by Demetria Ma, staff writer
On Monday evening, all varsity athletes at FVHS attended the second annual Varsity Athlete Summit that was held in the school gym.
The event centered around multiple guest speakers, many of whom were FV alumni. They addressed different topics, such as nutrition, sportsmanship and communication.
The school nurse, Marci McLean-Crawford, stressed the importance of maintaining a balanced diet, while math teacher and NCAA referee Marianne Karp taught athletes about how effective communication and a good attitude is crucial at all times.
“I did benefit from the event very much because it taught me how to be a better athlete and a teammate,” said volleyball player Maya Thatsanaphonh (’16). “As a teammate, I learned how to be a more communicative person and [as an athlete] to stay healthy.”
Matt Stevens, an FV alumni and current UCLA radio broadcaster, discussed the adversities he faced over his athletic career when he developed a life-threatening cancer. He overcame the challenges and used his extensive knowledge of football to become UCLA’s football color analyst.
OC Human Relations representatives, Don Han and Adriana Cortes Luna addressed the topic of being role models both at school and in the community. They taught the significance of being confident and moral, despite how challenging things may become.
“Not only did the summit make me motivated to be a better athlete, [but] it [also] motivated me to become a better person,” said basketball player Jalen Harrington (’15). “It showed me that how you present yourself off the court is just as important as how you present yourself on the court.”
