Darby Kozan '14 Recruiting Profile

           Steve Prefontaine once said, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." Arguably my favorite athlete of all time, Pre's words stick in my head no matter what I'm doing. In the past four years of my life I have grown in ways both physically and mentally. My daily routine each day after school is to go to the weight room and simply get out energy. I am lucky enough to have such an impressive place affiliated with my school that is filled with people who want to push me to succeed more in life than just the classroom. The weight room is the place where I feel perfectly content in the world.

            When I walk into the weight room the first thing I notice, besides the vulgar stench, is its sound. Our trainer has oldies playing deafly loud that no one can help but smile. The familiar sound of metal plates and rubber weights hitting the platforms are a melody that only a select few are privileged enough to hear. Looking around, I also notice the lack of sound: friendly faces simply smile and nod in my direction— there is no need to exchange conversation. This is the place where it is perfectly acceptable to put the world away or get lost in your own thoughts all at the same time.

            A silent respect is formed when we notice each other lifting during the off season and putting in long, gruesome hours. This bond is meaningful because when we are desperate for a spotter we put our whole trust into their strength; our lives go into their hands. Many people stereotype jocks and some may say I am being overdramatic about lifting heavy things up and setting them back down. However, I have met my closest friends and most influential people during my time in the weight room. Not only do I watch these jocks become physically strong for their sport, over the years I have experienced their emotional strength grow as well. I was taught that working out is not all about pushing your body to its limits—it is about pushing your mind and setting new limits. My friends and I push each other and expect more out of each other because we know how “strong” we can be.

            I have learned limits, goals, discipline, hard work, humility, and friendship at my hometown weight room. Students who have graduated before me have come back and described their top-of-the-line college fitness centers but their expressions show that being in the Twin Valley fitness center completes the high of a workout. The weight room will always be the home I can come back to with my family waiting for me. 

            College is the next step. Both my short-term and long-term goals will only be accomplished by remembering where I came from and the discipline Pre taught me.