It’s Friday night. The air is brisk, it flows through your body like adrenaline you can only imagine. The clouds once colored in hues of pink and red disappear into the dark sky as dusk turns to night. The overwhelming smell of sweat and grass fills the air. Crowds pour into the stadium, holding signs and cheering their sons, brothers, and cousins as they move to their positions on the field. The lights shine over the field, highlighting each and every football player in an illuminating aurora.
Nazierre Holder, a 17-year old senior linebacker and defensive end make his way to his place on the field. Today is the Senior Ball Allstar game, one of the biggest of his career. Every practice, every game, every win or loss leads up to right here. Through all the suspense, Nazierre remains comfortable; he knew exactly what he was doing here. And he executes the perfect play.
“I’m shier and more introverted [in life], but that doesn’t affect me while on the field.” His performance during his senior football season at Green Tech High Charter school can definitely attest to this; he ended his season earning the award for best offensive player of the year.
In addition to being exceptional on the football field, he is also the Vice President of his student government where his position makes him responsible for fundraising events and trips for his senior class. He does all this while managing his grades, an afterschool job, and his own social life. He is graduating this year in the class of 2020 and he is extremely proud and ready to finish high school.
“I’m tired of it,” he says in between laughs, “I want it to be done.”
Being a student-athlete can impact your life in all areas of your life. When looking back at his experience being a student-athlete he says, “It’s hard but I feel like it would help with what I choose to do.” Though he does not know what his career path is, he is certain on one thing: this experience made him want to seek higher education. He knows he wants to play football in college.
Though he has a positive and goal-oriented life, Nazierre notices that there are some challenges surrounding the people of color today. “Usually [the media] portrays people of color in a negative light,” he says. He continues with the negative stigmas and stereotypes that surround the community because of this negative portrayal. Nazierre believes that the black community can combat these negative views by choosing what’s more important to us as a community.
“Don’t do what they expect us to do.” He says.
Nazierre is working hard to be successful in his life. “Success is just being happy with whatever you are doing,” he says. Nazierre uses his good morale and respect for others to help him work towards success for himself while also leading by example for people who may look to him. When he is living life, he wants people he encounters to remember him as just living his life happily.
“I’m not sure where I see myself five years from now, but I just want to be happy doing whatever it is.”
Copyright©Naava Dae 2020
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