Jock in the Box: Legacy Edition

By Passion Tann

Co-Managing Editor

October 2021

Graduating high school is a pivotal time in teenagers’ lives. It thrusts them from the safety and familiarity of compulsory education and into independence as an adult. It can be hard to adjust, especially when one feels like they lost part of the high school experience.

Covid took an entire year from students, and it hit seniors especially hard. Ben Saladar, a class of 2021 graduate and an avid swimmer, can attest to this. He asserts that last year hit him especially hard, as not only was his method of education shifted, but his opportunities to swim for the school were severely limited. He swam for BMHS beginning in his freshman year, but because of COVID, he could not swim his senior year.

Fortunately though, Saladar was able to take the lessons he learned from being a member of the swim team for three years and use them to achieve success in adulthood. He says that the teamwork, grit, and work ethic he gained from the swim team has been the biggest help with his school work. These are all characteristics of a hard working athlete, and he says that hard work is central to becoming the athlete everyone loves and admires.

Not only that, but camaraderie is also a perk of being a part of a team. The friendships he was gifted during his swim career are treasured gifts to him. The love, support, and companionship he received from his teammates still touches him today and is one of the things he misses the most.

Being an athlete is an enriching experience, and it grants so many valuable lessons. Hopefully many more people will have the chance to have such a great time as Saladar.