S.F.H.S. Athletes earn Academic All State recognition.

Submitted by ts on
  • Erin Redd – Volleyball
  • Janessa Nielsen – Soccer
  • Betty Thomas – Tennis

These girls earned the prestigious Utah High School Activities Association honor by maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average above a 3.75 beginning their freshman year and were regular starters on the varsity teams.

Erin Redd (Volleyball):

Being chosen as academic all-state is a goal I’ve always had. It shows that there’s more to being an athlete than just sports. Maintaining a high GPA when involved in extracurricular activities can be difficult but it’s very rewarding in the end. When you’ve finished with sports people are going to remember how you represented yourself and the school not only on and off the court but in the classroom also. As you strive to be a better student you become a better athlete. These two go hand in hand. They teach hard work, self motivation, and a constant effort to reach your goals. All these lessons learned when participating in athletics and the classroom will determine the kind of person you’ll be. I’ve learned that when I hold myself to higher expectations it makes me an all around better person. You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. Go out and have a desire to be the best you can be. They sky’s the limit… Go for it!

Janessa Nielsen (Soccer):

Sports have always been an encouragement for me to do well in school. If I don’t keep up on my school work, then I can’t play sports. It’s also been important for me to be a good example for those around me. I have learned this throughout my life by watching my parents and my three awesome brothers. My two older brothers also received Academic All-State, so I wanted to do the same. The way you conduct yourself on and off the playing field, as well as in the classroom, is what people will remember you by. I strive to be a good example for those around me, because then they will try to do the same, and soon it makes your team, family, or workplace stronger as a whole. One of my favorite examples of emphasizing the importance of being a student-athlete is in the movie, Coach Carter. In this movie, the coach of the Richmond High School basketball team motivates his players, who were at the beginning of the season failing all their classes, to education and the influence you have on those around you will live on forever.

Betty Thomas (Tennis):

I have always had a strong belief that sports and academics feed off each other and make the student more prepared for the years to come. By keeping strong goals in both sports and academics I have had the opportunity to see that I can succeed at whatever I feel is important. If people say you don’t learn how to become a better student while playing a sport, they don’t understand that what students are learning may not be considered secular knowledge, but it will help them in their future. Yet, students can also take the knowledge they learn in school by becoming a more successful athlete. To have the opportunity to be able to be both successful on the academic and athletic fronts during high school, I feel that I’m better prepared for what life has to throw at me in the future. I also have an amazing sense of satisfaction in knowing that I can still be successful without having to sacrifice one thing for another. People can succeed at whatever they want to as long as they are prepared to put the work they need to accomplish those tasks behind them. People don’t just remember what you did, they remember they type of person that you are.
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