One day a year, P.E. students get the opportunity to compete for the prestigious Athlete of The Day award. To win this award, a student has to be more than just a great athlete. They have to be a hard worker on and off the court. They have to be recognized as an exceptional teammate and a fierce competitor. They have to be disciplined, focused and fully committed to their trade. All of this can be said about sophomore Merrick Carey.
For Carey, Friday was just a normal P.E. day. Carey was working hard, battling his friends in a not so friendly game of basketball and had no idea he would finally be rewarded for his efforts. After finding out he had been selected, Carey was ecstatic.
“I just want to thank God and friends, everyone that’s supported me through this. It’s really an honor,” Carey said.
Carey has been taking P.E. since he was in Kindergarten and has always enjoyed the class. For a lot of students, P.E. is just a requirement. Not for Carey. For Carey, P.E. is a time to show off the skills he has worked so hard to develop. If there was an AP gym class, Carey would be the star student.
“I love everything about the P.E. teachers, the atmosphere and all the fun drills and games we do. It’s all a lot of fun,” Carey said.
Carey uses P.E. class as a way to blow off steam in a day packed with rigorous classes. He focuses hard during P.E. because he knows the hard work pays off. All the work done in P.E. class has helped Carey achieve more than he could have dreamed. He currently plays on the varsity lacrosse team and is only a sophomore. He credits a lot of his success to the skills he has developed in P.E.
“I think the hand eye coordination in cricket and softball really help me excel at all the other sports. I also like to run in my free time and I think that gives me that athletic advantage over everyone else in P.E.” Carey said.
Carey has not been alone in developing his skills and attributes a lot of his success to his teachers. According to Carey, all of the P.E. teachers have been great influences.
“They’ve all taught me unique and credible ways to become a better athlete. They’ve all taught me a lot. Ms. Bonzano, Mr. Hanson, everyone’s taught me really great things,” Carey said.
Carey has also been recognized by his fellow classmates as a great athlete. One of Carey’s teammates, Aidan Bailey, could not imagine gym class without his friend.
“He’s just a great teammate and he pushes me to do great things. He’s just an all-around boost of positivity,” Bailey said.
Without a doubt one of the hardest workers at Yorktown, Carey is a paragon of a student athlete. His drive and persistence make him stand out on the field and in the classroom. If you see Carey in the hallways these next few days, make sure to give him a high five and congratulate him on his award. Yorktown’s 2019 Athlete of The Day deserves it.
