criticism will help me play better and build that chemistry. I’m not a very social person, so going to these kinds of things makes me come out of my shell a lot more.”
Local athletes adjust to the balance of school, athletics BY BY STEVE SMITH SSMITH@COLORADOCOMMUITYNEWSPAPERS.COM
This is part three, the final part of a three-story series. The first part introduced the athletes and the second discussed academic support at their chosen schools. We’ve spent the last couple of weeks with former high-school athletes as they talk about their adjustments to college athletics - everything from more intense practice routines to being responsible for ytheir clean clothes. To wrap up our series, the newly minted college athletes talk about how to balance their athletic life with their new freedoms and the purpose of going to college in the first place - their education. Most think they made a good choice.
That delicate balance Vershon Brooks went from Brighton High School to college football at Luther College in Iowa. “Balancing life with academics and athletics in college was tricky at first,” he said. “You have to look at your schedule and plan ahead of when you’ll get things, like eating, laundry, cleaning and homework, done. You’ll find a routine around your classes and training with the team. It just becomes second nature.”
Former Brighton and Frederick High School pitcher Chase Prestwich, who’s playing collegiately at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, said a lot of people don’t think about that balance of life, academics and athletics. “But it’s really hard,” he said. “I have to really plan out my days and just squeeze in time for things like eating, doing laundry, etc. I have to take advantage of every bit of free time I get because I don’t get much.” In the case of Izayah Elize, former Frederick High School basketball player and now a collegiate player at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, Wyoming, it was “hard and scary being by yourself.” “But once you get in a routine and schedule you realize it’s not that hard,” he said. His high-school classmate, Ryan Chacon, who is running cross country at Butler Community College in Kansas, agreed. “Balancing daily chores and things is difficult,” he said. “But if you make a schedule every week and stick to it, you’ll be fine. Either a team study time will be put into play or making a time to do things.” Emma Kulbida, who attended Stargate School, swam for Legacy High School and is swimming at Carnegie Mellon in Pennsylvania, said balancing her academic, athletic and other needs was difficult.
“Managing the rigorous course loads that CMU has to offer is extremely challenging by itself and competing at a high athletic level on top of that makes it so much harder,” she said. “However, having set practice times forces you to keep somewhat of a schedule, and being a high-level athlete makes you prioritize sleep and nutrition, which helps with school as well.” Brighton High School’s Eli Bowman, who played football at the South Dakota School of Mines, said balancing all of necessary things in school was tough - on occasion. “But it’s something I’ve gotten used to,” he said. “Whether it’s when to do laundry or managing my relationship with my girlfriend, it all took some adjusting and figuring out what works best for me, my schedule and my health. Ultimately, school has to be my No. 1 priority, and I understand that.” Bowman’s classmate, Jespyn Bishop, who is playing water polo at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, split the difference. “I wouldn’t say it has been too difficult, but it hasn’t been easy,” he said. “It honestly all depends on the classes you take. My first semester, none of my classes was extremely hard, but I just had a lot of work. So I ended up scheduling my week to where I could get everything done and still be able to go to bed early
enough to be able to get up and go to morning practices. I also have a work study on campus at the library, which I am able to work while being able to do homework. So normally I get a lot of my homework done then.” Bishop said he tried to plan for other needs a few days ahead of time “which helps me with not having any conflicts.” His second semester was an off-season for water polo. “I get done with all my classes at 12, and then I have practice TuesdayThursdays from 1-3, then weights from 4-5 Tuesdays and Thursdays,” he said. “After that the rest of the day is mine. I normally try to get all my homework done by 10 and then leave two hours to do whatever I want. I normally leave store runs to the weekends because it’s easier to get everything all at once.” Adding structure Erica Derby, who took her soccer skills from Stargate School to Northeastern Community College in Nebraska, said it hasn’t been hard to balance her daily tasks. “Playing soccer adds structure to my day. I have to be at practice and the games. So all my classes and tasks I do revolve around that,” she said. “If my classes conflict with SEE ATHLETES, P14
