Cole Corapi, a senior at Cathedral Prep, values the benefits of athletics as a high school student. The motivation, teamwork, and leadership skills that he has acquired will be taken with him as he continues his academic career into further education.  

He currently plays CYO basketball for

“CYO is a sort of rec league where Catholic schools get teams back together and kids from various high schools come together to play again,” Cole said.

CYO basketball allows Cole to connect with peers he has not seen since middle school. While he does not plan on pursuing his athletic career in college, he does plan to continue playing.

“I don’t plan on playing any sports in college because I don’t have the talent for basketball to move on to the next level,” Cole said. “It would be nice to go to the next level, but I’m happy with just playing basketball for fun with friends,” Cole said.

The simplicity of the bond of a team is more complex than one may think.

“When you are in a game you realize that you have an effect on how the game turns out and you can do something to change it,” he said. “But when I’m at home it’s either smooth sailing or a roller coaster of emotions. If my teams is cruising through the other team, I’m calm. But if it’s a close game or my team is losing, I am out of my seat just hoping something will turn the game around.”

The adrenaline that Cole associates with being in a game is refreshing to the audience on the court. It is visible, the raw passion and drive he puts into his athletic performance. 

This passion is not just an individual love for sports, but a common understanding of the value of a game to each player. The teamwork and understanding of the players is essential for a successful team to thrive. When Cole was asked about teamwork in athletics, he credited football as a top team-working atmosphere. 

“When it comes to teamwork, I believe that football requires the most teamwork. So many things are happening at once on the field, and everyone has to know where and when to go in order to make a play happen,” Cole said. “It’s a system where if one thing collapses or goes wrong then the whole play could be ruined.” This understanding unites players, creating a common goal to do all that is possible to beat the clock and win the game.

Sports have provided Cole with other leadership skills besides teamwork, but the value of pursuing one’s passions and meeting people that share common interests will help you as you grow.

“Sports have shown me leadership, teamwork, friendship, and hard work,” Cole said. “All of these can impact me later in life when I go to college and even when I go beyond that and go into the real world to get a job.”

The leadership skills that Cole has picked up will be used throughout his athletic and professional career.

“Through sports, I’ve been able to pick up a few leadership skills,” he said. “I’ve learned to be more organized and I’ve learned to calm down more while under pressure.”

In Cole’s view, athletics do not just provide physical benefits but mental ones as well.  

As Cole continues to better understand the value of athletics and teamwork, peers can look towards him as a paragon of leadership for well-rounded health. His ambition to pursue something greater than himself is highly motivating to aid in the understanding of individual value as a student, athlete, and individual.